My Friend Irma (1949)

Director:

George Marshall

Writers:

Cy Howard (screenplay) and
Parke Levy (screenplay)

Release Date:

14 October 1949 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Romance

Tagline:

The Riotous Gal of Radio...NOW FUNNIER on the SCREEN!

Plot:

Prototype dumb blonde Irma and her slacker, wheeler-dealer boyfriend Al interfere in the love life of Irma's level-headed room mate Jane.

Plot Keywords:

Boss | Manager | Blonde | Dumb Blonde | Show Business

Cast

John Lund	...	Al
Marie Wilson	...	Irma Peterson
Diana Lynn	...	Jane Stacy
Don DeFore	...	Richard Rhinelander III
Dean Martin	...	Steve Laird
Jerry Lewis	...	Seymour
Hans Conried	...	Professor Kropotkin
Kathryn Givney	...	Mrs. Rhinelander
Percy Helton	...	Mr. Z. Clyde
Gloria Gordon	...	Mrs. O'Reilly, the Landlady
Ernö Verebes	...	Mr. Ubang, Headwaiter, Gypsy Tea Room / Mr. Ubang's Brother (as Erno Verebes)
Margaret Field	...	Alice, Rhinelander's Secretary

Runtime:

103 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

USA:Approved (certificate #13726) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | Finland:S | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Park Avenue, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Paramount Pictures

Trivia:

Alfred Newman's ubiquitous theme "Street Scene", closely associated with every New York-themed film produced at Fox during his tenure as musical director at that studio, turns up here in the opening of this Paramount film and its sequel "My Friend Irma Goes West."

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Irma (Marie Wilson) falls down the hole in the street in the first scene of the movie, a pair of hands can be seen catching her.

Quotes:

Al: Your time will come, son. I'll save you for a rainy day. Got to hold back a little. Don't want to push too much.
Seymour: Rainy day? I got news for you. I get hungry in clear weather!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "My Three Sons: My Friend Ernie (#4.7)" (1963)

Soundtrack:

My One, My Only, My All

Jessica Simpson's Grandmother

When Paramount Pictures and Hal Wallis decided to debut their new comedy team find of Martin and Lewis, they chose a vehicle with a built in audience should the new team fail. My Friend Irma was a popular radio comedy from that period with Marie Wilson in the title role of Irma Peterson.

Irma is one of those dumb Dora blonds so popular back in the day who seem to just sail through life oblivious to what's around and somehow get through it. She causes all around her to scratch their heads and those closest to her scratch the most. Diana Lynn is her roommate and levelheaded best friend Jane Tracy and John Lund is Irma's charming loafer of a boyfriend complete with New York speech.

Lund as boyfriend Al seems so suited for Wilson because anyone else would have given this bum the heave ho years ago. They're engaged, but she's the one who bought him a ring. He's forever got some get rich quick scheme that never works out and that was part of most of the radio comedy episodes.

But he might have latched onto a good thing now when he discovers Dean Martin entertaining the customers at a juice bar he works at with a song or two. And of course Dean is working their with Jerry who is trying hard not to burn down the place.

Lund signs Martin to a contract and now he will be his manager. At the same time Martin is falling for Lynn and she him. But Lynn has that practical streak in her and she's set her cap for her rich boss, Don DeFore. I think you can see where this is all going.

It was a good debut film for Dean and Jerry. But Jerry wanted Lund's role and complained all the way through the shooting to Hal Wallis and director George Marshall. Lewis's part is created and practically shoehorned into the picture. But give Jerry credit, he took the part and made himself a star with it.

The one tragic note in this film is that Felix Bressart was supposed to play Professor Kropotkin the doorman of the Gypsy Tea Room. He died in the middle of shooting and Hans Conreid was rushed in as a last minute replacement.

My Friend Irma did have a successor film with Martin and Lewis as well in My Friend Irma Goes West. And Marie Wilson recreated her signature part for television for three years. If they ever decide to revive it for the 21st century, Jessica Simpson would be perfect casting.

I'd pay to see that.