This week’s mystery movie was the 1949 Warner Bros. film It’s a Great Feeling, with Dennis Morgan, Doris Day, Jack Carson, Bill Goodwin, Irving Bacon, Claire Carleton and the Mazzone-Abbott Dancers.
Screenplay by Jack Rose and Mel Shavelson.
From a story by I.A.L. Diamond.
Photography by Wilfrid M. Cline.
Art direction by Stanley Fleischer.
Edited by Irene Morra.
Sound by Dolph Thomas and David Forrest.
Dialogue direction by Herschel Daugherty.
Special effects by William McGann and H.F. Koenenkamp.
Technicolor color director Natalie Kalmus. Associate Mitchell Kovaleski.
Set decoration by Lyle B. Reifsnider.
Wardrobe by Milo Anderson.
Makeup by Perc. Westmore.
Music by Jule Styne.
Lyrics by Sammy Cahn.
Musical number staged and directed by LeRoy Prinz.
Musical direction by Ray Heindorf.
Produced by Alex Gottlieb.
Directed by David Butler.
Further information on It’s a Great Feeling is available from the AFI Catalog.
It’s a Great Feeling is available on DVD from Critics’ Choice Video.
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I picked It’s a Great Feeling by going through the trades in the usual winnowing process to eliminate movies with too many images on IMDB or for which there’s no decent print. I liked the premise of this picture – nobody wants to work with Jack Carson – as he is far from being my favorite actor. To his credit, he pulls it off in what seems to be a good spirit. And, of course, it’s an ideal mystery movie because it has a zillion cameos of almost everybody on the Warner Bros. lot, way more than I could fit into five days of mystery images.
I’m going to guess that Bosley Crowther dismissed this as harmless fluff, which it is. But though the story is thin, it is an amusing diversion.
Actually, fobbed off one one of the “alphabet critics,” A.W. (probably Abe H. Weiler) The New York Times, Aug. 13, 1949:
Credit the Warner Bros. with being able to take a joke. For in It’s a Great Feeling, which came to the Strand yesterday, that division of the motion picture industry ruled by the Brothers Warner is lightly lampooning its stars, directors, producers and publicity men and having a genuinely nice time doing it. And, what is more important, it is a gay and impudent lark which transmits its broad humor to the viewer with a helping of surprises.
For Monday, we have a mystery fellow. His mystery companion has been cropped out due to insufficient mysteriousness and will appear later in the week.
Updating to reveal mystery guest cropped out due to insufficient mysteriousness.
Update: This is Dudley Dickerson, left, with Bill Goodwin.
For “Tricky Tuesday,” we have one of our leading men, reduced to a mysterious nose.
Update: This is Jack Carson.
Brain Trust roll call: Howard Mandelbaum (mystery movie and Monday’s mystery guest), Mary Mallory (Monday’s mystery guest), Mike Hawks (mystery movie and Monday’s mystery guest), Skretvedt (Monday’ mystery guest) and Sylvia (mystery movie and Monday’s mysterious guest, plus mysterious guest cropped out due to lack of mysteriousness).
Note to Roget-L.A.: Alas, no, but he is in the mystery movie, so you get half credit!
For “Hm Wednesday,” we have a mysterious fellow who does not approve of such goings-on.
Update: This is King Vidor.
We also have this mysterious fellow.
Update: This is Gary Cooper.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (mystery movie, Tuesday’s mystery guest and companions), Howard Mandelbaum (Tuesday’s mysterious nostrils), Mike Hawks (Tuesday’s mystery nose), Roget-L.A. (mystery movie and Tuesday’s mystery guest) and Sylvia (Tuesday’s mystery guest and mysterious companions).
For “Aha Thursday,” we have these mystery guests.
Update: This is Janet Barrett and Michael Curtiz (yes, I blacked out his name by his office door).
And these mystery fellows.
Update: This is Pat Flaherty, left and Edward G. Robinson.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (Wednesday’s mystery guests), L.C. (mystery movie and mysterious cast), Howard Mandelbaum Wednesday’s mystery guests), Sheila (mystery movie and Wednesday’s mystery guests), Mike Hawks (Wednesday’s mystery guests), Sylvia (Wednesday’s mystery guests) and Greg (mystery movie, Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s mystery guests).
