The 1940s were a time of war, certainly, but they were also an era of fabulous stars, Latin dance crazes, and unforgettable songs, and they came to life vividly, at the Community House on July 16, in the all-too-brief 15th annual Doctor’s Fund Benefit show, “Hubba, Hubba, Hubba: the 1940s Revue,” brilliantly conceived and directed by Donald Labohn, and produced by Meryl Facterman and Lois McIntosh in association with the Arts Project of Cherry Grove.

Not three, but four Andrews Sisters—Shirley and Sylvia Shapiro, Coco Love, and Charity—opened the show with “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy of Company B,” with Arthur Cohen as their pet bugle boy. “Bring on those wonderful men,” was the wish of Margo, garbed as Rosie the Riveter, and Joanne Tavis, Rob Ferri, Eddie Galante, Jack Ruolo, Bobbi Green, and SallyAnn Piacentino portrayed the soldiers and sailors she craved.

Crooning “All or Nothing at All,” Doreen Rallo was Frank Sinatra at the Paramount, idol of bobbie-soxers Urban Sprawl, Peg Ryan, and Jane Haber, screaming, swooning, and throwing underwear at their icon, before, finally, tearing the clothes off him. Charity, Lola and Bella backed up a wild-looking Dan Daly, who wanted nothing of civilization, in “Bongo, Bongo, Bongo, I’m so Happy in the Congo.” Demi-Tasse was Marlene Dietrich, averring that if a male were alluring, it was likely that “The Man’s in the Navy”—sailors Joanne and Doreen were the objects of her affections—and Bobbi swore that “The Army’s Making a Man of Me”—hmm—to Dan, Eddie, Jack and Rob.

We went south of the border for a while, as crooner SallyAnn, with back-up girls Margo, Coco, and Urban, commanded “Take back your Conga, ay!” and “South America, take it away,” finding those Latin dances just too hard on the sacroiliac; the Shapiro Sisters lamented, in Yiddish, English, and Spanish, just what’s happened “Since my Chana came back from Havana” (“She’s a regular Carmen Banana!”) and, with swains Bobbi, Doreen, and Joann, danced a Latin-flavored hora; Bella whisked us away, Carmen Miranda-style, for a “Weekend in Havana,” assisted by the aforementioned trio of ‘boys;’ and Lola went wild over “The Conga,” with Doreen, Joann, Bobbi, Peg, Jane, and Matt Baney joining her conga line.

Then we went to the Hollywood Canteen, where Dan Daly, at the piano, took us “Back to the ’40s, the good old days,” in an original song, dropping such bold-faced names as Bette Davis, Betty Grable, Betty Hutton, Tyrone Power, Cary Grant, and Van Johnson. Sailors Rob, Jack, Ed, and SallyAnn listened, while waiting impatiently, along with Joanne, Doreen, and Bobbi, for those “Beautiful Girls,” which cued a procession of lovelies Cobra, Urban, Demi, Lola, Margo, Bella, Sylvia, Shirley, Charity, and Coco. “Hey, little soldier boy, I’ll be your pin-up girl,” invited Urban as Rita Hayworth, Demi as Hedy Lamarr, and Coco as Betty Grable. Charity had something in store for the boys, as she got hot for her “Blitzkrieg Baby.” Fielding her sexy solo, Coco waxed fully confident that “There Is Nothing like a Dame.” Sailors Doreen and Bobbi briefly scandalized their fellows with their same-sex jitterbug, but, hey—“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell”—they all got over it! Sylvia kicked off the grand finale with a heartfelt, patriotic “America, I Love You,” soon echoed by the ensemble, complete with Bobbi’s whistling and Cobra on harmonica!

Harold Seeley designed the set and Matt Baney, Alison Brackman, Michael Romanelli, and Sherri Rase were on lights and sound.