''My Friend Irma Goes West'' is a 1950 American

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

directed by

Hal Walker Hal Walker (March 20, 1896 – July 3, 1972) was an American film director. He was known for doing some of the earliest Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis films such as ''At War with the Army'' and '' Sailor Beware'' and some with the team of Bing Cro ...

and based on the radio show ''

My Friend Irma ''My Friend Irma'' is a media franchise that was spawned by a top-rated, long-running radio situation comedy created by writer-director-producer Cy Howard. The radio show was so popular in the late 1940s that its success escalated the films, ...

.'' It stars the comedy team of

Dean Martin Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor and comedian. One of the most popular and enduring American entertainers of the mid-20th century, Martin was nicknamed "The King of Cool". M ...

and

Jerry Lewis Jerry Lewis (born Joseph Levitch; March 16, 1926 – August 20, 2017) was an American comedian, actor, singer, filmmaker and humanitarian. As his contributions to comedy and charity made him a global figure in popular culture, pop culture ...

. The film is a sequel to ''

'' (1949) and was released on May 31, 1950 by

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film and television production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the main namesake division of Paramount Global (formerly ViacomCBS). It is the fifth-oldes ...

Plot

Immediately after the events in ''My Friend Irma'', Al is still trying to promote Steve's career. Eventually, he gets booked to a local television station and is spotted by a movie producer. He is offered a contract and Steve, as well as the rest of the gang, Irma, Jane and Seymour, all head to Hollywood. The trip ends suddenly when the producer is discovered to be an escaped lunatic. Al tries to set things straight by taking the gang to Las Vegas to work at a casino, but things aren't as they seem. Irma causes havoc by wrecking a rigged roulette wheel, and she gets kidnapped and held for ransom until Al can raise $50,000. Meanwhile, Seymour, dressed as an Indian brave, locates Irma and rescues her. The publicity received during the entire incident brings a movie offer for Irma and Seymour.

Cast

* John Lund as Al * Marie Wilson as Irma Peterson *

Diana Lynn Diana Marie Lynn (born Dolores Eartha Loehr, July 5, 1926 – December 18, 1971) was an American actress. Early years Lynn was born in Los Angeles, California. Her father, Louis Loehr, was an oil supply executive, and her mother, Martha Loe ...

as Jane Stacy *

as Steve Laird *

as Seymour *

Corinne Calvet Corinne Calvet (April 30, 1925 – June 23, 2001), born Corinne Dibos, was a French actress who appeared mostly in American films. According to one obituary, she was promoted "as a combination of Dietrich and Rita Hayworth", but her person ...

as Yvonne Yvonne *

Lloyd Corrigan Lloyd Corrigan (October 16, 1900 – November 5, 1969) was an American film and television actor, producer, screenwriter, and director who began working in films in the 1920s. The son of actress Lillian Elliott, Corrigan directed films, usually ...

as Sharpie Corrigan *

Gregg Palmer Palmer Edwin Lee (January 25, 1927 – October 31, 2015), known by his stage name Gregg Palmer, was an American film and television actor. Born in San Francisco, California, Palmer served in the United States Army Air Corps as a cryptographer i ...

as Ambulance attendant *

Don Porter Donald Cecil Porter (September 24, 1912 – February 11, 1997) was an American stage, film and television actor. On television, he played Peter Sands, the boss of Ann Sothern's character on ''Private Secretary'', and Russell Lawrence, the wi ...

as Mr. Brent

Production

''My Friend Irma Goes West'' was filmed from January 31 through March 18, 1950. It was the second

Martin and Lewis Martin and Lewis were an American comedy duo, comprising singer Dean Martin and comedian Jerry Lewis. They met in 1945 and debuted at Atlantic City's 500 Club on July 25, 1946; the team lasted ten years to the day. Before they teamed up, Martin w ...

film to be released, preceding ''

At War with the Army ''At War with the Army'' is a 1950 American musical comedy film directed by Hal Walker, released by Paramount, starring the comedy team of Martin and Lewis and introducing Polly Bergen. Filmed from July through August 1949, the film premiered i ...

'', which had been produced before ''My Friend Irma Goes West'' but was not released until December 1950.

Reception

In a contemporary review for ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', critic Thomas M. Pryor wrote: "Jerry Lewis, the slight, abject, elastic young man, and his straight-man-accomplice with the velvety baritone singing voice, Dean Martin, are responsible for about ninety-nine and nine-tenths of the fun ... There is a marked reduction in the quality of the show when Martin and Lewis are off the screen and sometimes even they are victimized by the silly script. However, M. & L. are in there pitching most of the time and most of the time they are in top form. ... Without them, the film would not add up to anything. The story is a nondescript affair ... it's the interpretation that stirs up the fun in 'My Friend Irma Goes West.'"

Home media

''My Friend Irma Goes West'' has been released twice on DVD. It was originally released as part of a two-film collection with ''My Friend Irma'' on October 25, 2005. It was also included in an eight-film DVD set, the ''Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis Collection: Volume One'', released on October 31, 2006.

References

External links

* * {{Martin and Lewis 1950 films 1950 comedy films American black-and-white films American comedy films American sequel films 1950s English-language films Films scored by Leigh Harline Films based on radio series Films directed by Hal Walker Films produced by Hal B. Wallis Films set in the Las Vegas Valley Paramount Pictures films 1950s American films