Warner Bros. and the Homefront Collection

Although today's younger moviegoers might find it hard to believe, Hollywood didn't always make movies that could be seen as undermining war efforts when America found itself in armed conflicts. During the World War II years, movie moguls mandated the production of films that—if not downright propagandistic—attempted to boost the nation's morale and fan the flames of patriotism. Warner Bros. and the Homefront Collection compiles three loud, gaudy, and glorious examples of escapist entertainment from that grim historical period. This Is the Army, 1943's top-grossing film, stars George Murphy and Ronald Reagan as a father and son team mounting a spectacular stage revue featuring real Army soldiers singing and dancing their hearts out just before they march off to war (taking Reagan's character with them). Based on the Broadway spectacular that raised $2 million for the war effort, This Is the Army features a show-stopping performance by the dean of American popular music, Irving Berlin, warbling his WWI hit, “Oh How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning.” Practically every star in the Warner firmament turns up in Thank Your Lucky Stars (1943), including top dramatic actors such as Bette Davis, Olivia de Havilland, Errol Flynn, John Garfield, and Hattie McDaniel, who bravely sing or dance in their individual sequences. Hollywood Canteen (1944) purports to tell the real story of the Tinseltown nightspot that catered exclusively to WWII servicemen and actually employed movie stars who volunteered to spend their evenings as cooks, bartenders, waiters, and dancing partners. The film teems with great songs and memorable performances, among them the big-screen introduction of Cole Porter's “Don't Fence Me In”—performed by cowboy star Roy Rogers! Fast-moving, richly entertaining, unabashedly patriotic, and more than a little corny, the trio of films are accompanied by DVD extras including an audio commentary on This Is the Army, vintage newsreels, short subjects, cartoons, and the excellent 50-minute documentary “Warner at War.” Highly recommended. (E. Hulse)