The Hollywood Canteen

aka Latin Quarter / Hollywood Barn / Hollywood Stables / Hollywood Auditorium /Carousel / Moroccan Theatre / Golden Spike / Le Grand

1451 N. Cahuenga Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90028  | map | 

Opening as the Canteen: October 3, 1942. The location was on the west side of the street a half block south of Sunset Blvd. This postcard is one that has appeared many times online from various sellers. 

The project was kicked off with a fundraiser at Ciro's led by John Garfield and Bette Davis that netted $6,500. The entrance, which later featured a canvas canopy, had footprints and handprints of regular GIs in the cement similar to those of the stars in the forecourt at the Chinese.  

Architect: Unknown. Prior to its use as the Canteen, the building had been a nightclub and cafe with many different names and operators. Hollywood art director Alfred Ybarra was responsible for transforming it into the Canteen with the help of various studios, their employees, and their unions. The use of the building was offered rent-free by owners Sarah A. Laughlin and the bronthers Frank and Walter Muller.

Capacity: As the Canteen it was limited to 500. It's unknown what the seating capacity was later as a legit house.  

Early uses: The venue had initially opened in 1924 as the Latin Quarter's Cafe. 

A May 21, 1924 ad in the LA Evening Express located by mystery writer J.H. Graham. In her 2023 article "The Hollywood Canteen" Ms. Graham shares the story: 

"Originally bearing the address 6426 Sunset Boulevard, the place had opened as The Latin Quarter’s Cafe, affiliated with artist Finn H. Frolich of the Norse Studio Club, in May 1924. The club featured themed rooms, including a pirate room, a Cleopatra room, and a 'room of all nations.' Not a commercial success, the Latin Quarter was sold to Ward McFadden, original builder/owner of the Ship Cafe in Venice, and his associate Charles Simpson. It reopened on Halloween night, 1924, but didn’t last long..."

 

When it reopened under the management of "Two of the Boys" it was just the Latin Quarter, without the apostrophe s on the end. This was the October 31, 1924 ad in the L.A. Times. In 1928 the space was advertised for rent as retail or office space. 

 

On December 22, 1932 it reopened under the management of Buddy Fisher as the Hollywood Barn, a club with  a "farm theme." 

 

J.H. Graham located this March 18, 1933 L.A. Times ad. She has the story about the Hollywood Barn: 

 

"Decorated by Jack Schula of the Hollywood Roosevelt’s Blossom Room, the Montmartre, Al Levy’s Tavern and others, the Barn had 'old fashioned rafters, hay mows, grain bins, corn shucks, a cider press and other rural features,' including live animals - chickens and pigs. 'Buxom farmers’ daughters' served as waitresses, while 'pretty dairy maids' churned fresh butter nightly. Fisher modeled the club after one he reputedly ran in Chicago. 

"The last mention found of Fisher’s association with the Barn was May 1933. On May 26, 1933, it was raided by the LAPD vice squad for illegal sales of beer. By September 1933, police told the Hollywood Citizen News it had responded to at least 18 calls to the Barn to 'quell disturbances, stop fights and arrest drunks in the vicinity.' Residents complained that it was being 'conducted in a noisy manner.' On November 7, 1933, its beer license was revoked. Police asserted that it has become a hangout for bootleggers (hard liquor was still illegal) and gangsters."

 

By January 1934 it was the Hollywood Stable, sometimes advertised in the plural as the Hollywood Stables. J.H. Graham located this March 24, 1934 Post Record add and notes that by the end of 1934 they were using a Cahuenga Blvd. address, evidently necessitated by the construction of a gas station on the corner parcel at Sunset and Cahuenga. The Stables Cafe was running at least to the end of 1935. 

 

It was a theatre with no name in 1938. In this August 16 L.A. Daily News ad Wayne Moore could tell us that the name of the show was "New Hollywood Drunkard" but had no name for the venue. 

