-----BEGIN PRIVACY-ENHANCED MESSAGE-----
Proc-Type: 2001,MIC-CLEAR
Originator-Name: webmaster@www.sec.gov
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<SEC-DOCUMENT>0001282520-07-000016.txt : 20070913
<SEC-HEADER>0001282520-07-000016.hdr.sgml : 20070913
<ACCEPTANCE-DATETIME>20070913101710
ACCESSION NUMBER:		0001282520-07-000016
CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE:	4
PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT:		1
CONFORMED PERIOD OF REPORT:	20070830
FILED AS OF DATE:		20070913
DATE AS OF CHANGE:		20070913

REPORTING-OWNER:	

	OWNER DATA:	
		COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:			ULRICH GARRETT J
		CENTRAL INDEX KEY:			0001233096

	FILING VALUES:
		FORM TYPE:		4
		SEC ACT:		1934 Act
		SEC FILE NUMBER:	001-13579
		FILM NUMBER:		071114647

	BUSINESS ADDRESS:	
		BUSINESS PHONE:		4135432400

	MAIL ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		1855 BOSTON ROAD
		CITY:			WILBRAHAM
		STATE:			MA
		ZIP:			01095

ISSUER:		

	COMPANY DATA:	
		COMPANY CONFORMED NAME:			FRIENDLY ICE CREAM CORP
		CENTRAL INDEX KEY:			0000039135
		STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION:	RETAIL-EATING PLACES [5812]
		IRS NUMBER:				042053130
		STATE OF INCORPORATION:			MA
		FISCAL YEAR END:			1231

	BUSINESS ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		1855 BOSTON ROAD
		CITY:			WILBRAHAM
		STATE:			MA
		ZIP:			01095
		BUSINESS PHONE:		4135432400

	MAIL ADDRESS:	
		STREET 1:		1855 BOSTON ROAD
		CITY:			WILBRAHAM
		STATE:			MA
		ZIP:			01095
</SEC-HEADER>
<DOCUMENT>
<TYPE>4
<SEQUENCE>1
<FILENAME>primary_doc.xml
<DESCRIPTION>PRIMARY DOCUMENT
<TEXT>
<XML>
<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0202</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2007-08-30</periodOfReport>

