My Friend Irma 1947 05 02 (004) Irma Is Convinced It's Jane's Birthday

Step into Jane's apartment on this spring evening in 1947, where what should be an ordinary Friday night spirals into delightful chaos when Irma becomes absolutely convinced that today is Jane's birthday—despite Jane's increasingly desperate protests to the contrary. Marie Wilson's Irma is in full force here, her dopey charm and ironclad certainty creating a whirlwind of absurd situations as she drags poor Jane through surprise after surprise. Listeners will find themselves caught between genuine affection for Irma's well-meaning heart and sympathetic groans at Jane's exasperation, as the simple act of correcting a date becomes an impossible task. The chemistry between Wilson and Cathy Lewis crackles with the ease of performers who know exactly how to milk comedy from the space between kindness and obliviousness.

By May 1947, My Friend Irma had already begun its rise toward becoming one of radio's most beloved comedies—a show that would eventually spawn a film franchise and cement its place in entertainment history. Created by Cy Howard, the program tapped into something audiences craved after the war years: the comfort of recurring characters whose foibles felt like those of actual friends. Irma wasn't mean-spirited or contemptuous; she was simply Irma, eternally confident in her incorrect convictions. This episode, from the show's earliest CBS run, captures that magic at its freshest, when the dynamic between the girls still felt like a genuine discovery rather than a formula.

If you've never experienced the warm, chaotic intimacy of Jane and Irma's friendship, this episode is the perfect introduction. Tune in and discover why millions of listeners invited these characters into their homes, week after week.