Classic Comedies Collection (Bringing Up Baby / The Philadelphia Story Two-Disc Special Edition / Dinner at Eight / Libeled Lady / Stage Door / To Be or Not to Be)

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"The love impulse in man," says a psychiatrist in Bringing Up Baby, "frequently reveals itself in terms of conflict." That's for sure. For a primer on the rules and regulations of the classic screwball comedy, which throws love and conflict into close proximity, look no further. A straight-laced paleontologist (Cary Grant) loses a dinosaur bone to a dog belonging to free-spirited heiress Katharine Hepburn. In trying to retrieve said bone, Grant is drawn into the vortex surrounding the delicious Hepburn, which becomes a flirtatious pas de deux that will transform both of them. Director Howard Hawks plays the complications as a breathless escalation of their "love impulse," yet the movie is nonetheless romantic for all its speed. (Hawks's His Girl Friday, also with Grant, goes even faster.) Grant and Hepburn are a match made in movie heaven, in sync with each other throughout. Not a great box-office success when first released, Bringing Up Baby has since taken its place as a high-water mark of the screwball form, and it was used as a model for Peter Bogdanovich's What's Up, Doc?

Re-creating the role she originated in Philip Barry's wickedly witty Broadway play, Katharine Hepburn stars as the spoiled and snobby socialite Tracy Lord in The Philadelphia Story, one of the great romantic comedies from the golden age of MGM studios. Applying her impossibly high ideals to everyone but herself, Tracy is about to marry a stuffy executive when her congenial ex-husband (Cary Grant), arrives to protect his former father-in-law from a potentially scandalous tabloid exposé. In an Oscar-winning role, James Stewart is the scandal reporter who falls for Tracy as her wedding day arrives, throwing her into a dizzying state of premarital jitters. Who will join Tracy at the altar? Snappy dialogue flows like sparkling wine under the sophisticated direction of George Cukor in this film that turned the tide of Hepburn's career from "box-office poison" to glamorous Hollywood star.

MGM originally promoted Dinner at Eight by touting the "all-star cast," but this is no run-of-the-mill omnibus picture. On the contrary, rather than cramming as many big names as possible into a lumbering vehicle, the movie's impeccably crafted script (by Edna Ferber and Herman J. Mankiewicz) and direction (by George Cukor) gave some immortal screen luminaries a chance to shine. For sheer bravery, John Barrymore's achingly poignant performance as Larry Renault, a washed-up matinee idol who has "outlived everything but his vanity," is unmatched. Barrymore's brother, Lionel, is equally touching as shipping magnate Oliver Jordan. Oliver vainly tries to save his family's century-old firm, at the same time hiding his financial and health troubles from his wife, Millicent, played to hysterical perfection by Billie Burke. The Great Depression is presented in microcosm as Millicent frets about throwing the ultimate society dinner, oblivious to the world tumbling down around her. She is forced to invite to her precious party such undesirables as crass financier Dan Packard ("He smells Oklahoma!"). Even worse in Millicent's eyes than Packard (Wallace Beery, doing an impressive steamroller imitation) is his social-climbing wife, Kitty (Jean Harlow, never funnier). Be sure to watch for Harlow's brief encounter with Marie Dressler, who brings an extraordinary winking wisdom to the role of aging star Carlotta Vance. As the two enter the dining room in the film's final scene, Harlow makes an offhand remark that elicits from Dressler one of the great screen double takes of all time. Like so much of Dinner at Eight, the moment is priceless.

Newspaper comedy doesn't seem like an MGM genre--ink-stained wretches don't go with Adrian gowns and white deco furniture--but Jack Conway, the designated bull in the Metro china shop (Boom Town, Too Hot to Handle) does what he can to bring some dash and flair to Libeled Lady's wildly complicated script. Spencer Tracy is the tough city editor who goes to some spectacular extremes when socialite Myrna Loy files a $5 million libel suit against his paper for calling her a notorious home-wrecker; he hires celebrated ladies' man William Powell to seduce Loy and asks his long-suffering fiancée, Jean Harlow, to marry Powell temporarily so she can play the wronged wife when Loy and Powell are discovered together. The couples crisscross, with frenetic and not entirely unpredictable results, but much of the pleasure here lies in seeing these iconic stars being so thoroughly themselves. The dialogue strains for champagne wit, but the movie's most memorable moment is pure, rotgut slapstick--Powell's bout with an unruly fly-fishing rod.

