My Friend Irma | |
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Genre | Comedy |
Created by | Cy Howard |
Written by |
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Directed by |
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Starring |
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Country of origin | United States |
Original language | English |
No. of seasons | 2 |
No. of episodes | 39 |
Production | |
Producers |
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Running time | 30 min |
Original release | |
Network | CBS |
Release | January 8, 1952 – June 25, 1954 |
My Friend Irma is an American comedy television series [1] that was broadcast on CBS from January 8, 1952, until June 25, 1954. [2]
My Friend Irma began on radio and moved to television with a similar format. Irma Peterson ("the proverbial dumb blonde" [3] ) and her roommate lived at Kathleen O'Reilly's boarding house in Manhattan. Irma was secretary for Milton J. Clyde, the owner of a real estate company. Her initial roommate, Jane Stacy, was secretary for Richard Rhinelander III, the owner of an investment company. Stacy's transfer to Panama in 1953 brought Kay Foster, a newspaper reporter, in as Peterson's new roommate. Both Stacy and Foster sometimes spoke directly to the viewers, commenting on developments in an episode, [1] a technique that George Burns used on The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show . [2]
When the program began, Peterson was in love with Al (no last name given), an unemployed con man. Al was replaced by Joe Vance, a "more respectable boyfriend", who worked for a cleaning company. Other characters who frequently appeared were Brad Jackson, Kay's boyfriend; Professor Kropotkin, Irma's neighbor; and Bobby, Peterson's nephew. [1] In 1953-54, Kropotkin was gone and Mr. Corday, an eccentric actor, was added. [4]
Character | Actor |
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Irma Peterson | Marie Wilson [1] |
Jane Stacy | Cathy Lewis [1] |
Kay Foster | Mary Shipp [1] |
Al | Sid Tomack [1] |
Joe Vance | Hal March [1] |
Richard Rhinelander III | Brooks West [1] |
Brad Jackson | Gerald Mohr [1] |
Milton J. Clyde | Donald MacBride [1] |
Professor Kropotkin | Sig Arno [1] |
Mrs. O'Reilly | Gloria Gordon [1] |
Bobby Peterson | Richard Eyer [1] |
Mr. Corday | John Carradine [1] |
Richard's mother | Margaret DuMont [1] |
Frank Bingham and Bob Lemond were the announcers. [1]
My Friend Irma debuted at 10:30 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesdays. From April 1952 through June 1953, it was broadcast at 9:30 p.m. E. T. on Fridays. From October 1953 through June 1954, it was on Fridays at 10 p.m. E. T. [4]
Cy Howard created the program. Richard Whorf was the director, and Nat Perrin was the producer. [2] Howard and Frank Galen were the writers. [3] Sponsors included Lever Brothers (Swan soap), and Kool cigarettes. [1] The October 4, 1952, episode of My Friend Irma came from a "nearly completed" sound stage in CBS's new Television City facilities, [5] making it the first series to be broadcast from that Hollywood site. [2]
Critic Jack Gould wrote in The New York Times that the series's debut episode "was a decided disappointment". [3] He felt that the innocent, fragile nature of Peterson was an asset, but that benefit was undermined because Wilson seemed to recite her lines more than portraying her character. [3] Gould praised Lewis's performance for providing substance and pace. He criticized the writers for using "trite coincidences and old jokes". [3] Whorf's direction received mixed reviews, described as "on the erratic side" although "in some of the lesser scenes he had nice imaginative touches". [3]
When My Friend Irma ended, Wilson still had a $100,000-per-year contract with CBS. Network officials worked with Burns to try to develop a sequel, My Wife Irma, with Wilson as the star, but CBS rejected it. [6] My Friend Irma had ended with Peterson's becoming engaged to Vance. The sequel would have picked up with her adapting to life as a newlywed. [7]
UCLA has one 1952 episode of the program in its archives. [8]
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