It's a Great Feeling (1949)
*** (out of 4)
Charming comedy/musical has Dennis Morgan and Jack Carson playing themselves as they try to get a production started at Warner Bros. The only problem is that they don't have an actress but after meeting a waitress (Doris Day) in the cafeteria they decide to give her the big break she's been waiting for. IT'S A GREAT FEELING isn't great but it's certainly a good and charming little gem that manages to give one a behind-the-scenes look at Hollywood but the film also has several fun cameos from the Warner lot. One of the best things about this film is that you get to take a look at the Warner lot so film buffs are certainly going to enjoy seeing this. We get overhead shot of the entire lot but then we also get to see a projection room, several sets and there's even a great shot of the Hollywood Bowl. Another thing working for the film is that both Morgan and Carson are extremely entertaining and manage to play well off one another, which adds some nice laughs. Day, in only her third film, does a nice job as well playing a naive country girl looking for that big break. Film buffs are really going to enjoy all the cameo appearances, which include directors like King Vidor, Michael Curtiz and Raoul Walsh. The celebrities who show up playing themselves include Gary Cooper, Eleanor Parker, Sydney Greenstreet, Patricia Neal, Danny Kaye and even Mel Blanc. There's also Jane Wyman and then husband Ronald Reagan who appear as well as their young daughter. The highlight cameos include Joan Crawford getting to play crazy and Edward G. Robinson spoofing his tough guy image. There's one more "A" list star who pops up but I'm not going to ruin who it is because it makes for a terrific joke. The musical numbers are decent but nothing special but IT'S A GREAT FEELING is a fun little gem for film buffs.
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