My Friend Irma

My friend Irma is the first of 16 films that Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis made together, and it's their worst, and only one of two that aren't very good. The reason is Lewis and his character of Seymour. He is a constant complaining, loud, obnoxious character who adds zero comedy to this film. Fortunately, the duo are not the lead stars of the film.

That billing goes to John Lund, Diana Lynn and Marie Wilson. Most of the comedy is provided by Lund's Al, and Wilson's Irma Peterson. She provides some scatterbrained humor, and Lund is a riot playing the tough, uneducated but sly con artist. Those two performances trump the terrible Lewis role and raise mediocre roles of Martin's Steve and Diana Lynn's Jane Stacey. Don DeFore is good as Richard Rhinelander, also providing some comedy.

The later pairings of Martin and Lewis have Jerry toning down his loud, complaining characters and then dropping that for good comedy and antics.

Here are the better lines from this film.

Al, "Chicken, believe me. You've got no chance to win this contest." Irma Peterson, 'Why not?" Al, "For one thing, all contest winners live in one of two places - Butte, Montana, or Keokuk, Iowa." Irma, "I'll move." Al, "... And the only other way you can win a contest is if you have a husband who isn't working and you 're the mother of 32 children."

Steve, "But what's the sense of living if you have to kill yourself?"

Steve. "Well, that's me - never a director, always a chauffeur."

Mrs. Rhinelander, "Well, what is she, a neurotic?" Irma Peterson, "Her religion has nothing to do with it."

Irma Peterson, "It's just that your son has so much money that she is drawn to him like a maggot." Mrs. Rhinelander, "A maggot?"

Al, "Chicken, you're cryin'. What's happened?... You didn't lose your job?" Irma, "Oh, no." Al, "Oh, you had me scared for a minute."

Radio Contest Announcer, "Well, ladies and gentlemen, we're about to call the winner of the mammoth $50,000 gift contest. There goes the giant wheel and someone will be the lucky winner. Our telephone operator is waiting to call the lucky winner who is Mrs. Hilda Platz of Keokuk, Iowa, the mother of 32 children." Irma Peterson, "Al was right."

Radio Contest Announcer, "Hold it, folks. Mrs. Platz is disqualified - she has no phone. And there goes the wheel again and the call goes to Miss Irma Peterson."

Dean martin, jerry lewis. But they don't get top billing, this was their first splash in the movies! John lund, diana lynn, and don defore get the lead positions in this hal wallis production. Lots going on in this silly one. Irma's boyfriend thinks he can make singers out of steve and seymour. But of course, they are all sharing one little apartment, so they get on each other's nerves. And irma goes overboard trying to keep her new job. It's fun, but pretty silly. It started as a radio show, and was adapted to a full length film. And even has a sequel "my friend irma goes west". If you're not in the right mood, i can see where it would get on your nerves! Seems to be where jerry lewis started using that high pitched, annoying baby voice he used for so long (too long!) Some innerastin production notes in the imdb trivia section. And keep an eye out for professor kropotkin, in front of the restaurant; hans conried was doctor terwiliker in 5000 fingers, and did the voices for the hobbit, snidely whiplash, and captain hook. It's pretty good, as long as you are in the mood for it! Directed by george marshall.

Just rewatched this film which marked the debut of the comedy team of Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis on YouTube. They're shoehorned almost awkwardly into it since this movie was based on a popular radio sitcom about a young woman named Jane Stacy (Diana Lynn) who's trying to snag a rich guy named Rhinelander (Don DeFore) by working as his secretary and having to deal with her scatterbrained roommate Irma Peterson (Marie Wilson) and her con artist boyfriend Al (John Lund). Martin & Lewis are a couple of orange juice stand employees named Steve and Seymour who's discovered by Irma and Al as Steve sings a little something there. Despite many contrivances, the way Jane and Irma seem to fit certain stereotypes of women at the time, and the fact that Irma cries constantly whenever she realizes when it's her fault, this was quite funny especially whenever Lewis is on screen. And Martin shows just how appealing a crooner he was though I'm sure even then some thought he was just a Bing Crosby imitator. The cast as a whole manages to make the somewhat slight material go down easy. In fact, one of my favorite lines comes from a bit player named Hans Conried who says of Irma and Jane, "One with her head in the air and the other with air in her head." So on that note, My Friend Irma is worth a look for comedy fans especially that of Dean & Jerry.

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.

Solid if unspectacular movie that is of interest mainly for being the debut of Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis. As a beginning piece for the duos body of work it does set something of a standard, a kind of benchmark niche as it were, Martin sings and gets to woo the sexy lady whilst Jerry clowns around and gets the laughs, not that there are too many laughs to be had here because there isn't that many if one is honest. Yet the film still has a 40s charm with it's array of interesting characters that never stretch to annoying limits, performances are steady from all involved, and as a romantic comedy it is well worth a watch, and not least because it has a very interesting segment about who should be the bigger name of the two out of Masrtin & Lewis........now that one makes for quite a story some way down the line wink wink. 5/10 and worth a watch on its own merit for fans of cheeky charm 40s rom-coms, and of course for Martin/Lewis completists like me.