The Life of Riley - wikipedia The Life of Riley For other uses, see The Life of Riley ( disambiguation ). This section includes a list of references, related reading or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. Please help to improve this section by introducing more precise citations. ( November 2012 ) Riley and son Junior. The Life of Riley, with William Bendix in the title role, was a popular American radio situation comedy series of the 1940s that was adapted into a 1949 feature film, a long - running 1950s television series ( originally with Jackie Gleason as Riley for one truncated season, then with Bendix for six seasons ), and a 1958 comic book. Irving Brecher created the radio series for friend Groucho Marx. Originally titled The Flotsam Family, the sponsor balked at what would have been essentially a straight head - of - household role for Groucho ( Marx went on to host Blue Ribbon Town from 1943 to 1944 and then You Bet Your Life from 1947 to 1961 ). Creator and producer Brecher saw William Bendix as taxicab company owner Tim McGuerin in Hal Roach 's The McGuerins from Brooklyn ( 1942 ). Brecher stated, `` He was a Brooklyn guy and there was something about him. I thought, This guy could play it. He 'd made a few films, like Lifeboat, but he was not a name. So I took The Flotsam Family script, revised it, made it a Brooklyn Family, took out the flippancies and made it more meat - and - potatoes, and thought of a new title, The Life of Riley. Bendix 's delivery and the spin he put on his lines made it work. '' The reworked script cast Bendix as blundering Chester A. Riley, a wing riveter at the fictional Cunningham Aircraft plant in California. His frequent exclamation of indignation -- `` What a revoltin ' development this is ! '' -- became one of the most famous catchphrases of the 1940s. It was later reused by Benjamin J. Grimm of the Fantastic Four. The radio series also benefited from the immense popularity of a supporting character, Digby `` Digger '' O'Dell ( John Brown ), `` the friendly undertaker. '' Brecher told Brown, `` I want a very sepulchral voice, quavering, morbid, and he got it right away. '' Contents 1 Source of the title 2 Radio 3 Film 4 Television 4.1 Jackie Gleason 4.2 William Bendix 5 Legacy 6 References 7 External links Source of the title Theories exist as to the origin, for example from James Whitcomb Riley 's poems in the 1880s depicting the comforts of a prosperous home life, but it could have an Irish origin : After the Reilly clan consolidated its hold on County Cavan, they minted their own money, which was accepted as legal tender even in England. These coins, called `` O'Reillys '' and `` Reillys, '' became synonymous with a monied person, and a gentleman freely spending was therefore `` living on his Reillys. '' Radio The Life of Riley ( radio ) William Bendix as Chester A. Riley Genre Situation comedy Running time 30 minutes Country of origin United States Language ( s ) English Syndicates ABC NBC TV adaptations The Life of Riley Starring William Bendix John Brown Grace Coppin Paula Winslowe Announcer Ken Niles Ken Carpenter Jimmy Wallington Created by Irving Brecher Written by Alan Lipscott Reuben Ship Produced by Irving Brecher Original release January 16, 1944 ( 1944 - 01 - 16 ) -- June 29, 1951 ( 1951 - 06 - 29 ) Sponsored by Prell Shampoo Teel Pabst Blue Ribbon Dreft American Meat Institute An unrelated radio show with the name Life of Riley was a summer replacement show heard on CBS from April 12, 1941, to September 6, 1941. The CBS program starred Lionel Stander as J. Riley Farnsworth and had no real connection with the more famous series that followed a few years later. The radio program starring William Bendix as Riley initially aired on the Blue Network, later known as ABC, from January 16, 1944, to June 8, 1945. Then it moved to NBC, where it was broadcast from September 8, 1945, to June 29, 1951. The supporting cast featured Paula Winslowe as Peg ( Riley 's wife ) and as Riley 's mother - in law ; John Brown as undertaker `` Digger '' O'Dell and as Riley 's co-worker Jim Gillis ; Francis `` Dink '' Trout as Waldo Binny ; Tommy Cook, Bobby Ellis and Scotty Beckett, each playing Junior during the show 's run ; Sharon Douglas playing Babs, Riley 's daughter ; and, in one episode, Henry Morgan voicing Riley 's father. Alan Reed was a regular on the show as multiple characters, including Riley 's boss ( Mr. Stevenson ) and Peg 's father ; Shirley Mitchell played Honeybee Gillis ; and Hans Conried was Uncle Baxter. Whereas Gillis gave Riley bad information that got him into trouble, Digger gave him good information that `` helped him out of a hole, '' as he might have put it. Brown 's lines as the undertaker were often repetitive, including puns based on his profession ; but thanks to Brown 's delivery, the audience loved him. The program was broadcast live with a studio audience, most of whom were not aware Brown played both characters. As a result, when Digger delivered his first line, it was usually greeted with howls of laughter and applause from surprised audience members. The series was co-developed by the nonperforming Marx Brother turned agent Gummo. The American Meat Institute ( 1944 -- 45 ), Procter & Gamble ( Teel dentifrice and Prell shampoo ) ( 1945 -- 49 ), and Pabst Blue Ribbon beer ( 1949 -- 51 ) took turns as the radio program 's sponsor. Film Main article : The Life of Riley ( 1949 film ) William Bendix starred in the 1949 film version of The Life of Riley directed by Irving Brecher. It earned $1.6 million in the US and Canada. This prevented him from starring in the TV series that began in 1949. He took over the starring role in the TV series ' second run, which