My Friend Irma (TV series)

My Friend Irma
GenreComedy
Created byCy Howard
Written by
  • Cy Howard
  • Jay Sommers
  • John L. Greene
  • Paul West
Directed by
  • Richard Whorf
  • George Cahan
Starring
  • Marie Wilson
  • Mary Shipp
  • Richard Eyer
  • Cathy Lewis
  • Gloria Gordon
  • Donald MacBride
  • Sid Tomack
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes39
Production
Producers
  • Cy Howard
  • Nat Perrin
Running time30 min
Original release
NetworkCBS
ReleaseJanuary 8, 1952 (1952-01-08) –
June 25, 1954 (1954-06-25)

My Friend Irma is an American comedy television series[1] that was broadcast on CBS from January 8, 1952, until June 25, 1954.[2]

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

Characters and Actors on My Friend Irma's TV Version
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 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]

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]

Episode status

UCLA has one 1952 episode of the program in its archives.[8]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Terrace, Vincent (2014). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010, 2d ed. McFarland. p. 730. ISBN 978-0-7864-8641-0. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
  2. ^ a b c d McNeil, Alex (1996). Total Television: the Comprehensive Guide to Programming from 1948 to the Present (4th ed.). New York, New York: Penguin Books USA, Inc. p. 579. ISBN 0-14-02-4916-8.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Gould, Jack (January 11, 1952). "Radio and Television: Shift of 'My Friend Irma' to TV Underlines Danger of Riding on Radio Reputation". The New York Times. p. 28. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
  4. ^ a b Brooks, Tim; Marsh, Earle (1999). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows 1946-Present (7th ed.). New York: The Ballentine Publishing Group. p. 700. ISBN 0-345-42923-0.
  5. ^ Spigel, Lynn (2008). TV by Design: Modern Art and the Rise of Network Television. University of Chicago Press. p. 132. ISBN 978-0-226-76968-4. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
  6. ^ Irvin, Richard (2014). George Burns Television Productions: The Series and Pilots, 1950-1981. McFarland. pp. 106–107. ISBN 978-0-7864-9486-6. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
  7. ^ Terrace, Vincent (2018). Encyclopedia of Unaired Television Pilots, 1945-2018. McFarland. p. 168. ISBN 978-1-4766-3349-7. Retrieved May 18, 2022.
  8. ^ Spigel, Lynn; Mann, Denise (1992). Private Screenings: Television and the Female Consumer. U of Minnesota Press. p. 265. ISBN 978-1-4529-0264-7. Retrieved May 18, 2022.