The Hollywood Canteen – Patriotism at Its Finest

 By Kathy Kovach

Screen image from the movie Hollywood Canteen

Hollywood may be the quintessential exposition of unrealistic romance, over-the-top gritty violence, or other-worldly fantasy, but there was one thing she got right.

Her patriotism.

Throughout the two world wars—from The Little American (July 1917) to The Fighting Sullivans (February 1944)—movies brought unbearable heartache and joyous triumphs into theaters.

Hollywood’s dedication to the troops didn’t stop when the director yelled, “That’s a wrap.” Actors, actresses, and many more in the film industry became dedicated to giving back. Whether through entertaining the troops overseas or selling war bonds, Hollywood loved her country.

One such commitment came in the form of the Hollywood Canteen, an unrelated offshoot of the Stage Door Canteen, founded by the American Theater Wing and located in New York. The west-coast variety was the brainchild of actor John Garfield after his visit to the New York site. Ineligible for active duty due to a heart condition, he felt this was a way he could serve. He ran the idea by actress Bette Davis, and the pair created a place where enlisted men and women could enjoy themselves and relax.

“Marine Dance” Actress Linda Darnell with star-struck marine, 1944.
CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

After the grand opening on Saturday, October 3, 1942, entertainers, as well as those behind the scenes, volunteered their time to serve anyone in uniform, which was the only criteria for entrance. They waited tables, washed dishes, and became dance partners for the thousands who took advantage of the free service.

Screen image from the movie Hollywood Canteen

Bette Davis handed out cigarettes while Marlena Dietrich and Hedy Lamar gladly took over dish duty. Roy Rogers brought his horse Trigger on the stage and performed tricks. Teenager Shirley Temple tended bar! Not to worry, though. Absolutely no alcohol was served. In truth, if any alcohol was found on anyone, volunteers and guests alike, they would be turned over to the Los Angeles Police Department immediately. As a side note: Temple hated the non-alcoholic drink named after her. She claimed it to be a “saccharine sweet, icky drink”, and she had nothing to do with its creation. As a side to the side note: I had a Shirley Temple once when I was seven and enjoyed it immensely.

The Canteen was originally a livery stable. The makeover created a large 2000 guest capacity venue with a western theme. The sign was made of rope lettering, and wagon wheels with retrofitted kerosene lanterns became chandeliers. Celebrities donated decorations, and Cary Grant gave them a piano.

Lt. Gen. Valin, Chief of Staff, French Air Force, awards the Croix De Guerre with Palm to Col. Jimmy Stewart for exceptional services in the liberation of France. U.S. Air Force photo

On the first anniversary of its grand opening, a Wall of Honor was dedicated to pictures of actors who served in the military, including Clark Gable and Jimmy Stewart.

“Through these portals pass the most beautiful uniforms in the world”  –Sign over the entrance to the Hollywood Canteen

Bette Davis was adamant that anyone in uniform, U.S. or allied forces, regardless of race, were allowed in. As a result, she was awarded the Distinguished Civilian Service Medal, the highest civilian award, in 1980.

Marlena Dietrich and Rita Hayward, 1942
Wikimedia Commons

As mentioned above, admission was free. In fact, everything was free, the food, drink, and entertainment. The Hollywood Canteen became so popular that a one-hour limit had to be set in place to accommodate the long lines waiting outside. Many of the guests were far from home, either training in California or preparing to be shipped overseas. Most were young, lonely, and probably scared. But the Canteen provided relief from the uncertainties of war.

In regards to opening night: “It seemed thousands of men entered the canteen that night. I had to crawl through a window to get inside.” – Bette Davis

Millionth Man Sgt. Carl Bell with Lana Turner, Deanna Durbin, and Marlena Dietrich

After almost a year, on September 15, 1943, the millionth man walked through the doors. Sgt. Carl Bell received the prestigious honor as he was escorted in by German-star-turned-American-patriot Marlena Dietrich and was bestowed a kiss from the paragon of pinup girls Betty Grable.

During the three years the Hollywood Canteen was open, it operated Monday through Saturday from 7 p.m. to midnight and on Sundays from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. Throughout the course of a night, 300 Hollywood professionals—more than 3000 in the entire life of the canteen—volunteered in every capacity. This was spread out over two shifts.