 

 

 

In 1938 it was the Gay White Way with "Dinin', Dancin' 'n a Darn Good Show." This opening day ad appeared in the L.A. Times on October 21.

In 1941 it was the Rancho Grande Theatre Cafe, featuring the "Rancho Grande Cowgirls." Thanks to J.H. Graham for the research and locating these ads. This one appeared on September 12, 1941 in the L.A. Daily News.

Opening as the Canteen: October 3, 1942.

A photo by Joseph Jasgur in the Herald Examiner collection at the Los Angeles Public Library. 

The end of the Canteen: It closed after serving Thanksgiving dinner in 1945. There was an auction of various fixtures in December. In the book "The Hollywood Canteen," Lisa Mitchell and Bruce Torrance note that soon Thomas Lee of the Mark Twain Hotel along with Guy Francis, doing business as Creative Enterprises, leased the building and tried to reopen as a Latin nightclub using the Hollywood Canteen name as part of their signage. 

Bette Davis went to court and got an injunction to stop the unauthorized use of the brand. In March 1947 J.H. Graham notes that the building became an Armed Forces officers' club. A later Hollywood Canteen operated by the Hollywood Canteen Foundation during the Korean War was a redo of the Florentine Gardens nightclub at 5955 Hollywood Blvd. 

Later theatrical use of the Canteen: The building was reopened for public use in 1948. J.H. Graham did the research:

"On October 15, 1948, 1451 N. Cahuenga reopened as the Hollywood Auditorium, a rental hall operated by Frank E. George. In November 1949 it became a theatre, known as the Carousel Theatre, which lasted into 1955. In November 1955, John Howard 'Johnny' Caldwell announced that the venue had been completely refurbished. It opened on December 31, 1955 as The Moroccan Theatre Restaurant."

 An ad for the Moroccan that J.H. Graham located in the December 31, 1955 issue of the Valley Times. 

Thanks to Charlie Ziarko for the research on this period. He notes: 

"Its mid-fifties productions included 'Picnic,' 'Bus Stop' and "The Little Hut," all c.1956, shortly after their Broadway debuts and before their A-movie versions. Another production was 'Meet Me in St. Louis' in 1956, with an utterly unknown cast."

See a shot of the Moroccan entrance that Charlie located with Don Fuller in the doorway in half of his costume from "Picnic." That "Meet Me in St. Louis" production got a review in the L.A. Times on August 25. "The Little Hut" was directed at the Moroccan by Richard Fontaine of RA Enterprises. A touring version of "Hut" with Marsha Hunt had played the Carthay Circle in September 1956. 

In the 1956 phone directory it was listed as both the Moroccan Theatre and Johnny Caldwell's Moroccan Theatre. Later it was called the Golden Spike Theatre. In 1959 it got another redo and became the Le Grand Theatre. An April 1959 issue of the Hollywood Tourist and Convention Bureau's "Hollywood: Entertainment Capital of the World" newsletter had an article on the venue by Art Weissman:  

"Le Grand Comedy Theatre Now Presenting 'Laff Capades of 1959' - Hollywood Celebrities Throng New Showplace -- Le Grand Comedy Theatre, once the famed Hollywood Canteen where the greatest names in show business entertained and waited upon wartime throngs of service men and women, has opened its doors to initiate another era of live theatrical magic, starring the hilarious histrionics of Joey Faye and Jack Albertson in 'Laff Capades of 1959,' an original musical comedy penned by author Snat Werris and composer Carmino Ravosa. The authors wittily created an international background against which producer Zev Bufman, in association with Ted Chapman, deftly fashioned the singing, dancing and comedy talents of..."

 

 

 

A March 1, 1959 L.A. Times ad for "Laff Capades." Thanks to J.H. Graham for locating it. 

An April 1960 ad in the Times for "Pajama Tops," then in its 114th week. Of course all 114 weren't at this particular theatre. It had also played at the Forum Theatre on Pico beginning in 1956 and the Civic Playhouse on La Cienega. 

