These three postcards advertise The American Theatre Wing Stage Door Canteen and its radio show sponsored by Corn Products Refining Company, producers of dextrose sugar. The artwork is by Barney Tobey, a longtime New Yorker Magazine cartoonist
The original Stage Door Canteen was opened in New York in 1942 by the American Theatre Wing as a center for military personnel to socialize with, be entertained and served by theatrical celebrities. It was staffed by Broadway performers and was in the in the basement of the 44th Street Theatre. The Stage Door Canteen operated for three and a half years and inspired a weekly radio show on the Columbia Network, a 1943 musical film, and a popular song called "I Left My Heart at the Stage Door Canteen." Similar canteens were also established in other cities.
Dextrose sugar is a sweetener derived from corn starch. During the World War II years it was promoted as All-American. Dextrose: All-American Corn Sugar shows several Life Magazine ads promoting dextrose and describes the promotion effort as follows:
The problem in the 1940s is: how is the corn refining industry going to transform their cheap sugar substitute, something that food processors don’t even want consumers to know they are using, into a desirable commodity? Answer: by using advertising to rebrand Dextrose as the patriotic, scientific, nurturing alternative to that other sweet stuff.
The first video below is a movie clip, and the second is a recording of the song "I Left My Heart at the Stage Door Canteen."
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Ah, the beginning of the incursion of corn syrup into the American diet.
ReplyDeleteI do love these postcards. My Dad fought in WW2 and once spoke of the entertainment provided to cheer the troops. Some of the entertainers put their own lives on the line to serve our brave boys of WW2. These are great.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed this post and the wider reading it encouraged me to do. What vibrant places the Stage door Canteens would have been.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting -- I had heard of the Stage Door Canteen but didn't know the particulars.
ReplyDeleteI don't know where you get all these fabulous postcards, but I'm glad you do! Man, corn syrup! Who knew? And what about all those smokers?
ReplyDeleteWonderful postcards and fun videos. Band music in the 30s and 40s was so great.
ReplyDeleteHow sweetly these postcards entertain us ! Fun videos.
ReplyDeleteI’m loving your postcards! I have a small collection, but most of mine are ones with illustrations by Mabel Lucie Attwell and Margaret Tarrant.
ReplyDeleteGreat Postcards. I remember the song well and had a sing-along with it.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the music even if it was the first time I'd heard it. The Stage Door Canteens are new to me; great cards.
ReplyDeleteWhat jolly postcards; bright, vivid colours and everyone is smiling!
ReplyDeleteAh, to have free service by stars...it must have been a great radio show also. Thanks for showing the postcards and telling us about the canteens.
ReplyDeleteThis was an interesting mix of history to find in postcards. Dextrose was an unusual substance to promote but it had to start somewhere.
ReplyDeleteI have a CD set of music from the Stage Door Canteen and love it, so it's neat to see postcards about the place as well!
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