This is a snippet from Breaking Walls EP92: Radio And Coney Island (1906 - 1960)

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On Friday, April 11th, 1947, CBS debuted a new situation comedy called My Friend Irma.

Marie Wilson starred as Irma Peterson, a kind-hearted, simple-minded, buxom blonde stenographer, while a tremendously versatile actress—Cathy Lewis—portrayed her completely opposite roommate Jane Stacy.

The show was created by Cy Howard during the time after World War II when head of CBS William Paley was championing new, experimental programming. Howard cast Cathy Lewis after hearing her read, and Marie Wilson after seeing her in Ken Murray’s Blackouts.

Gloria Gordon played Mrs. O’Reilly. Hans Conried was Professor Kropotkin. John Brown played Irma’s boyfriend Al, and Alan Reed played Mr. Clyde, Irma’s boss.

By the time this episode, “Irma and Jane Visit Coney Island” aired on Monday, June 7th, 1948 at 8:30PM, My Friend Irma was being sponsored by the Lever Brothers. That season, Irma was the 2nd highest rated show on Monday evenings behind The Lux Radio Theater.