Sunday, December 16, 2018

25 More Days of Old Time Radio Christmas - Day 15: Christmas with My Friend Irma (1950)

I am going to stick to the concept of highlight programs that I have not focused on before.  The last entry was from the Life of Riley and today's entry has a few key actors in common.  At least in the supporting roles.  So I will stick with the comedies and visit a friend.  You know - Irma.  If you have Sirius/XM, you can listen to Greg Bell's Old time radio channel (#148).  He does a great job of showcasing great holiday themed episodes, especially as we get close to Christmas.
Squirrels in The Ramble at Central Park (New York City) - February 16, 2017


Eating alone in NYC 
Squirrels in The Ramble at Central Park (New York City) - February 16, 2017 


 My Friend Irma is a situation comedy that ran on the CBS Network from 1947 through 1954 and was centered on a rooming house in New York City.  Running this rooming house was Mrs O'Reilly (played by Gloria Gordon) and the two main characters are young women who room together when they are not at their jobs.  Jane Stacy (played mostly by Cathy Lewis) starts the episodes and will often talk about her roomie and friend, Irma Peterson (played by Marie Wilson).  Jane is sure, smart, confident and hard working.  Irma is, well...earnest.  Other characters in the show include Professor Kropotkin, who also lives in their rooming house, played by Hans Conried.  Also regularly appearing in minor characters and guest roles were John Brown (who played Irma's boyfriend) and Alan Reed.  (Brown and Reed played key characters in yesterday's episode Christmas Bonus with Life of Riley). The show was created by Cy Howard with music by Lud Gluskin and Wendell Niles as the announcer.

Like many shows, they repeated their Christmas show year after year.  From the RadioGOLDINex, they shared that the script was essentially used on December 22, 1947, December 26, 1949, December 25, 1950, December 23, 1951, December 23, 1952 & December 22, 1953.  The recording we are showcasing today is from December 20th, 1948.  It is Christmas time and people are starting to make plans for Christmas eve.  Jane has accepted a date with her boyfriend at his country club.  Irma's boyfriend is working.  Mrs. O'Reilly and Professor Kropotkin also have plans.  So when Irma bounces the idea that they would have a party on Christmas eve, she was disappointed that everyone had plans.  Poor Irma was depressed and decided to head to where she had family, all the way to Minneapolis.  But the train from New York City was around 10 times the money that Irma had.  

 While Irma was desperate to get to her family, her New York family was changing their plans.  They were deciding to scrap their plans and spend Christmas eve with Irma.  As Professor Kropotkin said, "On Christmas Eve, it's not important to make money. It's important to be with friends...After all what's money?"  All they need to do was find her.

 A sweet episode from a new series for my blog.  I hope you enjoy.  

 My Friend Irma (December 20, 1948)
Here are some links to programs relating to My Friend Irma:
25 More Days of Old Time Radio Christmas (from 2018) & Other Links
Another 25 Days of Old Time Radio Christmas (from 2017) 
25 Days of Old Time Radio Christmas (from 2016) 

25 Days of Old Time Radio Christmas (from 2015) & Other Links

25 Days of Old Time Radio Christmas (from 2014)
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