If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

Good movie but grossly overrated

A lot of fun.

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

Not sure what's worse, the corny, adolescent dialogue or the horribly bad grammar. Were servicemen really that illiterate back then? I watched this after seeing Stage Door Canteen, and although this had more star power, I think the "story" (and I use that term very loosely) was much worse. This cornfest is only redeemed by Bette Davis, John Garfield and the subtly hilarious Jack Benny. To be watched only as a timepiece of a bygone era; don't expect to be entertained.

This film is, on a dramatic level, a lot of Hollywood hokum and hooey. But on another level, it is a quasi-documentary. The Hollywood Canteen did exist in 1944 and did feature the efforts of stars and starlets, giving their all for the GIs.Like many films produced during the WWII years, Hollywood Canteen played a role in the attempts to bolster morale overseas and on the home front. What better way to do that than to create this fantasy about a GI on leave who visits the canteen, meets his dream girl--who happens to be a starlet--and falls in love. The preposterous part is that she also falls in love with him.The GI, Slim, (played by Robert Hutton) has been dreaming about actress Joan Leslie (played by herself) as he served his country. Visiting the canteen, his only wish is to meet Miss Leslie. Thanks to the machinations of John Garfield, Bette Davis and others, he gets his wish and more. Slim is a humble everyman who might have been portrayed by Jimmy Stewart (except that Jimmy was dropping bombs on Germany from a B-24 in real life). His pal (Dane Clark) is a not-so-humble operator who meets another starlet from Warner Brothers who won't give him the time of day. But it turns out that the "starlet" is really just a studio tour guide (Janis Paige). Ms. Page is really delightful in her role as the girl who eventually gives in to the soldier's rough charms.I was somewhat surprised that HC was filmed in B&W. But the camera work, lighting and other production values show a sense of pride, despite the fact that they could have just slapped this star vehicle together. And what stars! The cast is a roundup of current talent from Warner Brothers. Since the setting is a canteen, numerous musical performances are included.With violinist Joseph Szigeti as his straight man, Jack Benny proves it takes a real musician to play as "badly" as he does.Joan McCracken is the principal dancer in the Ballet in Jive dance number. She was Bob Fosse's second wife. I was surprised when I read that she had been a rockette, because of her diminutive stature, but she was 5'5" and research shows that that was the minimum height for rockettes in her time.Also notable is a singing number by Kitty Carlisle.This film was a love letter to servicemen everywhere (and American allies too!). As sappy as it might be, it is a lovely time capsule that captures the real hopes of Americans invested in the war effort and the soldiers who fought so far from home.

I suspect that even during the WWII era when this movie was released the romance between Joan Leslie and Robert Hutton must have seemed pretty far-fetched. And that's the only thing that drags it into the syrupy and silly category. The effort led by Bette Davis and John Garfield to entertain, free of charge, allied servicemen was worthwhile and a credit to all the fine entertainers who volunteered their time. And so, apart from the fake love story, the film shines. The musical numbers are captivating, especially Carmen Cavallaro and Benny Goodman, and this movie is worth seeing just for them. One also gets the feeling that the stars were more natural, less glamorous. They seemed to let their hair down so to speak, doing this just for the fun of it. The one standout performer is Janis Paige who unlike most of the other actors doesn't even play herself. She steals every scene and makes the movie memorable. This was her third film and it was in fact in the real Hollywood Canteen she was discovered and signed to a contract by Warners. By contrast the headliners, Leslie and Hutton, are entirely forgettable and so cute they're annoying. See this movie for the music and Janis Paige and skip the romance.

I wouldn't recommend this film to the average viewer. It isn't because it's necessarily bad, but it is far from the better movies Hollywood made during this era. No, instead I wouldn't recommend it because it will probably have very limited appeal, as only die-hard movie buffs and perhaps older viewers will recognize the MANY actors and actresses playing themselves. That's because as part of the war effort, Hollywood filmed a movie in the famous Hollywood Canteen and featured many of the actors who volunteered at this USO-type facility. And, because it was for the war effort, there is a rare chance to see stars from a wide variety of studios--something you couldn't see in other movies. So, for me, I enjoyed it not for it's forgettable plot but because it was like taking a guided tour of Hollywood without the makeup and special effects.