The Great Irma

Dependable, level-headed Jane Stacy (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathy_Lewis" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cathy Lewis</a>—plus <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan_Banks" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Joan Banks</a> during Lewis' illness in early 1949 and Mary Shipp later) began each weekly radio program by narrating a misadventure of her innocent, bewildered roommate Irma, a scatterbrained stenographer from Minnesota. The two central characters were in their mid-20s. Irma had her 25th birthday in one episode; she was born on May 5. After the two met in the first episode, they lived together in an apartment rented from their Irish landlady Mrs. O'Reilly (Jane Morgan, Gloria Gordon).Irma's boyfriend Al (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Brown_(actor)" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">John Brown</a>) was a deadbeat, barely on the right side of the law, who had not held a job in years. Only someone like Irma could love Al, whose nickname for Irma was "Chicken".<br /><br />Al had many crazy <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Get-rich-quick_scheme" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">get-rich-quick schemes</a> that never worked. Al planned to marry Irma at some future date so she could support him. Professor Kropotkin (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Conried" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hans Conried</a>), the Russian violinist at the Princess Burlesque theater, lived upstairs. He greeted Jane and Irma with remarks like "My two little bunnies with one being an Easter bunny and the other being Bugs Bunny." The Professor insulted Mrs. O'Reilly, complained about his room, and reluctantly became O'Reilly's love interest in an effort to make her forget his back rent. In 1953, Conried left the program and was replaced by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenny_Delmar" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kenny Delmar</a> as his cousin Maestro Wanderkin.

TV & Film

History

Film History

Dependable, level-headed Jane Stacy (Cathy Lewis—plus Joan Banks during Lewis' illness in early 1949 and Mary Shipp later) began each weekly radio program by narrating a misadventure of her innocent, bewildered roommate Irma, a scatterbrained stenographer from Minnesota. The two central characters were in their mid-20s. Irma had her 25th birthday in one episode; she was born on May 5. After the two met in the first episode, they lived together in an apartment rented from their Irish landlady Mrs. O'Reilly (Jane Morgan, Gloria Gordon).Irma's boyfriend Al (John Brown) was a deadbeat, barely on the right side of the law, who had not held a job in years. Only someone like Irma could love Al, whose nickname for Irma was "Chicken".Al had many crazy get-rich-quick schemes that never worked. Al planned to marry Irma at some future date so she could support him. Professor Kropotkin (Hans Conried), the Russian violinist at the Princess Burlesque theater, lived upstairs. He greeted Jane and Irma with remarks like "My two little bunnies with one being an Easter bunny and the other being Bugs Bunny." The Professor insulted Mrs. O'Reilly, complained about his room, and reluctantly became O'Reilly's love interest in an effort to make her forget his back rent. In 1953, Conried left the program and was replaced by Kenny Delmar as his cousin Maestro Wanderkin.

Dependable, level-headed Jane Stacy (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathy_Lewis" rel="noopener noreferrer">Cathy Lewis</a>—plus&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan_Banks" rel="noopener noreferrer">Joan Banks</a> during Lewis' illness in early 1949&nbsp;and Mary Shipp later) began each weekly radio program by narrating a misadventure of her innocent, bewildered roommate Irma, a scatterbrained stenographer from Minnesota. The two central characters were in their mid-20s. Irma had her 25th birthday in one episode; she was born on May 5. After the two met in the first episode, they lived together in an apartment rented from their Irish landlady Mrs. O'Reilly (Jane Morgan, Gloria Gordon).Irma's boyfriend Al (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Brown_(actor)" rel="noopener noreferrer">John Brown</a>) was a deadbeat, barely on the right side of the law, who had not held a job in years. Only someone like Irma could love Al, whose nickname for Irma was "Chicken".<br><br>Al had many crazy&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Get-rich-quick_scheme" rel="noopener noreferrer">get-rich-quick schemes</a>&nbsp;that never worked. Al planned to marry Irma at some future date so she could support him. Professor Kropotkin (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Conried" rel="noopener noreferrer">Hans Conried</a>), the Russian violinist at the Princess Burlesque theater, lived upstairs. He greeted Jane and Irma with remarks like "My two little bunnies with one being an Easter bunny and the other being Bugs Bunny." The Professor insulted Mrs. O'Reilly, complained about his room, and reluctantly became O'Reilly's love interest in an effort to make her forget his back rent. In 1953, Conried left the program and was replaced by&nbsp;<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenny_Delmar" rel="noopener noreferrer">Kenny Delmar</a>&nbsp;as his cousin Maestro Wanderkin.

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The Great Irma

The Great Irma