    <notSubjectToSection16>1</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0000039135</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>FRIENDLY ICE CREAM CORP</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>frn</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001233096</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>ULRICH GARRETT J</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>1855 BOSTON ROAD</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2></rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>WILBRAHAM</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>MA</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>01095</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>0</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>1</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
            <officerTitle>VP, Human Resources</officerTitle>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2007-08-30</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>D</transactionCode>
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            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
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            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>25631</value>
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                <transactionPricePerShare>
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                </transactionShares>
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        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <derivativeTable>
        <derivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Stock Options</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <conversionOrExercisePrice>
                <value>3.875</value>
            </conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2007-08-30</value>
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            <transactionAmounts>
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                    <value>20000</value>
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                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>11.625</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
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            <exerciseDate>
                <footnoteId id="F3"/>
            </exerciseDate>
            <expirationDate>
                <value>2010-03-27</value>
            </expirationDate>
            <underlyingSecurity>
                <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                    <value>Common Stock</value>
                </underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <underlyingSecurityShares>
                    <value>20000</value>
                </underlyingSecurityShares>
            </underlyingSecurity>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
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                    <footnoteId id="F3"/>
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            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
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        </derivativeTransaction>
        <derivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Stock Options</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <conversionOrExercisePrice>
                <value>2.4</value>
            </conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2007-08-30</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>D</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>7500</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>13.1</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <exerciseDate>
                <footnoteId id="F4"/>
            </exerciseDate>
            <expirationDate>
                <value>2011-07-25</value>
            </expirationDate>
            <underlyingSecurity>
                <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                    <value>Common Stock</value>
                </underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <underlyingSecurityShares>
                    <value>7500</value>
                </underlyingSecurityShares>
            </underlyingSecurity>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>0</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F4"/>
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            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
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        </derivativeTransaction>
        <derivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Stock Options</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <conversionOrExercisePrice>
                <value>12.45</value>
            </conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2007-08-30</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>D</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
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            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>5113</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>3.05</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <exerciseDate>
                <footnoteId id="F5"/>
            </exerciseDate>
            <expirationDate>
                <value>2009-02-23</value>
            </expirationDate>
            <underlyingSecurity>
                <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                    <value>Common Stock</value>
                </underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <underlyingSecurityShares>
                    <value>5113</value>
                </underlyingSecurityShares>
            </underlyingSecurity>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
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            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
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        </derivativeTransaction>
        <derivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Stock Options</value>
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            <conversionOrExercisePrice>
                <value>8.86</value>
            </conversionOrExercisePrice>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2007-08-30</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>D</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
            </transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>7382</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>6.64</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
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            </transactionAmounts>
            <exerciseDate>
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            <expirationDate>
                <value>2010-02-09</value>
            </expirationDate>
            <underlyingSecurity>
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                    <value>Common Stock</value>
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                <underlyingSecurityShares>
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            <securityTitle>
                <value>Stock Options</value>
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            <conversionOrExercisePrice>
                <value>8.1</value>
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                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
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            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
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            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>11717</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>7.4</value>
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                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
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            <securityTitle>
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            <conversionOrExercisePrice>
                <value>14.5</value>
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                <value>2007-08-30</value>
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            <transactionTimeliness>
                <value></value>
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            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>6976</value>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>1</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>D</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
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            <exerciseDate>
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            <expirationDate>
                <value>2012-03-08</value>
            </expirationDate>
            <underlyingSecurity>
                <underlyingSecurityTitle>
                    <value>Common Stock</value>
                </underlyingSecurityTitle>
                <underlyingSecurityShares>
                    <value>6976</value>
                </underlyingSecurityShares>
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                    <value>0</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F8"/>
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                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
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        </derivativeTransaction>
    </derivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Disposed in connection with the merger of the issuer with Freeze Operations, Inc. pursuant to that certain agreement and plan of merger dated June 17, 2007, by and among the issuer, Freeze Operations Holding Corp. and Freeze Operations, Inc. (the &quot;Merger&quot;), in exchange for the right to receive a cash payment equal to $15.50 per share.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">In connection with the Merger, the 2007 Threshold EBITDA under the 2003 Incentive Plan (2007 Long-Term Incentive Plan) was deemed to have been achieved and the reporting person became entitled to receive 5,901 shares, which shares were canceled in the Merger in exchange for the right to receive a cash payment equal to $15.50 per share.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F3">These options became fully vested on December 20, 2004, and were canceled in connection with the Merger in exchange for a cash payment of $232,500.00, representing the difference between the exercise price of the options and $15.50 per share.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F4">These options became fully vested on December 20, 2004, and were canceled in connection with the Merger in exchange for a cash payment of $98,250.00, representing the difference between the exercise price of the options and $15.50 per share.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F5">These options became fully vested on December 20, 2004, and were canceled in connection with the Merger in exchange for a cash payment of $15,594.65, representing the difference between the exercise price of the options and $15.50 per share.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F6">These options, which provided for vesting in three equal annual installments commencing on February 9, 2006, were accelerated and became fully vested, and were canceled in connection with the Merger in exchange for a cash payment of $49,016.48, representing the difference between the exercise price of the options and $15.50 per share.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F7">These options, which provided for vesting in three equal annual installments commencing on March 21, 2007, were accelerated and became fully vested, and were canceled in connection with the Merger in exchange for a cash payment of $86,705.80, representing the difference between the exercise price of the options and $15.50 per share.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F8">These options, which provided for vesting in three equal annual installments commencing on March 8, 2008, were accelerated and became fully vested, and were canceled in connection with the Merger in exchange for a cash payment of $6,976.00, representing the difference between the exercise price of the options and $15.50 per share.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ Garrett J. Ulrich</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2007-09-13</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
</XML>
</TEXT>
</DOCUMENT>
</SEC-DOCUMENT>
-----END PRIVACY-ENHANCED MESSAGE-----