These days, over 80 years later, we tend to lump Confessions of a Nazi Spy together with all the WWII-themed movies that came out of the Hollywood war propaganda machine (and I mean that in a positive sense.) It’s easy to forget, though, that this movie was the first of its kind. Released in May 1939, was the first anti-Nazi movie produced by a major U.S. studio at a time when the others were still hedging their bets. They didn’t want to ruin their European markets by upsetting Hitler’s Nazi party in the hopes that Europe wouldn’t descend into war. But patriotic Jack Warner didn’t care. He green-lighted this movie knowing that all Warner Bros. movies might be banned in Germany. And they were. This rather dramatic night shot was taken during the movie’s run at the Warner Bros. Theater at 6433 Hollywood Blvd.
The Warner Bros. theater is still standing but it’s been closed for many, many years. This is how it looked in August 2022.
Appears that the marquee was changed at some point just before or during the war. In 1939 Warners had the old style marquee. Your photo of the opening of “Hollywood Canteen”in 1944 is the newer style with more room for text, as in the bottom photo.
“With Edward G. Robinson and a Great Cast.” When I read that it made me chuckle as though Robinson is not great.
Ha! I hadn’t thought of that, but now that you’ve pointed it out, I can’t unsee it!