Ownership Submission
FORM 4
Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).
UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, Section 17(a) of the Public Utility Holding Company Act of 1935 or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940
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(Print or Type Responses)
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person *
HARBERT DISTRESSED INVESTMENT MASTER FUND LTD
  2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
FRIEDMANS INC [FRDMQ]
5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)
_____ Director __X__ 10% Owner
_____ Officer (give title below) _____ Other (specify below)
(Last)
(First)
(Middle)
C/O INTERNATIONAL FUND SERVICES, THIRD FL BISHOP SQUARE REDMONDS HILL
3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
04/08/2005
(Street)

DUBLIN IRELAND, L2 00000
4. If Amendment, Date Original Filed(Month/Day/Year)
6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing(Check Applicable Line)
___ Form filed by One Reporting Person
_X_ Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
(City)
(State)
(Zip)
Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1.Title of Security
(Instr. 3)
2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 3. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8)
4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4 and 5)
5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 3 and 4)
6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)
7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
Code V Amount (A) or (D) Price
Common Stock 04/08/2005   P   102,375 A $ 1.25 2,440,025 (1) D  
Common Stock 04/08/2005   P   0 A $ 0 2,440,025 (2) I By Harbert Distressed Investment Master Fund, Ltd.
Common Stock 04/08/2005   P   2,625 A $ 1.25 61,575 (3) I By Alpha US Sub Fund VI, LLC

Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
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Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security
(Instr. 3)
2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security 3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year) 3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year) 4. Transaction Code
(Instr. 8)
5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D)
(Instr. 3, 4, and 5)
6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date
(Month/Day/Year)
7. Title and Amount of Underlying Securities
(Instr. 3 and 4)
8. Price of Derivative Security
(Instr. 5)
9. Number of Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s)
(Instr. 4)
10. Ownership Form of Derivative Security: Direct (D) or Indirect (I)
(Instr. 4)
11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership
(Instr. 4)
Code V (A) (D) Date Exercisable Expiration Date Title Amount or Number of Shares

Reporting Owners

Reporting Owner Name / Address Relationships
 Director  10% Owner  Officer  Other
HARBERT DISTRESSED INVESTMENT MASTER FUND LTD
C/O INTERNATIONAL FUND SERVICES
THIRD FL BISHOP SQUARE REDMONDS HILL
DUBLIN IRELAND, L2 00000
    X    
HMC DISTRESSED INVESTMENT OFFSHORE MANAGER LLC
ONE RIVERCHASE PARKWAY SOUTH
BIRMINGHAM, AL 35244
    X    
HMC INVESTORS LLC
ONE RIVERCHASE PARKWAY SOUTH
BIRMINGHAM, AL 35244
    X    
FALCONE PHILIP
555 MADISON AVE
16TH FLOOR
NEW YORK, NY 10022
    X    
HARBERT RAYMOND J
ONE RIVERCHASE PARKWAY SOUTH
BIRMINGHAM, AL 35244
    X    
LUCE MICHAEL D
ONE RIVERCHASE PARKWAY SOUTH
BIRMINGHAM, AL 35244
    X    

Signatures

 Harbert Distressed Investment Master Fund, Ltd., HMC Distressed Investment Offshore Manager, LLC, By: HMC Investors, LLC, Managing Member By: /s/ Joel B. Piassick   04/12/2005
**Signature of Reporting Person Date

 HMC Distressed Investment Offshore Manager, LLC, By: HMC Investors, LLC, Managing Member By: /s/ Joel Piassick   04/12/2005
**Signature of Reporting Person Date

 HMC Investors, LLC By: /s/ Joel Piassick   04/12/2005
**Signature of Reporting Person Date

 By: /s/ Philip Falcone   04/12/2005
**Signature of Reporting Person Date

 By: /s/ Raymond J. Harbert   04/12/2005
**Signature of Reporting Person Date

 By: /s/ Michael D. Luce   04/12/2005
**Signature of Reporting Person Date

Explanation of Responses:

* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4(b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations. See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
(1) These securities are owned by Harbert Distressed Investment Master Fund, Ltd., which is a Reporting Person.
(2) These securities may be deemed to be beneficially owned by HMC Distressed Investment Offshore Manager, L.L.C. ("HMC Management"), the investment manager of Harbert Distressed Investment Master Fund, Ltd., HMC Investors, L.L.C., its managing member ("HMC Investors"), Philip Falcone, a member of HMC Management and the portfolio manager of Harbert Distressed Investment Master Fund, Ltd., Raymond J. Harbert, a member of HMC Investors, and Michael D. Luce, a member of HMC Investors. Each such Reporting Person disclaims beneficial ownership of the reported securities except to the extent of his or its pecuniary interest therein, and this report shall not be deemed an admission that such Reporting Person is the beneficial owner of the securities for purposes of Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or for any other purpose.
(3) These securities may be deemed to be beneficially owned by HMC Investors, Philip Falcone, who is the portfolio manager of Alpha US Sub Fund VI, LLC, Raymond J. Harbert and Michael D. Luce. Each such Reporting Person disclaims beneficial ownership of the reported securities except to the extent of his or its pecuniary interest therein, and this report shall not be deemed an admission that such Reporting Person is the beneficial owner of the securities for purposes of Section 16 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or for any other purpose.

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