Search - My Friend Irma/My Friend Irma Goes West on DVD

The Good, the Bad, and the Funny...

Michael L. Hiller | North Hollywood, CA USA | 01/27/2006

(1 out of 5 stars)

"The Good: They actually finally put out another couple of (and I use the term loosely) Martin and Lewis movies. It's interesting to watch the transition between the 2 films. In My Friend Irma, they are definitely in support. They are add on characters in an adaptation of a sit-com radio show. They don't show up until 10 minutes into the movie, and while Dean is a natural as the romantic interest (He takes to film like a duck to water. The Camera loves him), they're not quite sure what to do with Jerry. For the new Comedy Team sensation, they don't spend a lot of time together. They have a couple of funny moments (When they interact at the Juice Bar, The Donkey Serenade in the Club)but basically it's not their show. Fast forward to My Friend Irma Goes West less than a year later and it's a different story. Dean and Jerry show up within the first 5 minutes and essentially drive the movie from there on. Jerry is much more prominent and this time it's the Irma people who are the support act.

The Bad: For some reason known only to the people at Paramount, they decided to cram both these movies on one side of a disc. There are jumps and freezes, particularly in "Goes West". There appears to have been no effort at restoring or remastering the films, the balance is off so scenes are unnecessarily dark. No Extras, No Commentary, No Trailers...Nada...Zip... Zilch. Then they insist on having Corinne Calvet sing, but that's another issue...

The Funny: The Vagabond Song in My Friend Irma Goes West. It's a bit directly from the Legendary Martin and Lewis Night Club act and it gives you a great example of why they were so popular. It illustrates that with Martin and Lewis you have two comedians, but their styles are so radically different that it becomes less a comedy team and more a physical manifestation of a Manic/Depressive disorder. It's hysterical.

I just hope the studio takes a little more care with future Martin and Lewis releases. They're worth it.

PS. I actually rated this 3 stars but for some reason it's showing up as 1...This is a rating system?"

What a bargain, buy it for the radio show terrifically adapt

S M | 01/05/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"My Friend Irma was an extremely popular radio show featuring the prototypical, 39-34-36, dumb blonde, brilliantly played by Marie Wilson.

The show was backed up with a strong supporting cast being the lazy shyster boyfriend, her sensible roommate, an elderly landlady who has the hots for a non-interested musician tenant.

Martin and Lewis are basically "throw ins", or comic additions created to allow a 30 minute radio show to last a movie length.

Much like a number of TV shows that were unable to adapt as movies, similar radio shows did as well.

My Friend Irma did not, including the Goes West sequel. These are quality movies.

Given that many one vintage movie dvd costs the same as two movies on one dvd, this is a true bargain in cost and content.

Just don't buy it for Martin and Lewis alone.

By the way, why does Amazon include a 'NO' in 'was this review helpful to you?'. People are only human and don't like opinions that differ from themselves. With some who are less mature, this the 'NO' makes it too easy express such displeasure.

Are they trying to discourage negative reviews, hence not purchase the CD. Such reviews only help a person in not being dissatisfied a product that received positive reviews
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