the audience applauded

At first rather annoying in its heavy emphasis on reenactments, this movie ultimately proves fascinating, simply because the complicated, highly dramatic tale it tells still almost defies belief.

A film of deceptively outspoken contemporary relevance, this is cinema at its most alert, alarming and alive.

Very good movie overall, highly recommended. Most of the negative reviews don't have any merit and are all pollitically based. Give this movie a chance at least, and it might give you a different perspective.

Love animation, it was a big part of my life as a child, particularly Disney, Looney Tunes and Tom and Jerry, and still love it whether it's film, television or cartoons.'Hollywood Canine Canteen' is one of Robert McKimson's more interesting early, and overall even, cartoons. It may not be McKimson at his very finest, being made during his early years when he was still finding his style and was yet to create characters like Foghorn Leghorn, but it is very good, well made and entertaining. Can totally see where the previous reviewer is coming from with it, and agree with them actually, feeling more like a Frank Tashlin cartoon (actually mistook it for Tashlin on first viewing), the premise is familiar territory for Tashlin while being somewhat unusual for McKimson. There is really not much to criticise with 'Hollywood Canine Canteen'. Providing one doesn't mind that the cartoon is, like a lot of caricature cartoons, a series of canine caricature gags and sequences and that familiarity with the people (even if just the names) being caricatured is in order (got most of them, though a couple went over my head, so was okay on that front). Its weak point really is that there is a slight sense of McKimson still finding his feet.Although a couple went over my head (the caricatures in the snack bar sequence for instance and a few other sequences where the caricatures are unknown), being unfamiliar with them, the caricatures were so much fun to spot and the way they were caricatured was inspired. Laurel and Hardy, Leopold Stokowski, Abbott and Costello, Bing Crosby and the big band of famous musicians like Benny Goodman, to name a few. Have to love the canine names, corny but very amusing.Animation is excellent, it's fluid in movement, crisp in shading and very meticulous in detail. The story may be predictable, but it's beautifully paced with never a dull moment and strongly structured. Carl Stalling's music is typically superb. It is as always lushly orchestrated, full of lively energy and characterful in rhythm, not only adding to the action but also enhancing it.Energy throughout is full of liveliness and the voice acting, Mel Blanc having the lion's share, is stellar. In conclusion, a lot of fun and very well done, plus interesting if still-settling-feel early effort for McKimson. 8/10 Bethany Cox

The caricature cartoon had become a staple in the late 1930's and lasted well into the late 40's. These are among the most fascinating of animation period pieces.One of McKimson's first cartoons presents an interesting take on the subject. Instead of doing straight human caricatures or anthropomorphic animals, these caricatures are presented as the pets of the Hollywood stars. The premise has multi layered references to World War II. The Hollywood Canteen was a club that offered food and entertainment for the servicemen during the war. This was the subject of a WB feature film of the same title during the war. In fact the cue that plays over the opening credits of this short, "Corns For My Country", was one of the featured songs from the feature. Certain breeds of dogs were also used in various capacities during the war. Hence, the premise of a Canteen for the war dogs.This is also an interesting cartoon for McKimson. It's believed by many fans that his first few cartoons were actually started by Tashlin. While this notion has been dis-proved, this short does not feel at all like a McKimson directed short. His visual style is all there, but the idea of the cartoon and the feel of it is definitely reminiscent of Tashlin. In my opinion, this is the only short by McKimson that feels like a Tashlin leftover. But considering that McKimson got practically all of Tashlin's unit, there were bound to be some similarities for the first several cartoons.Definitely an interesting period piece and one of the last WB cartoons of its kind from the caricature/Hollywood nightclub genre.

Just watched this cartoon on the Hollywood Canteen DVD which I partly recognized as first watching on a local afternoon kids show called "The Buckskin Bill Show" in the late '70s. (He also had a morning show called "Buckskin Bill's Storyland" which I also watched) This one is a parody of the actual Hollywood Canteen which had various stars during World War II serving food and entertainment for soldiers around the world. Among the dog caricatures I enjoyed: Laurel & Hardy doing dishes with Stan putting the same one back, Abbott & Costello with the latter saying he's a baaaadd bow-wow, and Blondie & "Dogwood" with the latter getting a big sandwich full of bones. There are more gags that hit than miss so on that note, I highly recommend Hollywood Canine Canteen.

Yes, it's another celebrities-caricatured-as-animals cartoon. Robert McKimson's "Hollywood Canine Canteen" has pretty much the same plot as Tex Avery's "Hollywood Steps Out" from a few years earlier, only this time portraying dogs belonging to famous people (often with names altered to sound canine). As is often the case, they depict Frank Sinatra - or his caricature - as emaciated.However, there is one scene that, in my opinion, represents a future part of popular culture. The female dog running the cloak room looks almost exactly like Connie Hines, who played Carol on "Mister Ed". And let me tell you, SHE IS ONE OF THE HOTTEST WOMEN EVER TO GRACE THE TV SCREEN!!!!!! Every time that I get a chance to watch "Mister Ed", I only watch it to see Connie Hines (who cares about a talking horse?). Although Ms. Hines retired from acting many years ago, I still consider her one of the most attractive/beautiful/good-looking/gorgeous women of all time. And this cartoon contains a character who resembles her almost to a tee, probably not knowing that they were creating a character who looks like her.OK, I'm sure that my assertion has nothing to do with the cartoon in general. The cartoon is worth seeing. Not one of their greatest, but certainly OK in a pinch. One of McKimson's more significant cartoons in 1946 was "Walky Talky Hawky", which debuted Foghorn Leghorn.In conclusion: I LOVE YOU, CONNIE, AND I ALWAYS WILL! XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO