It's A Great Feeling, 1949

Director: David Butler
Stars: Doris Day, Dennis Morgan, Jack Carson (cameo appearances by Jane Wyman, Joan Crawford, Eleanor Parker, Danny Kaye, Sydney Greenstreet, Michael Curtiz, Gary Cooper)





Judy (Doris Day) is a small-town girl from Wisconsin working in the kitchens at a movie studio in Hollywood, just waiting for her chance to be discovered as an actress, and be in pictures! When a chance comes up to bring Jack Carson his lunch in his dressing room, she takes it, and tries to do an impromptu audition for him, to show him what she's got. He uses her skills to get his friend Dennis Morgan to sign the contract to be in his next movie, and then kicks her out. But then he and Dennis realize they could really use her in the picture, since no one wants to work with Jack Carson.

This movie is full of cameos and silliness. I recognized some of the actors in the cameos, but I think it would have been much funnier if I had watched it in 1949 when it first came out. I would know who the actors were and it would be much better, I'm sure.

SPOILER: The guys finally decide that Judy really does have talent and they want her in their picture, but it's too late and she is on her way to Wisconsin to marry a "nobody", Mr Bushdinkle. Jack and Dennis get there just in time to see to the two kiss after the wedding. I had to look up who her husband was when they showed his face finally, because I am not that familiar with actors from this era. Well, it was Errol Flynn, so that was kind of cute.

Christmas in Connecticut, 1945

Director: Peter Godfrey

Stars: Barbara Stanwyck, Dennis Morgan, Sydney Greenstreet

Elizabeth Lane (Stanwyck), a single writer living in a crowded New York apartment, has created the perfect woman: Mrs. Lane, who lives on a farm in Connecticut, with a husband and baby; an exemplary mother, wife, cook-- everything! And Ms. Lane makes "Mrs. Lane" come to life in the articles she writes for a magazine.

But when the owner of the magazine, Mr. Yardely, decides to invite himself and war hero, Lieutenant Jones (Morgan), for a lovely Christmas in Connecticut, Ms. Lane is in trouble. It turns out Yardely doesn't like it when people lie in their articles. So if she wants a job, Ms. Lane must somehow come up with a husband, a farm, a baby, and the ability to flip a perfect flapjack!

Well, luckily, she's got a friend, Mr. Sloan, who keeps proposing to her, who has a farm in Connecticut. And an uncle who's also a restaurant owner, Felix, whose recipes always find their way into "Mrs. Lane's" kitchen. And after agreeing to marry Mr. Sloan, she heads to Connecticut with the whole gang!

But it just sucks for her, when Lieutenant Jones walks into "her" farmhouse, and it's pretty much love at first sight.

NOTE: If you can look at it as a cute comedy and ignore the fact that they both want to commit adultery, even though it isn't really adultery (it isn't on her side since she knows she's not really married, but Jones doesn't), then this is a sweet movie. I have to say it like that; though it is a movie, it's still awful that Jones falls in love with someone he believes to be married. And otherwise, Jones is the cutest EVER! And a war hero, as well. Did I mention the uniform?

Swoon!