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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
an early glimpse at Martin-Lewis, November 6, 2005
This review is from: My Friend Irma/My Friend Irma Goes West (DVD)
I had never seen these two films probably because Dean and Jerry are mainly supporting characters - kinda like how Abbott and Costello were in "Night in the Tropics." But even with neither of them being Irma or her friend, these two films are entertaining. Jerry and Dean get to give a glimpse of their nightclub act that made them the hottest duo working.
"Goes West" is revolutionary since it deals with television and Las Vegas. My favorite part of the film is that these folks are broke, yet in 1950, they can afford a television. And television isn't treated as an enemy of cinema in the film - although we learn that movies pay much better. Also we get a glimpse of early Vegas. The boys hang out at the Flamingo's pool. What's strange is night shots where you don't see that many lights on the Strip.
It's a shame that Paramount put this out as a single DVD - thus getting very little notice. Jerry Lewis told a crowd in Philly that Paramount was coming out with a Martin-Lewis boxset in January. He didn't give anymore details. They better get the other 13 titles out soon!
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
First Two Films to Feature Martin & Lewis, November 1, 2005
This review is from: My Friend Irma/My Friend Irma Goes West (DVD)
MY FRIEND IRMA was a radio series in the 1940's and legendary Hollywood producer Hal Wallis thought the film version would be a great vehicle for up-and-coming talents Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. The film was so successful that in 1950 Irma went West, with Dean and Jerry along for the ride. This launched the comedy duo into stardom and before the year was out they were headlining their own film ("At War with the Army").
Although these films are not Dean or Jerry's best work(s) I am excited about this double feature because I hope more of their great films (as a team and as individuals) will be released, we still need: "Sailor Beware", "That's My Boy", "Visit to a Small Planet", "The Geisha Boy", "Some Came Running", "Rock-a-Bye Baby", and "Who's Minding the Store", "Which Way to the Front", "Hardly Working", "Cracking Up", and "Three on a Couch" on DVD.
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5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
1.0 out of 5 stars
The Good, the Bad, and the Funny..., January 27, 2006
This review is from: My Friend Irma/My Friend Irma Goes West (DVD)
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?
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