This one's all about the ladies. In Stage Door, an absolutely terrific 1937 gem, a Manhattan boardinghouse for aspiring actresses houses an amazing roster of golden-era performers--some of whom, like their characters, were just breaking in. It's hard to say who's in best form here: Katharine Hepburn in blueblood mode, Ginger Rogers streetwise, Andrea Leeds suffering, Lucille Ball and Ann Miller impossibly young, and Eve Arden being, well, splendidly Eve Ardenish. The sassy comedy and sober life lessons are wonderfully mixed by the underrated director Gregory La Cava (My Man Godfrey), who captures the brashness of '30s female chatter in a much pleasanter way than the more famous The Women. Hepburn's sublime attempts to wrestle with the line about calla lilies being in bloom will make you smile long after the movie's over.

Customer Reviews:

LAUGH OUT LOUD! FUNNY!!!!.......2007-06-09

Six of the all time great movies. Its a must for classic movie fans. You really get to see how good Jean Harlow was at comedy in "Dinner at Eight". Lets not forget Carole Lombard what a great comedian and actress she was in "To Be or Not To Be" her last film before she was killed in plane crash. Sometimes we forget how good they really were. They just don't make good movies like these anymore. I couldn't name you a good actor today with this much staying power. There will never be another Cary Grant, James Stewart, William Powell and Katherine Hepburn. You can watch these movies over and over. I know I will..

SHAME ON WARNER BROTHERS!.......2007-05-05

Shame on Warner Brothers for calling this collection a COMEDY Collection. And the other reviewers - where's your candor? Yes, Philadelphia Story is a classic comedy. But DINNER AT EIGHT, which has a few (a very few) funny moments, is, in fact a very dark story involving suicide, hateful marriages and people at the end of their means; with no particular redeeming quality. STAGE DOOR, it had funny moments, yes, but always with a very sad, dark suicide looming. TO BE OR NOT, this is like a skit, a joke, being stretched out to an hour and a half. LIBELED LADY was funny, but hardly a CLASSIC. BRINGING UP BABY is screwball comedy, but we all know that this was NEVER considered a CLASSIC. My recommendation (now that I feel bad I spent so much based on the other reviewers) - buy the films you know individually. One at a time. PHILADELPHIA STORY is a MUST HAVE.
Then you can laugh at the rest of us for buying movies we'll never watch.

A wonderful collection of classic comedies.......2007-03-20

I just recently finished watching all of the movies in this boxed set, and I couldn't be happier with it. Warner's has been going boxed set crazy over the past couple of years, boxing up into collections just about every movie in their vaults. Some collections are good, and some not so good, but this one is excellent. Three of the movies are well known, and the other three are less known. Probably the best known film is "The Philadelphia Story" that got Katharine Hepburn out of her "box office poison" era for good and won James Stewart his only Best Actor Oscar - about two or three Oscars shy of what he should have had in my opinion.

"Dinner at Eight" is a 1933 ensemble comedy using the "Grand Hotel Formula" that had won that film the Best Picture Oscar the year before. It is a comedy revolving around a group of people preparing to go to a dinner party and shows how their lives strangely intertwine beyond even their awareness. Remarkably, I don't think it even got nominated for an Oscar, but it has held up well over time and has one of the best last lines of any movie ever. As everyone is planning to go into dinner Jean Harlow is telling Marie Dressler how she has been reading that machinery has been taking over everything and soon they would all be replaced by machines. Marie Dressler looks Jean Harlow up and down as only she could do and says "My dear I don't think you need to ever worry about that."

"Bringing Up Baby" has Katharine Hepburn playing a scatter-brained young lady who gets Cary Grant involved in her inane plot to transport a tame leopard her brother sent her to her country estate. The film moves at such a fast clip with so much going on that it seems exhausting, but it is great entertainment. This film actually didn't catch on that much until years later.

"Libeled Lady" was the pleasant surprise of the bunch. I had never seen it before but it was quite funny. It all revolves around a false rumor about a young lady that gets reported as truth in a New York paper. The paper faces a libel suit and financial ruin if a way is not found to set up the "libeled lady" so that she appears to be in a genuine scandal, thus lessening the paper's chances of losing in court. This film has some great physical comedy from William Powell of all people.

