My Friend Irma Goes West (1950)

Singer Steve, friend Seymour and fiance Jane, along with her dizzy blonde room mate Irma, have a series of misadventures on a California-bound train and end up involved with a gang of murderous gangsters in Las Vegas.

Director:

Hal Walker

Writers:

Cy Howard (screenplay), Parke Levy (screenplay),

Stars:

John Lund, Marie Wilson, Diana Lynn

Cast

Credited cast:
John Lund	...	Al
Marie Wilson	...	Irma Peterson
Diana Lynn	...	Jane Stacy
Dean Martin	...	Steve Laird
Jerry Lewis	...	Seymour
Corinne Calvet	...	Yvonne Yvonne
Lloyd Corrigan	...	Sharpie Corrigan
Don Porter	...	Mr. Brent
Harold Huber	...	Pete
Joseph Vitale	...	Slim
Charles Evans	...	C.Y. Sanford
Kenneth Tobey	...	Pilot
Dick Stabile	...	Band Leader
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Tamba the Chimp	...	Pierre

Storyline

In this sequel film, all the characters remain the same; Al is still unemployed, Jane still has show-biz aspirations for boyfriend Steve; Steve and Seymour are still partners, and Irma is still Irma, which isn't all that easy. Al gets Steve a singing job on television, which is seen by a Hollywood producer. He signs Steve to a long term movie contract, and all hands depart for Hollywood. But, alas, the producer turns out to be an escaped lunatic, and they end up in Las Vegas, where Irma manages to get kidnapped by gangsters, who are very unhappy with Irma.

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Plot Keywords:

gangster | contract | sequel | roulette | train | 

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Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Musical

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 July 1950 (USA)

Also Known As:

Irma im goldenen Westen

Filming Locations:

Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Pictures, Wallis-Hazen

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Irma is kidnapped by the "notorious Corrigan Gang". Their leader Sharpie, a ruthless murderer, is played against type by endearing, lovable director-turned-actor Lloyd Corrigan in an obvious in-joke.

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Quotes

Irma Peterson: I miss my mother and father. They were just like parents to me.

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Connections

Referenced in E! True Hollywood Story: Dean Martin (1999)

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Soundtracks

"Fiddle and Gittar Band"
Written by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans

User Reviews

The uproarious sequel to Martin & Lewis' film debut!

This is easily the funniest and most deep-down-hardy chuckle inducing film that the fabulous comedy duo of Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis have ever starred in. And it makes its predecessor (My Friend Irma) pale in comparison. One of the only sequels I've ever known that's actually better than the original. Even though Dean and Jerry were only given fourth and fifth billing in the picture, because they were still so new in the industry, Jerry Lewis clearly ends up stealing the whole show! In between Dean Martin's dulcet tones as he sings some original songs in the film, Jerry is at his peak, complete with his legendary, goofy humor, delayed-reaction one-liners, and prat falls. He's probably the most valuable asset of the film. But this isn't to undermine the performances of the lead actors, who are also fabulous! Especially the dead-on, hilarious portrayal of Irma, the dizzy blonde, by Marie Wilson. Her character's innocent and gullible absent-mindedness which lands her in so much trouble will definitely provide some GOOD laughs...Definitely! This is the first review of this film on this site, and therefore the first one people will see when they look up this reference page, so I'm really trying to do it justice in my review. Let me just say that this movie is most probably the funniest picture of its era, and you can quote me on that. Way ahead of its time, it's hard to believe that this was produced half a century ago! Even my seven-year-old sister loves it, and it's HARD to win her over! Please give it a chance. I can promise that if you have even an inkling of a sense of humor inside you, you'll laugh so much that it'll be hard to find time for eating popcorn between chuckles! My rating for My Friend Irma Goes West, a solid, perfect 10. But 10 isn't really high enough for it. My own opinion of it surpasses 10 ineffably.