Both the Stage Door Canteen and the Hollywood Canteen were immortalized in film. The prior released in 1943 and the latter in 1944. Not surprisingly, the movie Hollywood Canteen is billed to have starred both Bette Davis and John Garfield, the founders. In truth, a plethora of stars, many of them having taken part in the real canteen, are in the movie, some in cameos, others performing their acts. Despite the weak plot (the film concentrated more on the star power than the story line), it was nominated for three Oscars and was granted three wins from the Photoplay Awards. In the tradition of its namesake, the film earmarked 40% of ticket sales to charities benefitting U.S. servicemen. To get a taste, here is the short video, The Hollywood Canteen: The Story Behind The Movie

Jack Benny and Bob Hope
CC BY 2.0

Alas, all good things must come to an end. The Hollywood Canteen served its last customers a delicious Thanksgiving dinner on November 22, 1945 with Bob Hope and Jack Benny headlining the entertainment. At the end, the $500K surplus—mostly from the profits of two films, Thank Your Lucky Stars, 1943, and Hollywood Canteen, 1944—were donated to veterans’ relief funds. The former livery stable turned patriotic venue was eventually leveled and made into a parking lot, but the memories linger like dry-ice induced fog and Hollywood dreams.

"There are few accomplishments in my life that I am sincerely proud of. The Hollywood Canteen is one of them." – Bette Davis, 1987

Titanic: Legacy of Betrayal

A TIME-SLIP NOVEL

A secret. A key. Much was buried on the Titanic, but now it's time for resurrection.

Follow two intertwining stories a century apart. 1912 - Matriarch Olive Stanford protects a secret after boarding the Titanic that must go to her grave. 2012 - Portland real estate agent Ember Keaton-Jones receives the key that will unlock the mystery of her past... and her distrusting heart.

To buy: Amazon

Kathleen E. Kovach is a Christian romance author published traditionally through Barbour Publishing, Inc. as well as indie. Kathleen and her husband, Jim, raised two sons while living the nomadic lifestyle for over twenty years in the Air Force. Now planted in northeast Colorado, she's a grandmother and a great-grandmother—though much too young for either. Kathleen has been a longstanding member of American Christian Fiction Writers. An award-winning author, she presents spiritual truths with a giggle, proving herself as one of God's peculiar people.

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Colonial Music and Dance

by Denise Weimer

One of the ways I’ve always enjoyed creating period setting in my historical novels is through the use of music and dance. A song can capture any mood, including that of an era or area. Most recently, I've focused on the Colonial years in my writing.

During the American Revolution, Colonists enjoyed tunes they’d brought over from their native countries. Some of them, like “Lavender’s Blue” (English, printed 1670s-80s), “The Willow Tree” (a much older tune printed in Ancient and Modern Scottish Songs, 1776), “Barbara Allen” (British or Scottish) and “The Girl I Left Behind Me” (English fife tune long known but popularized in America during the Revolution) traced back a hundred years or more. "Johnny Has Gone For a Soldier," based on the Irish folk song "Shule Aroon," became popular during the Revolution as well.

Colonists also enjoyed the music from stage musicals like The Beggar’s Opera, performed in London as early as 1728 and in the Colonies by 1750, taking home printed copies to play and sing.

The turbulent emotions of the Revolution also generated new music, like “The Rich Lady Over the Sea,” born of taxation resentment. “My Days Have Been So Wondrous Free” became the first song penned by an American, Francis Hopkinson of Philadelphia, in 1759. The verses were included in a 1788 collection of songs for his personal friend, George Washington. Hopkinson signed the Declaration of Independence for New Jersey and helped design the American flag.

Any article on American Revolution-period music would be remiss without mention of “Yankee Doodle.” The song was said to have been written by a British Army surgeon as a sarcastic critique of the motley American troops during the French and Indian War. Those troops adopted it as their own. Origins of the American version remain unclear. Some attribute it to Richard Schukburgh of New York in 1755, but apparently, proof is lacking. Rumor also has it that during the surrender of Lord Cornwallis at Yorktown, the British band played “The World Turned Upside Down,” while the Americans played “Yankee Doodle.”