 

 The "Smash Sexy Hit" -- "Pajama Tops" in its 122nd week. 

 

 

A 1960 ad for Jack Gelber's "The Connection."

In the 1960 telephone directory it's listed as the Le Grand Comedy Theatre. An item on page W-4 of the September 11, 1961 issue of Boxoffice noted: 

"Le Grande Theatre is getting a $15,000 facelifting for the opening of 'Little Mary Sunshine' September 20..." 

 

Part of a 1962 ad listing the Le Grand as one of 36 theatre bonuses you'd get for joining a program called  "Invitation Dinners."

 

 

  

Lenny Bruce at the Le Grand in 1963. Thanks to Ken McIntyre for sharing this May 25 ad from the Times as a post for the Photos of Los Angeles private Facebook group.

 

 

A November 30, 1963 ad for the play "Sunday in New York" spotted by Ken McIntyre for another post on the Photos of Los Angeles Facebook group.

Closing as a legit house: 1965. The last production at the Le Grand was the Los Angeles Youth Theatre production of "The Fantasticks."

Status: It was demolished in December 1966. The site at Cahuenga and Sunset is now occupied by the parking garage for the CNN building. 

 

Interior views as the Canteen:

The entry hall. It's a photo appearing as a post on the Facebook page The Hollywood Canteen. The page is from Lisa Mitchell and Bruce Torrence, the authors of the 2012 book "The Hollywood Canteen." They note that it's the coat check straight ahead and the front doors on the right.  

 

 

Looking in toward the stage on the west end end of the building. The photo appears on the Facebook page The Hollywood Canteen where they note: 

 

"This photo of the Hollywood Canteen was taken from the lobby, looking into the main room. On the left wall is a list of the various guilds and unions that volunteered their time and energy to remodel the former cabaret theater into the Canteen."

 

Another view to the stage. It's a photo in the McAvoy/Bruce Torrence Historic Hollywood Photographs collection. 

 

 

 

Bob Hope onstage plus a view of the house left decor beyond. Photo: McAvoy/Bruce Torrence / Historic Hollywood Photographs collection.

 

A look across the stage toward the house right murals. Photo: McAvoy/Bruce Torrence / Historic Hollywood Photographs collection.

 

The main serving counter for food and drinks on the house right side near the rear of the room. Thanks to the Facebook page The Hollywood Canteen for sharing the photo.   

 

 

The rear of the room. It's another Bruce Torrence Collection photo appearing on the Facebook page The Hollywood Canteen. They comment: 

"When the Hollywood Canteen celebrated its first birthday, in 1943, celebrities, businessmen and civic leaders were invited to witness the evening's activities. The raised platform, at the rear of the Canteen's main room, was reserved for those guests. The rest of the room was where the servicemen danced, eat, and watched the evening's entertainment. Here, some of the visiting dignitaries are waiting for the night to begin."

There don't seem to be any interior photos available of the building when it was set up for productions as the Le Grand. 

 

More exterior views:  

 

1942 - Getting the building ready. Thanks to Henry Briceno for locating the photo for a post for the Lost Angeles Facebook group. 

 

1942 - Thanks to Martin Turnbull for locating this October 3 opening night photo for a post on his Hollywood's Garden of Allah Novels Facebook page. He comments: 

"This must have been an exciting night to witness: After months of fundraising, cajoling, recruiting, organizing, and building, Bette Davis and John Garfield’s pet project, the Hollywood Canteen opened... As we can see, bleachers were set up in the forecourt so that people could witness the parade of stars (Eddie Cantor was the MC that night.) And word had obviously gotten out already because that long lone of servicemen is already four men deep. From that night until November 2, 1945, the Hollywood Canteen hosted, entertained, and fed nearly 4 million grateful servicemen."

