Our next film is 1949's star-filled "It's A Great Feeling", starring Doris Day, Dennis Morgan, and Jack Carson. A young woman comes to Hollywood to get work in movies. The experience is more than she bargained for, and she must make the decision to pursue a career in Tinseltown or return home to Wisconsin. The film's supporting cast includes Gary Cooper, Joan Crawford, Errol Flynn, Danny Kaye, Ronald Reagan, Maureen Reagan, Edward G. Robinson, Jane Wyman, Sydney Greenstreet, Eleanor Parker, Patricia Neal, Irving Bacon, and Frank Cady.
Jack Carson has been tapped by Warner Bros. to direct a movie starring Dennis Morgan. Morgan isn't at all thrilled about it, and he tells Gary Cooper all about how terrible it'll be. He makes the decision to quit movies and go to Broadway.
When he tells Carson of his plan, Jack isn't happy at all. He needs the money from the movie to finance the restoration of his home. Carson couldn't care less, and happily plans his trip to New York.
Judy Adams is a waitress at the Warner Bros. cafeteria. She's dying to get her big chance in Hollywood. She gets the chance to deliver Jack Carson's lunch to him, and she sees this as her big opportunity.
On her way there, she runs into actor Sydney Greenstreet, who asks what her rush is. "I’m sorry, Mr. Greenstreet. I was running to Jack Carson’s dressing room." "That's a switch," smiles Sydney. "They're usually running when they come out!"
When she gets to see Jack, he really doesn't want to listen to an audition, but she makes him. He does give her a job: helping him con Dennis Morgan into staying around for the film.
She pretends to be "Mrs. Jack Carson", whom Jack has kept hidden because he didn't want to ruin his career. Dennis is sympathetic to her story. Unfortunately, he gets wise to the plan when Carson appears in the room. Judy storms out and says she's going back home to Wisconsin, and she's through with the Hollywood scene.
Meanwhile, Jane Wyman has been told that Jack Carson is going to direct her in the new film "Mademoiselle Fifi". She faints, and refuses to do the picture.
Dennis and Jack get the idea to use Judy in place of Jane Wyman. They track her down at the train station and convince her to stay. But first they've got to come up with a plan that will get the producer of the movie on board with using Judy as the star.
While updating Judy's appearance at a clothing store, Joan Crawford overhears bits and pieces of a conversation, and she's not happy with what she hears.
It's a hilarious scene that culminates in Joan giving us a performance that would be worthy of any of her movies. During the scene, Carson and Morgan come up with a plan. They decide to showcase Judy doing every day things and let the producer get the idea to hire her himself.
She shows up in all sorts of places. The producer thinks he's going crazy, and doesn't even want to see any blonde girls her height again.
Dennis and Jack arrange for Judy to sing a song that will be incorporated into a movie screen test. She does a wonderful job singing "That Was A Big Fat Lie".
However, due to Jack's bad directing, the screen test goes horribly wrong, and the producer almost has a nervous breakdown as he's watching it.
They decide to build Judy up as a famous French actress coming to America to get the part in "Mademoiselle Fifi". Judy puts on a fake accent and a brown wig, and the two guys take her to a party the studio is throwing in her honor.
She meets Hollywood stars Eleanor Parker and Patricia Neal, who welcome her and tell her about what life as an actress is really like.
"Poor kid," remarks Patricia as Judy is whisked away. "They'll probably make her a blonde," says Eleanor.
Judy sings a song in her fake French accent called "Cafe Rendezvous". It doesn't go too well. The fan she holds has the words in French. She accidentally turns the words towards the audience.
She also falls down the stairs during the performance. Her brown wig falls off in the process.
When she stands up and everyone sees her true hair color, Eleanor whispers to Patricia, "I told you they'd make her a blonde!" "You were right," smiles Patricia.
Defeated, Judy decides to return to Wisconsin and marry Geoffrey Bushdinkle. She wants a normal life after the chaos that Hollywood has brought her.
On the train home, Doris has a nightmare. She leaves her bed and goes to an empty room where she sings "Blame It On My Absent Minded Heart".
Coincidentally, the Hollywood producer is on the same train. He hears her singing and tells her that he can get her into pictures. She slaps his face and storms off.
We cut to Wisconsin, where Judy is about to get married to Geoffrey Bushdinkle.
In a last ditch attempt to get her to return to California, Jack Carson and Dennis Morgan have followed her to Wisconsin and witness the wedding from outside the venue.
They're too late to stop her from getting married. They kid around by telling each other she'll be living her life in this dull town with dull Geoffrey Bushdinkle.
Then, Geoffrey Bushdinkle's face is finally revealed. Carson and Morgan are shocked. "He's got nothin'," says Jack as the two walk away.
Judy and Geoffrey are surrounded by their family and friends, who wish them good luck. Cast rundown:
Irving Bacon...................................RR Information Clerk
Frank Cady.....................................Oculist And that's all for It's A Great Feeling. It's fun to see a lot of stars in the movie. Joan Crawford delivers the exact same speech here as she does in "Mildred Pierce". Patricia Neal wore the same black fur-trimmed evening gown in another film. She was filming "The Fountainhead" with Gary Cooper on the same day, and walked from one set to the other to film her cameo.
Director David Butler also has a cameo in the film. He plays himself. He passes on the movie when he realizes Jack Carson is associated with it. As always, if you wish to leave a comment, please remember our posting rules.
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