What about dancing of the time period? If the guests were attending a formal ball, their arrival around seven p.m. would be greeted with light refreshments. Minuets began every ball and were arranged from the highest ranking couple in the room to lowest, danced in silence where the man led the dance by signaling his partner with arm movements and intense eye contact. One couple would dance while the others watched. Jigs and hornpipes from France were also popular. These included personal routines with step combinations and floor patterns adapted to the skills of a soloist or two dancers for jigs. Allemandes, rigadoons, and gavottes taught at dancing schools were choreographed to display skill. A seated supper would commence at ten. By midnight, the dancing would resume. At five a.m, the last weary guests would leave.

More casual dances included Scottish reels and country dances with couples creating long lines facing each other, danced with two or three couples at a time, then progressing, moving down the line and back up, dancing with every couple on the floor twice. The top couple often chose the dance and recited the figures.

Denise Weimer writes historical and contemporary romance from her home in North Georgia and also serves as a freelance editor and the Acquisitions & Editorial Liaison for Wild Heart Books. A mother of two young adult daughters, she always pauses for coffee, chocolate, and old houses.

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A Tidy Bottom For A Happy Baby

 

By Suzanne Norquist

As a new grandmother, I find myself discussing diapers with my daughter. Like an old woman, I say things like, “In my day, there were rubber pants . . . but they were made of plastic, not rubber.”

And, “Think of those old-time pictures where small children wore no pants at all.” She says, “No thanks” to that mess. At the same time, I realize that many climates are too cold for bare bottoms.

And so here is a blog about the history of diapers.

In warm climates, parents often left their babies’ bottoms bare. To prevent messes, they learned how to anticipate when the child needed to go. There is a technique called “elimination communication,” which sounds more like potty training for parents. This method was used until recently in China. When the need arose, a mother could hold the baby over a pot or out in the street.

In cold climates, parents made a diaper out of animal skin lined with moss or grass. Where cloth was available, it would be layered to keep the child clean. Europeans swaddled their babies in linen. Although this sounds cozy, the fabric wasn’t changed often or cleaned well. No one knew that cleanliness prevented diseases.

Cloth diapers, as we think of them, didn’t really appear until the late 1800s. With the Industrial Revolution, more people had nice furniture to protect. At that time, machines could make cloth, and safety pins had been invented. In 1887, Marie Allen created the first mass-produced cloth diapers in the United States.

Because people had learned about germs, they boiled diapers and hung them out to dry.

Of course, mothers and seamstresses continued to refine the design, even if only within their small circle. In an 1897 article in the Rocky Mountain News, Denver, CO, Mrs. Bertha Janet Gunn describes concerns about most diapers.

“A heavy diaper, for instance, which always holds the child’s legs out, or the flannel bellyband which is pulled so tightly around its yielding little body, and fastened with pins that are forever in danger of slipping out and sticking into its delicate flesh.”

She created patterns to solve these problems and sold both patterns and pre-made diapers.

“My diaper is cut on the bias, so the seat is larger and baggy, and there is very little cloth to fold between the legs, so the little legs can lie straight out.”

Accidents were common since cloth doesn’t stop all moisture from leaking out. In the 1920s, parents often put rubber pants over the fabric. However, rubber tended to irritate the skin. In the 1950s, plastic pants replaced them, but they were still called “rubber pants.”

Newspaper advertisements in the early 1900s promoted various types of diapers, including double diapers, linen diapers, cotton diapers, and rubber diapers.

Disposable ones improved the quality of life for generations of moms and babies. In the 1940s, when World War II caused a shortage of cotton, moms got creative, leading to the invention of the disposable diaper. Several people are credited with the idea.

Some of the first efforts included a Swedish paper company that attempted to use sheets of tissue pads. Rubber pants kept it all in, but it resulted in mushy balls of paper. A Scottish woman used old parachutes for the outside with cellulose wadding and cotton wool inside. This product never took off.

In the late 1940s, Marion Donovan used shower curtain material to create a leak-proof diaper cover. Her design included snap fasteners instead of safety pins. This product, known as the Boater because it resembled a boat, was used with cloth diapers. However, it inspired disposable diaper makers. Layered tissue paper (which must be sturdier than what the Swedish paper company used) could be used instead of cloth. 

In 1961, Procter and Gamble brought Pampers to market. Employee and grandfather Vic Mills saw room for improvement in existing products. He used cellulose instead of paper fibers for better absorption.

Over time, other companies entered the market. Improvements included increased absorbency, an hourglass shape, elastic in the legs, biodegradable materials, and additional features.