"To Be Or Not To Be" is a comedy set in World War II Poland and involves an attempt by the occupied Poles to stop a spy from getting to German headquarters with the names of members of the resistance. It pairs Carole Lombard with Jack Benny, but strangely enough the combination does work.

"Stage Door" is a very good film about a group of women living in a boarding house all trying to make it on Broadway. I'm not sure what it is doing in a set of comic movies, though. It is actually more of a melodrama than a comedy, though it has some very witty banter between the struggling actresses at their rooming house and a great performance by Adolphe Menjou as a sophisticated cad, which is a part he played so well in several films of the 1930's.

There are bonus discs included with "Bringing Up Baby" and "The Philadelphia Story". "The Philadelphia Story" includes a feature on Katharine Hepburn's life and career, and "Bringing Up Baby" has a second disc that has a similar tribute to Cary Grant. There are also features included on the directors of these two films. My advice is to buy this set. It's a tremendous value and will give you many hours of entertainment.

Big Belly laughs in every single movie.......2006-06-17

I defy you to find a modern day movie where the wise cracks are funnier than any thing you'll find in each and every one of these 70 year plus old movies! Most of the dialogue was spoken at Tommy Gun blast speed, with every word clearly enunciated - a feat in itself! All the men are mostly in suits or tuxes, and the women wear the most beautiful outfits, created by the top designers in the world at the time. Visually, these movies are a feast for the eyes. It also helps that most of the actors and actresses were considered the most handsome and beautiful at the time. Hey - I can get ugly at home! The quality is also excellent considering how old these movies are. I'm an old-movie buff and I remember browsing the TV guide when I was a teenager and then setting my clock to get up at 3am to catch one of these movies whenever they were on. They still hold up and now I can watch them whenever I want and I am grateful. This is a must-have if you like a good story line, clever dialogue and honest laughs.

This is nice to have on hand.......2006-03-10

Sometimes my life, like so many others, gets a little overwhelming. These are perfect for when you need a 2 hr. break from reality. Make the popcorn, pull the shades, pop one of these in and totally escape. And it's cheaper than therapy. :-)

Average customer rating:

Stage Door
what a classic
A classic masterpiece
GAIL PATRICK IS THE BEST ACTRESS EVER!!!
Wonderful Women!

Stage Door
Starring: Katharine Hepburn , Ginger Rogers , Adolphe Menjou , Gail Patrick , and Constance Collier
Director: Gregory La Cava
Manufacturer: Turner Home Ent
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0006Z2KYS
Release Date: 2005-03-01

Amazon.com essential video

This one's all about the ladies. In this absolutely terrific 1937 gem, a Manhattan boardinghouse for aspiring actresses houses an amazing roster of golden-era performers--some of whom, like their characters, were just breaking in. It's hard to say who's in best form here: Katharine Hepburn in blueblood mode, Ginger Rogers streetwise, Andrea Leeds suffering, Lucille Ball and Ann Miller impossibly young, and Eve Arden being, well, splendidly Eve Ardenish. The sassy comedy and sober life lessons are wonderfully mixed by the underrated director Gregory La Cava (My Man Godfrey), who captures the brashness of '30s female chatter in a much pleasanter way than the more famous The Women. Hepburn's sublime attempts to wrestle with the line about calla lilies being in bloom will make you smile long after the movie's over. --Robert Horton

Customer Reviews:

Stage Door.......2007-06-21

Based on a play by George S. Kaufman and Edna Ferber, this glorious ensemble film evokes the near-constant frustration and rejection that wars with hope and sheer love of craft as these young women try to make their own dreams of success a reality. Stars Hepburn and Rogers play off each other expertly, and sterling support comes from a young Lucille Ball, Eve Arden and Ann Miller. Adolphe Menjou is also well-cast as suave, predatory producer Tony Powell. This is one stage door worth knocking on.

