Stage Door Canteen

The Stage Door Canteen was an entertainment venue for American and Allied servicemen that operated in the Broadway theatre district of New York City throughout World War II.

The official estimate of attendance on the canteen's opening night was 1,250, with 200 "actresses of varying importance" as hostesses and 75 "'name' actors" as busboys.

In addition to shows, the canteen offered off-duty military personnel opportunities to unwind in various ways, including dancing with hostesses and female entertainers, eating, and writing letters home.

[10] The film This Is the Army (1943) and the Broadway play from which it was adapted include a scene set at the Stage Door Canteen.

During that scene, Earl Oxford sang the song "I Left My Heart at the Stage Door Canteen" in both versions.