Now, parents can choose between improved versions of cloth diapers or disposables. New moms, like my daughter, will never know the frustration of pinning an ill-fitting cloth diaper on her baby and pulling a plastic pant over the top.

***

”Mending Sarah’s Heart” in the Thimbles and Threads Collection

Four historical romances celebrating the arts of sewing and quilting.

Mending Sarah’s Heart by Suzanne Norquist

Rockledge, Colorado, 1884

Sarah seeks a quiet life as a seamstress. She doesn’t need anyone, especially her dead husband’s partner. If only the Emporium of Fashion would stop stealing her customers, and the local hoodlums would leave her sons alone. When she rejects her husband’s share of the mine, his partner Jack seeks to serve her through other means. But will his efforts only push her further away?

Suzanne Norquist is the author of two novellas, “A Song for Rose” in A Bouquet of Brides Collection and “Mending Sarah’s Heart” in the Thimbles and Threads Collection. Everything fascinates her. She has worked as a chemist, professor, financial analyst, and even earned a doctorate in economics. Research feeds her curiosity, and she shares the adventure with her readers. She lives in New Mexico with her mining engineer husband and has two grown children. When not writing, she explores the mountains, hikes, and attends kickboxing class.

 

John Bidwell: Soldier, Farmer, and Lovelorn Beau

 by Martha Hutchens

image by mikeledray, deposit photos

John Bidwell traveled to California in 1841 at the age of 22. He soon became John Sutter’s business manager and was among the first to learn of the gold discovery at Sutter’s Mill. Shortly after, he found gold himself at the Feather River.

At that time, California was under Mexican control. Bidwell became a Mexican citizen to purchase land legally and received a land grant for Rancho del Arroyo Chico in 1844. But in 1846, the Mexican-American War broke out in Texas and quickly spread across the Southwest. Bidwell joined the California militia and served under John C. Frémont. When the war ended in 1848 with the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo, Bidwell was honored with the title General.

After the war, Bidwell focused on agriculture, developing vineyards and orchards on his land. He created his own almond variety and was one of the first to harvest a commercial raisin crop in California. By the 1850s, he owned 30,000 acres and grew everything from wheat to melons.

In 1865, Bidwell was elected to the United States House of Representatives—an achievement that would change the course of his life.

Annie Kennedy was 26, considered past the usual age of marriage. Small and delicate in build, she devoted herself to good works, especially women's suffrage, temperance, public education, and other reform causes. Her father, the superintendent of the U.S. census, held many social responsibilities that Annie and her mother helped manage. Marriage, she believed, would require her to give up her mission.

General Bidwell became a frequent guest at the Kennedy home during his time in Washington, but Annie was shocked to receive a letter from him in January 1867.

image by ronstik, deposit photos

“I never could marry unless I loved,” he wrote, “and I never loved till I came here, and then with an intensity that seemed to me to equal if not surpass any tale of fiction.”

Startled, Annie dashed off a quick and rather stern refusal. But later that day, her conscience pricked her. She sent another note, softer in tone:

“Do not think me ungrateful if obliged to write that which may grieve you. Be assured I am deeply grieved myself. Grieved that I should be the cause of pain to you.”

Though heartbroken, the General thought he sensed not rejection, but fear. Not fear of him, but of change.

“I will try to see you often while I stay in Washington,” he replied. “But Annie, unless you tell me your heart and hand are betrothed to another, I shall live in hope as long as life shall last.”

Bidwell was on a deadline—he would return to California in March. Annie forbade him to approach her parents with a formal courtship. He sent more letters, but she remained firm. He returned to California heartbroken, yet undeterred.

Over the following year, they continued their correspondence across the miles. Though letters took weeks to arrive, their unusual courtship endured. At last, Annie gave the General permission to speak to her father. They were married on April 16, 1868.

Annie need not have feared sacrificing her life's work. Instead, she gained a partner who shared her values. Bidwell ran for president in 1892 as the candidate for the Prohibition Party. While the land he farmed originally belonged to the Mechoopda people, Bidwell—unlike many of his contemporaries—hired many of them and sought to protect them when the state of California later forced Native communities onto reservations. He also spoke publicly for the rights of Chinese immigrants, advocating for their fair treatment.

image by phb.cz, deposit photos

While General Bidwell took up many of Annie’s causes, she shared in his as well—becoming an amateur botanist.