 

 

1942 - A photo from the Bruce Torrence collection. Martin Turnbull posted it, uncredited, on his Hollywood's Garden of Allah Novels Facebook page. He commented: 

"Servicemen were welcomed with refreshments, world-class entertainment, and the chance for Tommy from Tennessee and Ike from Idaho to meet—and possibly even dance with—a real, live movie star. Bette insisted on full integration allowing Black men to dance with white women and vice versa. It doesn’t sound like a bit deal these days, but back then it was a first. This photo is from 1942, so it was taken not long after the Canteen opened."

 

c.1943 - A postcard that was offered for sale on eBay.

 

1945 - A photo from the McAvoy/Bruce Torrence Historic Hollywood Photographs collection. 

 

 

1956 - The entrance to the venue as Johnny Caldwell's Moroccan Theatre. That's Don Fuller at the entrance. He appeared in several shows at the theatre including "Picnic," "Bus Stop" and "The Little Hut." He also did lots of modeling with less on. This shot is from a post on the site Men From Back Then that also includes another view taken elsewhere you may not need to see. Thanks to Charlie Ziarko for locating the images of Don on that site. 

 

1956 - Another shot of Don Fuller at the entrance to the Moroccan. It's from a different Men From Back Then post. See yet another view from the site where the magazine copy on the image notes that this is the costume he wore during the three week run of "Picnic."

 

1963 - A July photo by Howard D. Kelly that's in the Los Angeles Public Library collection. We're looking southwest. The RCA Building was under construction on this side of Sunset. Just above the upper left corner of it look for the red awning of the Le Grand on Cahuenga, one block farther over.  

In the center it's the Cinerama Dome just getting underway. Morningside Ct., this side of the Dome, is a street that no longer exists. It now leads into the ArcLight parking garage. Ivar is the street beyond the Dome. 

 

1963 - A closer look at the red awning of the Le Grand. It's a detail from the previous photo. 

 

1965 - Another view by Howard D. Kelly that's in the Los Angeles Public Library collection. Also see more Cinerama Dome photos in the LAPL collection. The Library comments about that building in the lower left:

"The 1963 18-story International Style Sunset Vine Tower, designed by architect Douglas Honnold of the firm Honnold & Rex, was the first skyscraper built in Los Angeles after the city repealed its 14-story building height limit."

1966 - A post-closing photo from the McAvoy/Bruce Torrence Historic Hollywood Photographs collection. 

 

2022 - The garage now on the site. Sunset Blvd. is off to the right. Thanks to April Brooks Clemmer for the photo. Visit her April's Old Hollywood website.  

 

The Canteen in the Movies: 

Joan Leslie, Bette Davis, John Garfield, the Andrews Sisters and dozens of other stars appear in the December 1944 Warner Brothers film "Hollywood Canteen." This shot looks like the real thing but all of the interiors and most of the exteriors were done on the Warner lot. Delmer Daves wrote the screenplay and directed. The cinematography was by Bert Glennon. See the Historic L.A. Theatres in Movies post for a shot of the Pantages and Hitching Post seen earlier as well as a view of the film's opening at the Warner Hollywood. 

More information: Check out the 2012 book "The Hollywood Canteen: Where the Greatest Generation Danced With the Most Beautiful Girls in the World" by Lisa Mitchell and Bruce Torrence. Joan Leslie did the forward. It's profusely illustrated with photos from Mr. Torrence's collection. You can get it on Amazon. The book's authors also have a Hollywood Canteen Facebook page. 

See mystery writer J.H. Graham's 2023 article "The Hollywood Canteen." 

There are over 600 Hollywood Canteen photos in the McAvoy/Bruce Torrence Historic Hollywood Photographs collection. The Los Angeles Public Library has over 60 photos of action at the Canteen in their collection. 

Benjamin McVey did a nice 2021 Cinema Scholars article: "The Hollywood Canteen: Service and the Stars." Martin Turnbull has a page about the Canteen. There's also a Messy Nessy Chic article about the venue.

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