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Start giftingThe Hollywood Canteen
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Learn moreThe Hollywood Canteen was the jewel in the crown of World War II Hollywood. From 1942 to 1945, over three million servicemen came through its doors on their way to fight in the Pacific—some never to return. There, in a converted barn in the heart of Hollywood, soldiers were fed, entertained by, and danced with some of the biggest stars in the world. The Canteen was free to all servicemen or women, regardless of race, inviting them to jive to the music of Kay Kyser and Harry James, laugh at Bob Hope’s jokes, be handed sandwiches by Rita Hayworth, or dance with Hedy Lamarr. Knowing they were so appreciated, the soldiers were armed with the kinds of hope and encouragement that would help them win a war. The Hollywood Canteen: Where the Greatest Generation Danced with the Most Beautiful Girls in the World is the only complete history of the Canteen.
Lisa Mitchell has been a regular contributor to the Los Angeles Times and DGA magazine. She wrote the Hollywood chapter in The Hollywood Bowl: Tales of Summer Nights, cowrote two award-winning short films, and wrote and produced nationally syndicated television programs. A former actress, she specializes in writing and lecturing about Hollywood’s Golden Age, and has appeared in several television documentaries discussing the subject.
Bruce Torrence is the owner of one of the world’s largest archives of Hollywood historic images, HollywoodPhotographs.com. Included in the archive is the most extensive collection of Canteen photos and memorabilia. A respected authority on Hollywood history, Torrence has written numerous articles and papers on Hollywood and shares his unique knowledge of his native town in interviews and lectures.
Nat Segaloff is a writer, producer, journalist, and Hugo and Locus Award-nominated author of more than two dozen books about filmmakers and film history, including Hurricane Billy: The Stormy Life and Films of William Friedkin. He covered the film industry for the Boston Herald and worked on A&E's flagship Biography series as well as programming for The Learning Channel, New World, Disney, Turner Classic Movies, and USA Network. As one of the original publicists on The Exorcist, he closes a haunting chapter in his life with The Exorcist Legacy. Segaloff lives in Los Angeles and can be found online at natsegaloff.com.
Reviews
“A welcome look inside the nightclub/restaurant cofounded by Bette Davis and John Garfield to entertain servicemen during World War II.”
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