General Bidwell died in 1900 at the age of 81. Annie lived until 1918. She never remarried.

The Bidwells had no children, so Annie left the land near Chico to the town her husband had founded. That land is now known as Bidwell Park. Her mansion served for a time as dormitories for a normal school, continuing her belief in public education. The home was acquired by the State of California in 1964. Sadly, on December 11, 2024, an arson fire destroyed the mansion.

Best-selling author Martha Hutchens is a history nerd who loves discovering new places and times to explore. She won the 2019 Golden Heart® for Romance with Religious and Spiritual Elements. A former analytical chemist and retired homeschool mom, Martha occasionally finds time for knitting—when writing projects allow. Her debut novel, A Steadfast Heart, is now available.

When his family legacy is on the line, rancher Drew McGraw becomes desperate for someone to tame and tutor his three children. Desperate enough to seek a mail-order bride. But when the wrong woman arrives on his doorstep, Drew balks.

Heiress Kaitlyn Montgomery runs straight from the scandal chasing her toward a fresh start on a secluded ranch. She strikes a bargain with Drew—a marriage convenient for both of them.

But the more Kaitlyn adapts to ranch life and forms a bond with Drew’s children and their enigmatic father, she realizes that this ranch is where she is meant to be. And then her past catches up with her…

Will The Real Independence Day Please Stand Up?

Happy Birthday to the United States of America!

 

America’s birthday is generally accepted to be July 4. Independence Day. A day filled with  hot dogs, fireworks, and flags. The day our founding fathers banded together to declare independence from Great Britain, marking the end of colonial rule and the birth of a new nation.

And it is. Sort of.

While most people are familiar with the Declaration of Independence, written by Thomas Jefferson and adopted on July 4, 1776 (hence the aforementioned Independence Day celebration), many more are LESS familiar with the original resolution, written on June 7 by Richard Henry Lee, a statesman from Virginia. In it, Lee stated “that these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and Independent States, that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain is, and ought to be, totally dissolved.”

This original resolution was adopted by Congress on July 2, essentially declaring for the first time the creation of a new and independent nation. It was this day that was commemorated by our founding fathers, not July 4. In fact, John Adams wrote to his wife that July 2 would be remembered and celebrated as “the most memorable Epocha in the History of America.”

It was Lee’s resolution that began the movement toward independence. The founding fathers believed the new nation needed three things in order to begin: a Declaration of Independence, alliances with foreign states, and a plan for the confederation. Jefferson, as you may have guessed, was called to handle the first step; it was only because of Lee’s original resolution that the actual Declaration of Independence was drafted.

Photo Credit: Library of Congress

And, as we all know, it was this draft that was adopted on July 4, 1776, ultimately overshadowing Lee’s and giving rise to the Independence Day we all celebrate today. But, interestingly enough, Jefferson’s draft also created a conundrum in the new country.

Jefferson’s document contained the first use of the words “the United States of America,” though he also included language from Lee’s original text, referring to the new nation as “these United Colonies” in his closing paragraph.

Thus, for several months, the newly formed nation suffered a bit of an identity crisis, with some referring to it as “The United States of America” with others referring to it as “The United Colonies of America.”  For example, Congress itself used the term “United Colonies” when it appointed George Washington as commander in chief of the newly formed United Colonies armed forces. The abbreviation “USA,” however, was stamped on official gunpowder canisters by government inspectors to verify that the powder met government standards.

It wasn’t until the convening of the Second Continental Congress, meeting in Philadelphia on September 9, 1776, that the issue was resolved once and for all. On this day, a resolution was approved and ratified, asserting “that in all continental commissions, and other instruments, where, heretofore, the words ‘United Colonies’ have been used, the stile be altered for the future to the ‘United States.'”

The United States of America was officially born.

Jennifer L. Wright grew up wanting to be a reporter, but it only took a few short months of working in journalism for her to abandon those aspirations for fiction writing instead. She loves to reimagine and explore forgotten eras in history, showcasing God's light amidst humanity's darkest days. Her books have won multiple awards, including Golden Scroll and Angel awards. She currently lives in New Mexico with her husband, two kids, a couple of hyperactive dachshunds, and an ever-growing herd of guinea pigs.