HYDE PARK, NY — The Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum will present the next program in the Library’s year-long film series “Hollywood Goes to War” with a screening of HOLLYWOOD CANTEEN (1944) on Wednesday, March 18, 2026 at 2 p.m.

The event will be held in the Henry A. Wallace Center at the FDR Presidential Library and Home. This is a free public event, but registration is required. Visit fdrlibrary.org to register.

 

Upcoming films in the “Hollywood Goes to War” film series include FOUR JILLS IN A JEEP (1944) and THEY WERE EXPENDABLE (1945).

 

A musical set in the USO nightclub where the biggest names in show business entertained the troops during World War II, HOLLYWOOD CANTEEN boasts an all-star cast of dozens. Corporal Ed Slim (Robert Hutton) develops a crush on one of the show's stars, Joan Leslie (as herself). Knowing he is merely an enlistee, he thinks it is unlikely he could ever successfully woo her. However, he is lucky enough to win a night out on the town with her when he's named the canteen's millionth visitor. HOLLYWOOD CANTEEN features songs by Joan Crawford, Ida Lupino, Barbara Stanwyck, Peter Lorre, Sydney Greenstreet, Jack Benny, and Roy Rogers. Most of the actors worked for free and director Delmer Daves did a wonderful job of telling them to "just act more like themselves."

 

Please contact Cliff Laube at (845) 486-7745 with questions about the event.

 

Designed by Franklin Roosevelt and dedicated on June 30, 1941, the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum is the nation's first presidential library and the only one used by a sitting president. Administered by the National Archives and Records Administration since 1941, the Library preserves and makes accessible to the American people the records of FDR's presidency. The Roosevelt Library's mission is to foster a deeper understanding of the lives and times of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt and their continuing impact on contemporary life. This work is carried out through the Library's archives and research room, museum collections and exhibitions, innovative educational programs, and engaging public programming. For more information about the Library or its programs call (800) 337-8474 or visit www.fdrlibrary.org.