My Friend Irma (1949)

Very well executed

Powerful

Must See Movie...

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Don't be fooled by the 3 hour, 12 minute running time listed on Google search for this movie; that appears to have been written by Irma herself, combining the two films in this series released a year apart. However, be forewarned as well that even without a cellphone to distract her as she walks down crowded Manhattan streets, she ends up walking into an open manhole. Yes, Irma is the stereotypical dumb blonde, lovably portrayed by veteran actress Marie Wilson who had specialized in those type of roles for over a decade. Irma, in spite of her dimwit personality, is completely lovable, giving the urge to see her protected (from herself mostly) rather than ignored. I wish I could say the same for squeaky voiced Jerry Lewis in his film debut, o.k. in small doses (if you're not French), but at length rather annoying! At least where there's Lewis in these early films, there's also Martin, and he's a suave, likable young actor whose characters had to have the patience of Job to deal with the cloying characters his overrated costar played. Wilson hits her comic height in a scene, where as the secretary to the slimy looking Percy Helton, she turns his office totally upside down, only keeping her job as he tells her, because only she knows how to figure out her filing system. I take each of the Lewis/Martin teamings patiently, and in a few, he's less annoying and obnoxious than others. When Dean sings, the thoughts of Jerry slip into the background, and in their first two films, they are basically supporting. Think Lenny and Squiggy to Wilson and roommate Diana Lynn's Lavern and Shirley. The basic story is simple of how Wilson and Lewis's airhead antics affect the lives of their smarter pals, Lynn and Martin. Don DeFore plays Lynn's romantic interest (and boss) whom she manipulates a job out of. Thanks to Wilson and her agent boyfriend John Lund, Martin and Lewis end up at Wilson and Lynn's house guests, leading to a few amusing complications but not much else. What little plot exists surrounds their attempts to get Martin discovered. At least other than their scenes together, Wilson and Lewis aren't paired romantically; that would in itself would be a recipe for disaster!

A "small" film, notable only for the introduction of the comedy team of Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis to the national public. It is based on a CBS radio series. You can't help but wonder how the "other" actors felt when production of the film was already underway when Martin & Lewis were added...and I would say pretty quickly became the main figures in the film.So, in terms of the "real" stars of the film: John Lund as the male lead...well, I found his character to be annoying; this is definitely not his best work. Marie Wilson is supposed to be shallow, and is; is it acting or was that just who she was an actress. In fact, her film career ended not along after the two "Irma" pictures. Diana Lynn seems a rather pleasant screen presence, and as I recall did show up in future Martin & Lewis films. Don DeFore does very nicely as the love competition. Hans Conreid is around briefly to reprise his role from the radio show.For their first film, Martin and Lewis do rather nicely here. Jerry is...Jerry. But, he's fairly funny here, and you certainly do see the beginning to the Martin & Lewis film persona, even in this first film. Dean is suave and relaxed, and has some pretty decent songs: "Here's To Love" (so relaxed; extended version would have been better; shows up again later in film); "Just For Fun" (nicely done); "Donkey Serendade" (which features the first real Martin & Lewis routine on film); "My Own, My Only, My All".In terms of the story, it's an okay light comedy. Seems like a late-40s type story. Some good laughs, but things are kept simple. It would have been interesting to see what the movie would have been without Martin & Lewis...obviously it would have been a drastically different story.Far from the best of the Martin & Lewis films, but always interesting to see careers from their point as ascent.

I use the above Summary because it is not only a good description of the plot but also the movie going public's reaction to two of it's stars.Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis's nightclub act had first convulsed audiences back in July 1946 at Skinny D'Amato's notorious 500 Club in Atlantic City, since then, they had become the hottest act to see, with their audiences far exceeding even Sinatra's. It was natural that Hollywood would be the next logical link in the chain, and in 1949, Paramount got their signature's on the dotted line. (It is worth noting that both MGM & Columbia had previously tested and subsequently rejected Dean Martin in the early 1940's whilst he was still a solo singer).The debut vehicle they chose was a radio show spin-off movie 'My Friend Irma', a show that had been on the air since 1947 with Marie Wilson as the dizzy blonde air head who's good intentions always outstripped her intelligence. The film also starred John Lund as Al, Irma's shady boyfriend who's always one small step ahead of the G-Men but one giant leap away from the next money making scheme. Diana Lynn plays Jane, Irma's worldly wise house mate who's intent on marrying a millionaire, but a millionaire she loves so she cannot be branded a gold digger.Al & Irma meet Steve Laird,(Martin) and Seymour, (Lewis) at an orange juice stand where the pair work. and as Martin croons away while serving drinks, Al becomes convinced that he can make a fortune by promoting Steve as the new singing sensation.Meanwhile Jane has just become the secretary to millionaire Richard Rhinelander III, (Don DeFore), and is in a prime spot to put her marriage plans in action. However, it takes one evening with Steve, for Jane to realise that it's hard to make your heart follow where your head is telling it to go.The film is both funny and romantic and contains some brilliant crooning by Dino, however, Paramount nearly dropped Jerry from the production and it's easy to see why, as he is nothing more than a 'Red Skelton' here, a wacky distraction from the main plot and it still amazes me to this day that Jerry was actually considered the most talented of the two stars.My Friend Irma is a great debut with some great laughs and some great songs and one for all the family.Enjoy!!

This is a strange little comedy in which the appearances of Dean and Jerry almost seem an afterthought. "My Friend Irma" was already a successful radio comedy featuring the brilliant Marie Wilson. Marie played a hard core scatterbrain who had a knack for getting herself into and out of trouble. When it was decided to bring Irma to the big screen, I think Paramount decided to hedge their bets by including Dean and Jerry. This unlikely trio of comedians seems occasionally at odds struggling for whatever laughs might exist in this thin script. But there are some definite highlights for all of them, and the climax presents a bizarre commentary on how much the effects of consumerism had absorbed the American culture just a few years after World War II. The dippy Irma wins a radio contest by accident, and the last scene milks every last ounce of joke material out of the fact that she has been rewarded with a mountain of expensive presents.