what a classic.......2007-05-07

HEPBURN AND GINGER ROGERS WHAT AND LUCILLE BALL EACH OF THEM REALLY STOOD OUT INT HIS MOVIE HEPBURN WEALTHY ROGERS STRUGGLING TO BE AN ACTRESS LUCILLE BALL AS WELL ALL ARE DIFFERENT PERSONALITIES BUT PUT ALL OF THEM TOGETHER WHAT CHEMISTRY THE WRITER'S KNEW WHAT THEY WERE DOING WHEN THIS MOVIE I AM GLAD I HAVE COME ACROSS THIS ONE!! COVER GIRL IS ANOTHER GREAT MOVIE FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO LIKE CLASSIC MOVIES
THE DRAMA THE SADNESS AND WELL I DO NOT WANT TO GIVE IT ALL AWAY BUT WHAT A MOVIE

A classic masterpiece.......2007-04-28

A must see for classic film buffs. It's a great theatrical film. Stellar cast with perfect acting from everyone. Fast paced dialogues, very witty and integrated in the evolution of the story. Perfect direction and camera work. It has something of Elia Kazan (without the sexual innuendos) and George Cukor in it. This is theater adapted to the screen. I hardly noticed the time pass, and this is the best sign that it was a great film.

Then we have Katherine Hepburn in a role that must have been a challenge for her at that early stage of her career, and one can't help fixing all the attention on her; Ginger Rogers does a wonderful work, very natural, actually all the cast are great and each one adds a different ingredients to their roles. Everything works out perfect. It's an intelligent and emotional film, and great entertainment. I am glad I can add one more masterpiece to my collection of classic films.

GAIL PATRICK IS THE BEST ACTRESS EVER!!!.......2007-03-13

I've been watching classic American films for well over 10 years and all I have to say is the star that I'm most impressed with is Ms. Gail Patrick. I don't know but there is something about her acting, her style and persona that is so different from other Hollywood film stars. When she gets in front of that camera, she becomes the character completely and she convinces you in a way that makes you believe that she and only she can play that role. I don't know and I'm not good with words but you just have to watch all her films to see what a great actress she truly was and still is. Her movies remain timeless for me and it's the greatest joy to watch her perform. Ms. Gail Patrick, you are the very best.:-)

I apologize for shying away from the topic which should be reviewing STAGE DOOR. My favorite performances from that film comes from Gail Patrick, Ginger Rogers and Andrea Leeds. Andrea Leeds is amazing as Kay Hamilton. Her dramatic role in her was very touching. You won't be disappointed if you rent or purchase this great classic film.:-)

Wonderful Women!.......2007-03-02

Fast snappy dialogue and a window into another world oddly like our own. Imagine a movie with lots of high powered female characters, none of whom have had surgery to their faces to adhere to some imposed idea of beauty as conformity, who, as characters, are competing for success based on personal merit and individuality? Watch this film and show it to young people.
JJP

Average customer rating:

Variable and corny, but it has some high points
Home Front during WWII
Stage Door Canteen
Complete at last!
mesmerizing

Stage Door Canteen
Starring: Judith Anderson , Henry Armetta , Tallulah Bankhead , Ralph Bellamy , and Benny Goodman
Manufacturer: Critic's Choice
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ASIN: B0006G5KGM
Release Date: 2005-10-25

Product Description

Three soliders meet three girls at the famous canteen before going overseas in this star-studded film. Featuring apperances by Katharine Hepburn, Helen Hayes, Edgar Bergen, & Harpo Marx. Also featuring the bands of Count Basie, Benny Goodman, Guy Lombardo, and Freddy Martin.

Customer Reviews:

Variable and corny, but it has some high points.......2007-06-20

What to make of this wartime, home-front morale movie, which is loaded with star players and character actors? It has a slight story-line about four young American soldiers. They're about to ship overseas any day, but manage to visit the Stage Door Canteen just off Broadway, where the stars entertain, dance and talk with soldiers, cook and serve and wash the dishes. The four, of course, all have states as nicknames. One, the innocent California, longs for his first kiss; Tex meets a down-home girl at the Canteen; Jersey isn't seen much as he manages to marry his girlfriend; and Dakota, a young womanizer, meets at the Canteen a woman who's out for a career and they surprise each other by falling in love. All the while we have comedy bits from lots of actors, ranging from Harpo Marx to the distinctively odd couple of Franklin Pangborn and Johnnie Weismuller. We have any number of grande dames -- Helen Hayes, Lynn Fontanne, Judith Anderson, Katharine Cornell, among others, doing their home-trained impression of gracious American aristocracy.