For Friday, we have our mysterious leading men.
Update: This is Jack Carson, left, and Dennis Morgan.
And our mysterious leading lady with a mysterious companion.
Update: This is Doris Day and Jeffrey Bushdinkle.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (Monday’s added guest and Thursday’s mysterious guests), Charles Kjelland (Wednesday’s mysterious drugstore cowboy and Thursday’s mysterious gangster), Mike Hawks (Monday’s added mystery guest and Thursday’s mystery guests), Benito (mystery movie, Wednesday’s mysterious drugstore cowboy and Thursday’s mystery guests) and Sylvia (Thursday’s mysterious guests).
ladailymirror.com 
Ernest Dickerson in IT’S A GREAT FEELING.
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I’m thinking Sam MacDaniel in Music for Millions, but two Jose Iturbi movies in a row doesn’t seem at all likely.
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Dudley Dickerson.
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Dudley Dickerson in IT’S A GREAT FEELING.
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I think it’s Dudley Dickerson.
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I think think our porter is Dudley Dickerson, who didn’t appear in a lot of movies shot in color, so my guess is “It’s a Great Feeling” 1949.
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Although I can’t identify Monday’s mystery fellow or the mystery movie, I’m guessing the cropped out mystery companion is Danny Kaye.
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Confident now, I’ll guess that Monday’s “cropped for lack of mysteriousness” guy is Bill Goodwin, only because he’s the actor assigned to the Arthur Trent character. I’m guessing that Mike, Howard and Mary would recognize his face.
A fun little movie.
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THE BEAUTIFUL BLONDE FROM BASHFUL BEND. Dickerson with Cesar Romero out of frame.
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IT’S A GREAT FEELING. Dennis Morgan out of frame Monday, Jack Carson under the towels today, with Morgan and Ronald Reagan just out of frame. Cosmo Sardo as barber.
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Jack Carson.
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Jack Carson.
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For tricky Tuesday, Jack Carson in It’s a Great Feeling (1949)?
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Tues – Jack Carson is our towel “be-wrapped” guy. Dennis Morgan is OS and the future US Prez, Ronnie, has just exited the scene.
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King Vidor and Gary Cooper.
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It’s A Great Feeling (1949) w/Doris Day, Jack Carson, Dennis Morgan, Dudley Dickerson, Gary Cooper, Errol Flynn, Bill Goodwin, Irving Bacon…
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King Vidor, Gary Cooper.
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King Vidor and Gary Cooper for Wednesday, ‘It’s a Great Feeling’?
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King Vidor and Gary Cooper.
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Wed – image 1 is King Vidor, image 2 is Gary Cooper
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Jack Carson under the towel and Gary Cooper enjoying a fountain drink in It’s a Great Feeling.
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Bill Goodwin Monday, Michael Curtiz and Pat Flaherty and Edward G. Robinson today.
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Edward G Robinson today and Gary Cooper yesterday, although it seems too early in the week.
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Bill Goodwin, Michael Curtiz, Pat Flaherty, Edward G. Robinson.
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Gary Cooper, Michael Curtiz and Eddie G in IT’S A GREAT FEELING. Love the Joan Crawford bit
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Thurs – image 1: you’re being clever, hiding the sign hanging above Michael Curtiz’ head (wise move.) His assistant is Janet Barrett per IMDb (I didn’t recognize her, so I’m going with that ID)
image 2: Pat Flaherty and Edward G. Robinson
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This was fun. Hollywood poking fun at itself, with a ‘bite’. The ending surprised and got a big laugh out of me.
Image 1- Jack Carson and Dennis Morgan
Image 2 – Doris Day and the love of her character’s life, Jeffrey Bushdinkle (Errol Flynn)
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Jack and Dennis, and Doris Day with Errol Flynn today.
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Jack Carson, Dennis Morgan, Doris Day and Errol Flynn.
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