Ma bonne amie Irma

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.

This is one of my 2nd favorite Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin movies the only one that is better is The Caddy. This movie was also the first of D/M & J/L that I had ever seen. It's quiet little movie but with so many good songs and lots and lots of great laughs by Jerry and a couple of laughs from Irma. This comes highly recommended by me and I hope that you see it after you've read my comment. 9/10

Beautiful Diana Lynn makes this a fun show. Interesting to see NYC in those days, so different from now. First film for Martin and Lewis, they looked so young.

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.

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.