The longest running and most popular Life of Riley starred William Bendix as Chester A. Riley, but the show has an intriguing history. It started as a popular 1940's radio sitcom with, would you believe, Groucho Marx as Reilly (from the Irish James Reilly lore). In 1949 it was was adapted into a 1949 big screener. That same year, it was brought to the small (10" in those days) screen with none other than Jackie Gleason playing Riley, Rosemary De Camp was wife Peg. The ratings naught, Gleason not happy, CBS dropped the series. In 1953, Abby Berlin produced the more successful version with Bendix at the helm, Marjorie Reynolds was a sterner (and better playoff to hubbie) Peg, Lugene Sanders the cute but kinda sexy daughter, leggy Babs, Wesley Morgan as the "gee dad" younger brother and Tom D'andrea (for most years) as the scheming buddy, coworker, next door neighbor Gillis. With the Andersons and the Cleavers headed by white collar patriots, Riley, before Archie, was the blue collar dad. Most endeared: Bendix, as Riley, would mug into the camera with either It's a losin' fight or What a revoltin' development this is. Gulf Oil footed the bill so long as Chester would help out at a Gulf station in Summit, New Jersey (TV ad filming locale).

About William Bendix William Bendix, born January 14, 1906, was an American film actor. As a young boy, he was a batboy for the New York Yankees.

William Bendix was born and raused in New York City. He made his film debut in 1942, having worked as a grocer until the Great Depression. He played in supporting roles in dozens of Hollywood films, usually as a soldier, gangster or detective. He started with appearances in film noir films including a memorable performance in The Glass Key, which also featured Brian Donlevy and Veronica Lake. He soon gained more attention after appearing in Alfred Hitchcock's Lifeboat as Gus, a wounded and dying American sailor. Bendix's other well-known movie roles include his portrayal of legendary baseball-player Babe Ruth in The Babe Ruth Story and Sir Sagramore opposite Bing Crosby in A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1949), in which he took part in the famous trio, "Busy Doing Nothing".

At the time, however, Bendix was probably best known fstarring as Chester A. Riley in the comedy series "The Life of Riley," the series is considered by some to be the first actual situation comedy. Bendix's successful Riley aired 1953 to 1958. William Bendix is one of the most cherished actors in history of radio.

William Bendix died December 14. 1964 in Los Angeles of pneumonia at age 58 and was interred there in the San Fernando Mission Cemetery.

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