1. Riley gets frantic over having his tonsils taken out (autoplay)
2. Riley Consorts With A Mobster For Daughter, Babs (right click to play)
click second creen arrow to begin play, audio bar to adjust sound
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).
(Continued with bios)
Average Viewer Rating: **********
WATCH WILLIAM BENDIX AS A GAS STATION ATTENDANT
About William Bendix
William Bendix was born and raised 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 best known for starring 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.
3. Riley's Signature "Revoltin' Development" (right click lower screen to play)
RATE THE OLDIES TELEVISION PRESENTATIONS OF
THE LIFE OF RILEY starring WILLIAM BENDIX
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Viewer Comments:
8.21.10 Dan, Merriam, KS Real comedy. Too bad TV has gone down the toilet, today
8.20.10 Jeanne, Wallingford, PA Among the best of the best , wish we can bring them all back
8.20.10 Lou at oldiestelevision.com responds We have! Check 100 classic TV revivals
on our main menu at oldiestelevision.com
8.15.10 SimonSz0, Lake Montgomery, MO Good family entertainent
8.15.10 Kitti, HSV, AZ Made me feel like I was 10 again. Great!
8,15.10 Buffalo1005, Martinsburg, WV A trip in the wayback machine
7.25.10 Marymu5, Buffalo, NY sure beats today's entertainment
6.25.10 manlovingminxm CT Timeless entertainment. Pure classic.
6.21.10 GT, CA William Bendix was a great actor. Played different type of roles - comedy ones like Life of Riley, Conn. Yankee in King Arthurs Court; or seriuos ones with Alan Ladd and Veronica Lake; and touching ones like Babe Ruth, Guadacanal Diary.
6.09.10 pmap0015, PA loved it then and still do now
6.05.10 dipmaster9, PA incredible memories of better days
6.01.10 Angel, IL wonderful memories
5.29.10 MikeyBow, FL that was great
5.29.10 PinkPoodle, TX I love the old black & white's, they bring back such good memories.
5.27.10 LAJohn, LA Wonderful memories looking at this
5.22.10 jkpaperboy, FL everything was so much simpler then
5.18.10 airplanepaul, MA It brings me back to the good old days
5.17.10 hermitzzz It was great to see one of my favorites again
5.06.10 comart145 I loved that show as a kid. I never missed it. I wish it was on the air now as reruns.
5.01.10 paull42 William Bendix also played Babe Ruth in the early days
Didn't Edward G Robinson play Babe Ruth in the first Babe Ruth movie?
5.01.10 sandyjv You forgot to mention he was in "The Hairy Ape."
5.01.10 Lou @ oldiestelevision.com responds And all this time I thought
that was my 4th grade teacher!
Moviefanaticfuerher very well done comedy of this wonderful era
Otare Delightful show. No sex, no obscenities
Crakula Brings back many memories of my youth - loved this show and others like it. Today's sitcoms pale compared to the oldies. I don't even waste my time watching them. Wish there were more oldies on TV.
Koolday7 Riley and Gillis, the best. This was more like my family than the Cleavers or Andersons.
Annmay101440 sadly missing in today's world
Rosaleen As a teenager with 10 brothers and sisters we all watched this show. My mother loved this show so much that my neice was nicknamed Honeybee and that same stuck all her life until she died. Her real name was Phyllis but who knew!!
anonymous3 I loved Riley(Bendix) and I can still hear my dad laughing at him
happyface_7_98 t brought back wonderful childhood memories. Wish they would show reruns again on TV.
Ellen precious memories....... This is 5 generations of good ole time tv and family times. Keep getting them on, please...
starstruck "what a revoltin development" rang through the house for years
dixon One great show. We need more like then
today. CLEAN.
moparmtn They should have these shows today,
perhaps under the heading "Comedy From The Past" on a rotating
basis. After all, these shows are a lot funnier than the ones today,
and cleaner.
Siloam_Cutie brought back my youth
anonymous2 Nice to know that oldies tv has some great moments saved for all of us. thanks, oldies
herman1966 it's been too long since since i viewed this tv show,one of my favorites as a child
Popeye I liked The Life Of Riley
Jimm It was a great time.
lell205 This was my very favorite show as a child. I remember it came on around 8:30 Friday nights and I was allowed to stay up late to watch it (because it wasn't a school night). We would go to my aunt's grocery store earlier in the day to get penny candy and I would sit in front of the tv eating penny candy and watching Life of Riley.
MikeFOh I used to watch this show when I was a kid. How the hell did I get this old now,
santaconn He also was in the Pilot Episode Of the Twilight Zone which I am Fortunate to have a cop[y of !!
Mr5050 When I heard my favorite TV show was going off the air, all I could
think was "What a revoltin' development this is." For years, I wanted to live at 1313 Blueview Terrace!
anonymous Sure do miss these type shows.
wndrwmn72 Loved this show!!
Tacksy I use to watch this show all the time. Glad to see it again
after all these years. Thanks, OldiesTV
bs113 I'm still laughing!
Seadoc64 Wish I could give it an 11 or 12. Nice to see real acting
without acting stupid, as clearly evident we see a suberb actor with plenty of self worth.
mrgee as a child this was one of my favorite tv shows
Shreves1407 I love this show. It is always one of my favorites.
We had good actors back then.
Lou at Oldies Television Replies I think Jeff Bridges just spit out his martini
when he read that last comment.
FOR HIS TV SPONSOR, GULF OIL
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