Nostalgia USA April 2016 Nostalgia USA April Issue 2016 | Page 13

THE LIFE OF RILEY
T he show was adapted for television on N BC by the producer of the radio
series, Irving Brecher. It was seen for single season telecast from O ctober 4,
1949 to M arch 28, 1950. O riginally, W illiam Bendix was to have appeared
on both radio and television, but Bendix's R KO R adio Pictures movie
contract prevented him from appearing on the television version. Instead,
Jackie Gleason starred, along with Rosemary DeCamp, replacing Paula
W inslowe, as wife Peg, Gloria W inters as daughter Barbara (Babs), Lanny
Rees as son Chester Jr. (Junior), and Sid Tomack as Jim Gillis, R iley's
manipulative best buddy and next-door neighbor. John Brown returned as
the morbid counseling undertaker Digby (Digger) O 'Dell ("Cheerio, I'd
better be... shoveling off"; "Business is a little dead tonight"). Television's first
Life of R iley won television's first Emmy (for "Best Film M ade For and
Shown on Television"). H owever, it came to an end after 26 episodes, not
because of low ratings or a desire by Gleason to leave the series, but because
Irving Brecher and sponsor Pabst Brewing Company reached an impasse on
extending the series for a full 39-week season. Groucho M arx received a
credit for "story."

T he radio program starring W illiam Bendix as R iley initially aired on the
Blue N etwork, later known as ABC, from January 16, 1944 to June 8,
1945. T hen it moved to N BC, where it was broadcast from September 8,
1945 to June 29, 1951T he supporting cast featured Paula W inslowe as Peg,
R iley's wife, and as R iley's mother-in law; John Brown as undertaker
"Digger" O 'Dell and as R iley's co-worker Jim Gillis; Francis "Dink" Trout as
Waldo Binny; Tommy Cook, Bobby Ellis and Scotty Beckett each played
the role of Junior during the show's run; Sharon Douglas played Babs,
R iley's daughter; and in one episode H enry M organ voiced R iley's father.
Alan Reed was a regular on the show as multiple characters, including
R iley's boss M r. Stevenson and Peg's father; Shirley M itchell played
H oneybee Gillis; and H ans Conried was U ncle Baxter.
Life O f R iley S1E21 H ome Sweet H ome1950 Jackie Gleason Peg puts increasing
pressure on R iley to consider a move to a new house. She has become increasingly
frustrated over the general disrepair and constant breakages going on.
Life O f R iley S1E19 R iley Steps O ut 1953 W illiam BendixR iley picks up two

R iley's Bir thday 4/2/44