We follow our four while they find that first kiss, relax with and long for the wholesome young ladies they talk and joke with, and rededicate themselves to fight for our American values. Of course, all of the soldiers in the packed Canteen are wholesome and white, and so are all the stars. More startling after nearly 65 years, with all that talent around, is how dated and corny the movie is. This is emotional propaganda, designed to entertain Americans at home, show them how all of America's stars support the war effort, and leave the audience tearing up over the possible fate of the soldiers they've just met...but determined to rededicate themselves to the war effort that will bring the soldiers back safe and victorious. All those heart strings Hollywood pulls, however, are so visible we know when we're being manipulated into a sob or a smile.

Equally unnerving is how dated so many of the comedy bits and musical numbers seem now. Ray Bolger does a specialty number written for him by Rodgers & Hart, singing and dancing to "The Girl I Love to Leave Behind." The dancing is great but the song sure isn't. Amidst all the comedy and the soldiers' love stories we suddenly have Yehudi Menuhin pulling out his violin and playing a carefully lighted Ave Maria...followed by the frenetic Flight of the Bumble Bee. Even odder is Gracie Fields, that dynamic English musical hall star. She does a raucous, energetic, mugging specialty song about "killing Japanese," (she uses the now-offensive shortened version of the word), which has the boys cheering...then announces she's been requested by one young soldier to sing "The Lord's Prayer." Huh?

There are a number of highlights, and seeing all these stars and entertainers doing their stuff is probably worth the price of the movie. A young Peggy Lee fronts the Benny Goodman Orchestra with "Why Don't You Do Right?," Charley McCarthy and Edgar Bergen have a funny routine, Ethel Waters sings with the Count Basie Orchestra, and Lannie Ross, a long-forgotten orchestra crooner sings a great and long-forgotten WWII ballad...the poignant and romantic "We Mustn't Say Goodbye," lyrics by Al Dubin and music by James V. Monaco.

In dreams we'll always be together
Beneath the moonlit sky
We mustn't say goodbye

Each night I'll push aside the mountains
I'll drain the oceans dry
We mustn't say goodbye

I promise you that when the postman rings
My heart will be inside
The envelope he brings

Oh, don't you know the memories we gathered
Can never, never die
We mustn't say goodbye

If you have a chance to hear the Jo Stafford version, you'll be in tears.

Last but not least in oddity, we have the Kate Hepburn closing. Dakota and Eileen decided to get married at the Canteen, and she shows up to meet him there. He never appears. Then a soldier appears and tells her and her friends that Dakota's unit unexpectedly shipped out that morning. Dakota told him to find Eileen and tell her that he loves her. He'll return from the fighting and they'll be married then. Eileen starts to run from the Canteen in tears, when suddenly this mannishly dressed, angular woman stops her. With her face about three inches from Eileen's, Hepburn delivers an understanding but extremely firm lecture that Eileen's duty now is to return to the Canteen and do her job, just as Dakota is doing his job, and that we at the home-front can do no less than what our soldiers are doing fighting for us. Eileen wipes away the tears, and with a tremulous smile walks towards the waiting solders to dance and talk and just listen to their dreams and hopes. Fade to black.

This is a public domain title. The version I saw was barely watchable, so buyer beware.

Home Front during WWII.......2007-06-04

I watched "Stage Door Canteen" the other night primarily because Katherine Hepburn was in the cast (as one of many cameo appearances). I must admit that I was having a hard time figuring out her eventual impact on the movie but she played an important role at the end of the film. The basic plot of this film is secondary to the entertainment. However, the two work together well. We see several GI's on leave 24 hours before they ship off. They are directed to the Stage Door Canteen where four-star meals are served to servicement with five-star entertainment and pristine but friendly young ladies waiting to dance of talk. It's in between the dancing and talking that most viewers will find the movie enjoyable. I don't recall all of the acts (some of whom I never heard of) but Benny Goodman, Xavier Cugat, Gypsy Rose Lee, Count Basie, Harpo Marx and the aforementioned Katherine Hepburn tooks turns on (and off) the stage. Some of the music was very good and some wasn't. There was also some exceptional amateur (I think) dancing highlighted on the floor. The plot seemed to get in the way at times but our soldier boys kept getting another 24-hour leave to keep the entertainment going. If nothing else, the "plot" gave some of us pause to reflect on war-time romances by seeing a few get started.

