It’s a Great Feeling

It’s a Great Feeling

Year: 1949

Runtime: 85 mins

Language: English

MusicComedyRelationship comedyCatchy songs and hilarious musical comedyDazzling vocal performances and musicals

The picture teems with cameo appearances as a hopeful waitress working in the Warner Brothers commissary dreams of stardom. When two seasoned actors, Jack Carson and Dennis Morgan, volunteer to assist her, a series of comic misunderstandings and backstage antics ensue, offering a lively, star‑studded glimpse of Hollywood’s golden era.

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Timeline & Setting – It’s a Great Feeling (1949)

Explore the full timeline and setting of It’s a Great Feeling (1949). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Location

Hollywood, California; Goerke's Corners, Wisconsin

Hollywood, California is the film's glamorous backdrop, dominated by studios, screenings, and publicity. The city represents the dream factory where careers are imagined and manufactured, often at a high personal cost. Goerke's Corners, Wisconsin stands as a humble, authentic hometown that anchors Judy's longing for a simpler life away from the studio glare.

🎬 Hollywood 🏡 Wisconsin

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 18:51

Main Characters – It’s a Great Feeling (1949)

Meet the key characters of It’s a Great Feeling (1949), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Judy Adams (Doris Day)

A studio commissary waitress who longs for an acting break. She forcefully inserts herself into Carson's office, pressuring him to give her a chance. She is initially naive to Hollywood's tricks but grows more determined as the plan unfolds. Her resilience leads her to consider a genuine career and a life beyond the studio if needed.

🎭 Aspiring actor 💪 Determined 💔 Naïve

Jack Carson

A studio director-producer type who schemes to launch Judy's career. He orchestrates the disguise of Judy as his secret bride to Morgan to secure a co-star, using charm and audacity to push his plan forward. He is charismatic but morally flexible, testing his own ethics as the scheme escalates.

🎭 Ambitious 🤥 Deceptive

Dennis Morgan

Co-lead actor who advocates finding an outsider to avoid tainting his own image. He competes with Carson for Judy's discovery and also participates in the ruses to test her talent. His drive to win the breakout position clashes with the evolving reality of Judy's ambition.

🎭 Rivalry 💫 Romantic

Edward G. Robinson

A veteran star who aids them in sneaking into the studio to arrange a screen test. He provides a wink of legitimacy to the scheme and helps move the plan along in a world where influence matters as much as talent.

🎬 Mentor 🤝 Helpful

Joan Crawford

Appears as herself and quickly suspects that Judy is being manipulated, condemning the men for their treatment. She acts as a moral check within the backstage chaos and presses for integrity in how Judy is handled.

🎭 Moral compass 👀 Skeptical

Jeffrey Bushdinkle, the Groom

Judy's fiancé in Goerke's Corners; his identity becomes a twist when Errol Flynn is revealed as the fiancé. He represents the small-town life Judy might return to, contrasting with Hollywood's glamour and schemes.

💍 Romance 🤵 Debonair

Danny Kaye

Makes a cameo in a studio scene, adding lighthearted, comic relief to the backstage chaos and helping to puncture the seriousness of the casting game.

🎭 Cameo 😂 Comedic

Eleanor Parker

Meets Judy in a scene that underscores the power of star presence and the pull of Hollywood. Her presence highlights the dream-seeking backdrop against the film's more grounded core.

🎬 Star Power 🗣️ Supportive

Patricia Neal

Another star cameo included in the plot; her appearance amplifies the meta-commentary on Hollywood's celebrity culture and the pressures around auditions and roles.

🎬 Star Power 🗣️ Supportive

Michael Curtiz

Real-life director who, along with other directors, refuses to helm the film, introducing a meta-commentary on control within the industry. He appears as himself (uncredited) during the opening sequence.

🎬 Director 👀 Cameo

King Vidor

Another director cameo who initially refuses to take on the project, symbolizing the power struggles that shape studio decisions and the casting process.

🎬 Director 👀 Cameo

Raoul Walsh

Director cameo, contributing to the film’s playful meta-layer about Hollywood's inner circle and the authority of established filmmakers.

🎬 Director 👀 Cameo

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 18:51

Major Themes – It’s a Great Feeling (1949)

Explore the central themes of It’s a Great Feeling (1949), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🎬 Dreams

Judy Adams embodies the Hollywood dream, chasing a screen test and a major break despite obstacles. The plot unfolds through disguises, auditions, and publicity stunts that reveal how fame can be manufactured. The story tests ambition, ethics, and loyalty within the ruthless backstage world of film.

🌟 Authenticity

The narrative contrasts glittering deception with genuine talent, showing Judy's outsider status as both an opportunity and a vulnerability. The disguises and manipulated scenes highlight the costs of chasing prestige. The resolution suggests happiness may lie in authenticity and a simpler life in Goerke's Corners rather than the Hollywood spotlight.

❤️ Romance

Romantic competition drives the plot as Carson and Morgan vie to 'discover' Judy for their own gain. The relationships test whether career ambitions can coexist with true affection. The finale twists the romance into a playful meta-commentary on Hollywood, with the fiancé's true identity (Errol Flynn) revealing the theater of love in L.A.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 18:51

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It’s a Great Feeling Summary

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It’s a Great Feeling Timeline

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