My Friend Irma (TV series)
American comedy TV series
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
My Friend Irma is an American comedy television series[1] that was broadcast on CBS from January 8, 1952, until June 25, 1954.[2]
- Cy Howard
- Jay Sommers
- John L. Greene
- Paul West
- Richard Whorf
- George Cahan
| My Friend Irma | |
|---|---|
| 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 |
Premise and characters
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]
Cast
| Character | Actor |
|---|---|
| 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]
Schedule and production
My Friend Irma debuted at 10:30 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesdays. From April 1952 through June 1953, it was broadcast at 8:30 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]
Critical reception
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]
Proposed sequel
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]