The movie is a bit long (over two hours) and would have benefitted from jetisonning a mediocre song or two and half of the plot. However, there are a couple of songs that staid with me so I'd better keep this tape if I want to hear them again.

Stage Door Canteen.......2007-05-13

What a delightful music video. So many stars in this movie that one can't count them all. A real classic that everyone should watch with a friend in the military.

Complete at last!.......2007-01-21

I rejoice to say that this version of Stage Door Canteen (Critic's Choice Edition) is the real thing, uncut, with all the vaudeville and band performances intact. I'll bet I've bought this movie, either in VHS or DVD formats, 4 or 5 times at least. Each version would be missing at least one segment, usually more. And each time it'd be different segments! Now all the bands (Xavier Cugat, Kay Kyser, Count Basie with Ethel Waters, Benny Goodman with Peggy Lee, Freddy Martin and Guy Lombardo) are here, as well as all the comic and musical bits I've seen over the years.

If you've never seen the movie, it ain't no great shakes in the drama department, but it is an unforgettable look at both a galaxy of Hollywood, stage and radio stars and at the kind of American culture and attitude that won World War Two. If you're a fan of the 30s-40s pop culture, love old radio, swing music, or if you have a sentimental love for this time in American history, give it a look. Just make sure it's this version!

mesmerizing.......2006-07-13

Stage door canteen is star-studded. The many cameo appearances and stage performances were interwoven nicely, the story intact and fluid. Though not recognising many of the stars, I can't help being impressed by the professional performances and the unquestionable support for the soldiers. Most noted among the performances were The Lord's Prayer (Gracie Fields), Ave Maria and The Flight of Bumble Bee (Yehudi Menuhin)on violin and piano accompaniment, Good night Sweetheart (Kenny Baker) as well as the puppet performances. The beautiful music elicited undivided attention and respect from the soldiers, the mood infectious across the screen. A young soldier lining up for food recognized the orange lady as the famous lady playing Juliet. Thus began the recital of the lines of Romeo and Juliet the play.

The version (not this one) I watched was not digitally restored. Yet it somehow delivered a powerful message. Emotional support from the young waitresses, dish washing and cooking by the show people, food donation from everywhere offered a unified and unreserved support for the young soldiers who were known as Dakota, Jersey, California (named after the places they come from). Simple rules that the waitresses could not meet soldiers outside the canteen and staff could not taste the leftover (such as rationed coffee) were enforced effectively. Back then, things were simpler, more black and white.

Average customer rating:

Slightly Dated, with Some Top Acts!
not hepburn

Stage Door Canteen
Starring: Katherine Hepburn; Ralph Bellamy; Goerge Jessel; Tallulah Bankhead; Count Basie; Xavier Cugat
Director: Frank Borzage
Manufacturer: Miracle Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

ASIN: B0002DRBZ2
Release Date: 2002-02-02

Product Description

From back cover, "A young soldier on a pass in NYC visits the aed Stage Door Canten, where famous stars of the theater and films appea, and host a recreational center for servicemen during the war. He meets a pretty young hostess, they fall in love, and both enjoy the talents of the entertainers.

Customer Reviews:

Slightly Dated, with Some Top Acts!.......2006-04-07

With a corney love story which seems silly, given that after about 2-3 really dull dates, the two heart throbs finally get a shot-gun wedding. And some of the "Stars" are apparently somewhat smug in their special roles. Having said that, there are some really fine pieces here: Ray Bolger doing one of the most incredible tap dances ever filmed, Ed Bergen and Charlie McCarthy, Benny Goodman and his orchestra with Peggy Lee doing a sultry "Why Don't You Do Right",and CountBasie and his Band leading the performances. Worth checking out just for these 4 acts! And there are several others almost as good.

not hepburn.......2004-10-10

This was listed under hepburn. she has a brief cameo at the end of the film. I would not recommend this to someone who thinks thatt this is a hepburn piece.

It is a period piece with performances by famous WWII era stars; Ray Bolger, al jolson, and others.

Till the Clouds Roll By / Stage Door Canteen

Average customer rating:

Till the Clouds Roll By / Stage Door Canteen
Starring: Judy Garland; Dinah Shore; Lena Horne; Frank Sinatra; Katherine Hepburn; George Jessel; Tallulah Bankhead; Count Basie; Xavier Cugat
Director: Richard Wharf; Frank Borzage
Manufacturer: Miracle Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

ASIN: B0002PT8G0
Release Date: 2002-02-02

Product Description

"Till the Clouds Roll By" This extraordinay bigraphical film of American Broadway pioneer Jerome Kern features renditions of his most famous songs from his esteemed musicals. "Stage Door Canteen" A young soldier on a pass in New York City visits the famed Stage Door Canteen where famous stars of the theater and films appear and host a recreational center for siervicemen.

Average customer rating:

GREAT WAR-TIME ENTERTAINMENT
Avoid DVDs from Image Entertainment
Excellent example of patriotism at it's best during wartime
Memories of the Forties
Entertaining Memento of a More Optimistic Era

Stage Door Canteen
Starring: Judith Anderson , Kenny Baker (II) , Tallulah Bankhead , Ralph Bellamy , and Edgar Bergen
Director: Frank Borzage
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00005Y6YM
Release Date: 2002-03-26

Amazon.com

Stage Door Canteen (1943), directed by Frank Borzage (A Farewell to Arms) in support of the war effort, prefigures Anchors Aweigh and On the Town in depicting the lives of servicemen on leave in the big city. Countless British and American celebrities put in an appearance--everyone from Dame Judith Anderson to Katharine Hepburn, Count Basie to Benny Goodman. The story concerns three soldiers and the female volunteers they fall for at the canteen of the title--a real-life Manhattan nightspot--before shipping out for points unknown. While the largely unknown principals (Cheryl Walker, William Terry, etc.) handle the drama and romance, bigger stars like Harpo Marx and Tallulah Bankhead take care of the comedy and scene-stealing supporting bits. This historical document was most commonly shown in an edited-for-TV 93-minute version but is now available again in its original--more entertaining--132-minute length. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Description

Forty-eight of America's greatest entertainers star in Sol Lesser's patriotic homage to the soldiers of World War II and the Stage Door Canteen, the famous serviceman's club in New York City. Essentially a two-hour concert held together by a moving storyline involving three girls working as club hostesses and the soldiers on their way to Europe for D-Day with whom they fell in love. A great snapshot of America restored from the original camera negative.

Customer Reviews:

GREAT WAR-TIME ENTERTAINMENT.......2006-02-28

In the 1940's there were two Canteens...the Hollywood Canteen in California and the STage Door Canteen in New York, set-up to entertain serviceman who were getting ready to go to war or who were on leave. The big attraction was that many Hollywood stars would work at the two establishments doing everything from bussing tables to dancing with the servicemen. Stage Door Canteen does a pretty good job of capturing the feel of the real establishment. One can only guess at the wide-eyed wonder these young men had when people like Bette DAvis and John Garfield waited on them.

The thin plot follows a group of serviceman who are about to be shipped off to fight. And that's really about it. They were not setting out to make a dramatic classic. This was strictly a morale booster film, loaded with celebrities. Among the guest stars are: Ralph Bellamy, Edgar Bergen, Helen Hayes, katherine Hepburn, Harpo Marx, George Raft, and Johnny Weissmuller as well as the orchestras of Count Basie, Benny Goodman, and Kay Kyser. It's sort of like a 1940's version of "We are the World" with all these celebs joining together for a great cause.

Fabulous entertainment!

Avoid DVDs from Image Entertainment.......2005-07-28

I ordered STAGE DOOR CANTEEN on May 28. I have yet to receive a
DVD! It has not yet shipped. This is irresponsible business
dealing.

Excellent example of patriotism at it's best during wartime.......2005-07-14

I taped this movie when it appeared on PBS a few months ago, then I got busy and put it aside. I finally watched it the other day and was very impressed with this story of how patriotic people were during WW2 and how the Stage Door Canteen made all service men feel welcome. A cavalcade of stars and top notch big bands appear to make the boys feel at home and have a chance to enjoy their free time before eventually being shipped off to either Europe or the Pacific. Back in the day, many Hollywood stars donated their time to the Stage Door Canteen, providing entertainment as well as helping serve food and doing the cleanup afterward. I enjoyed the budding romance between hostess Eileen and totally smitten soldier Dakota. At first Eileen is more hung up on getting a role in a Broadway show than anything else, but later in the film she realizes that she'd been acting like a heel and really does have feelings for Dakota. There are plenty of good performances as well, particularly by Edgar Bergen & Charlie McCarthy; Ray Bolger(clowning around in the uniform jacket of the marine who kept asking him if he was Ray Bolger); and especially the music of the orchestras of Kay Kyser, Freddie Martin, Count Basie, Benny Goodman and Guy Lombardo. The brief screen appearance by the great Kate Hepburn is a very moving one. A real treat for anyone who is a WW2 buff or into the 1940s music era.

Memories of the Forties.......2005-07-13

The average person in their twenties would have no appreciation of the movie. I watched it remembering the dances we did, the songs we sang and the movies we saw. Reminiscing it is called. If you were not a part of that age, you would have no imagination of the simple way we lived and the things we enjoyed. In the days when you danced with a partner. When people had respect for one another. When people showed consideration to each other. All in the past when manners meant something. The film stars devoted many unpaid hours of their time visiting the Canteens, entertaining in the camps and trying to bring some joy into the lives of the servicemen. The young have a lot to learn when it comes to tolerance and consideration.
The movie brought back many pleasant memories and sad ones too.

Entertaining Memento of a More Optimistic Era.......2005-04-24

This movie is so fun that it is almost poignant, since it's nearly impossible to imagine anything like it being made today. It's sort of in a category of its own, since it's somewhere between comedy, romance, documentary, musical, and patriotic propaganda, but it works.

It was fascinating for me to glimpse so many of the stars from this era, since I don't know most of them. Yet even in their brief cameos you can feel some of the charisma that made them stars. For example, Tallulah Bankhead (who I had never seen before) has maybe ten seconds of screen time, but she leaves one of the biggest impressions. Oh and in contrast to what someone else wrote, I thought the Romeo and Juliet scene (with the line "parting is such sweet sorrow") was rather lovely and well done (by a stage actress I had never heard of).

I could go on and one about various moments by various performers, because there are almost 50 cameos, and lots of them are really funny and/or moving (Katherine Hepburn's climactic pep talk, for instance, demands mention). The framing narrative is a little corny, sure, but it's just innocent fun (and c'mon, it's based on an Irving Berlin song).

I live in New York, and my grandfather once mentioned going to a place like the canteen (maybe even this exact one!) when he was in the navy stationed here in WWII, but I had never really understood what he was talking about before I saw this movie.

I stumbled on this one boring Saturday night on PBS and highly recommend it to anyone of any age. I hate using such an old-fashioned word as delightful, but it fits. Stage Door Canteen really puts a smile on your face.

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Stage Door Canteen / Private Buckaroo
Starring: The Andrew Sisters; Harry James; Donald O'Connor
Director: Edward Cline
Manufacturer: Miracle Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000AMPK4E
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Stage Door Canteen
Starring: Judith Anderson , Henry Armetta , Tallulah Bankhead , Ralph Bellamy , and Benny Goodman
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ASIN: B0002T6Z6W
Release Date: 2004-01-01

Product Description

This digitally remastered Dorsey Brothers Classic is a Wartime romance story about a soldier(Dakota) who visits the famous NYC, Stage Door Canteen and falls in love with a hostess(Eileen). Includes numerous cameos and musical numbers by some of the era's biggest stars such as Katharine Hepburn, Count Basie, Helen Hayes, Benny Goodman, Johnny Weissmuller, Gracie Fields, Tallulah Bankhead, Merle Oberon, and Ray Bolger to name just a few.

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Stage Door Canteen
Starring: Katherine Hepburn
Manufacturer: Digiview Productions
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Product Description

During wartime a young soldier visits a recreational center. Famous stars perform at this hotspot in New York City. Original release date not shown on package.

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STAGE DOOR CANTEEN & PRIVATE BUCKAROO

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Product Description

2 ALL TIME GREAT JUMPIN AND JIVIN MUSICALS.

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