started in 1953. Bendix and Rosemary DeCamp ( who starred as Riley 's wife in Gleason 's version of the TV series ) repeated the roles when an hour - long radio adaptation of the feature film was presented on Lux Radio Theater in May 1950. Television The Life of Riley ( television ) John Brown as Digger with Jackie Gleason as Riley. Genre Situation comedy Starring Jackie Gleason ( 1949 - 1950 ) William Bendix ( 1953 - 1958 ) Country of origin United States Original language ( s ) English No. of seasons 6 Production Running time 30 minutes Release Original network NBC Original release October 4, 1949 -- August 22, 1958 In 1948, NBC broadcast `` two live television test programs based on the radio series. '' The April 13 episode starred Herb Vigran as Riley, and the April 20 episode had Buddy Gray in the title role. Jackie Gleason The show was adapted for television on NBC by the producer of the radio series, Irving Brecher. It was seen for single - season telecast from October 4, 1949, to March 28, 1950. Originally, William Bendix was to have appeared on both radio and television, but Bendix 's RKO Radio Pictures movie contract prevented him from appearing on the television version. Instead, Jackie Gleason starred, along with Rosemary DeCamp, replacing Paula Winslowe, as wife Peg, Gloria Winters as daughter Barbara ( Babs ), Lanny Rees as son Chester Jr. ( Junior ), and Sid Tomack as Jim Gillis, Riley '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 Riley won television 's first Emmy ( for `` Best Film Made For and Shown on Television '' ). However, 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 Marx received a credit for `` story. '' Episode List : Episode 1 : Tonsils Episode 2 : Babs and Simon Step Out Episode 3 : Egbert 's Chemistry Set Episode 4 : The French Professor Episode 5 : The Nervous Breakdown Episode 6 : Assistant Manager with Mary Treen Episode 7 : Riley 's Birthday Gift Episode 8 : Riley, Gills, and Vanderhopper, Inc. Episode 9 : Junior Falls for Teacher Episode 10 : Night School Episode 11 : Prom Dress Episode 12 : Junior 's Birthday Present Episode 13 : The Border Episode 14 : Peg 's Birthday Episode 15 : Junior Drops Out Episode 16 : Riley 's Firstborn Episode 17 : Insurance Episode 18 : The Gambler Episode 19 : Acting Lessons Episode 20 : Valentine 's Day Episode 21 : Home Sweet Home Episode 22 : South American Job Episode 23 : Riley 's Quarrel Episode 24 : Junior and the Bully Episode 25 : The Banned Book Episode 26 : Five Dollar Bill William Bendix This section possibly contains original research. Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding inline citations. Statements consisting only of original research should be removed. ( August 2013 ) The Riley family. From left : Lugene Sanders ( Babs ), William Bendix ( Chester A. Riley ), Marjorie Reynolds ( Peg ), and Wesley Morgan ( Junior ). The second TV series ran for six seasons, from January 2, 1953, to May 23, 1958. It was produced by Tom McKnight for NBC and featured William Bendix. He was supported by Marjorie Reynolds, replacing both Paula Winslowe and Rosemary DeCamp, as wife Peg ; Tom D'Andrea as schemer buddy Jim Gillis ; Gloria Blondell ( sister of Joan Blondell ) as Gillis ' wife, Honeybee ; Lugene Sanders as daughter Babs ; and Wesley Morgan as son Junior. This Life of Riley series with Bendix was a ratings hit, ranking at # 16 in its first season, with four of its six seasons in the top 30, and ran for a total of 217 episodes. It then went into syndicated reruns. In all of the show 's incarnations, the comedic plotlines centered around Riley himself, a gullible and occasionally clumsy ( but big - hearted ) man, and the doings and undoings of his family. Riley 's penchant for turning mere trouble into near - disaster through his well - intentioned bumbling was often aided or instigated by his arch best friend / next - door neighbor, Gillis. Legacy In several ways, Riley was a prototype for later blue - collar sitcom protagonists such as blustery, get - rich - quick schemer Ralph Kramden ( played, perhaps not coincidentally, by Jackie Gleason ) and his animated stone - age counterpart Fred Flintstone ; blustery bigot Archie Bunker ; benign, bighearted Dan Conner ; and King of Queens Doug Heffernan. Perhaps the greatest tribute to The Life of Riley was paid by Married... with Children : Ed O'Neill 's language and manner of speaking as Al Bundy are remarkably similar to Bendix 's, and Al 's wife, like Riley 's, is named Peg. Bendix 's Riley, especially, was perhaps too guileless to be the true prototype for this group, but for making blue - collar characters as operable on television as on radio or in film, Chester Riley earned his place in broadcasting history. The latter portion of the fifth season, broadcast between April and June 1957, was filmed and originally broadcast in color, although only black - and - white film prints of those episodes were syndicated. For the final season, filming reverted to black - and - white. Sponsors of the TV show included Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer ( 1949 -- 50 ), Gulf Oil ( 1953 -- 58 ) and Lever Brothers ( 1957 -- 58 ). Chester and Peg Riley Riley and Gillis. William Bendix and Sterling Holloway, 1957. A comic book adaptation of the show was produced by Dell Comics in 1958 as part of their Four Color series of one - shots. References Jump up ^ Nachman, Gerald ( 1998 ). Raised on Radio, p. 246. Pantheon Books, New York. ISBN 037540287X. Jump up ^ Nachman, Gerald ( 1998 ). Raised on Radio, p. 247. Pantheon Books, New York. ISBN 037540287X. Jump up ^ James Whitcomb Riley : The Life of Riley Jump up ^ Dunning, John. ( 1998 ). On the Air : The Encyclopedia of Old - Time Radio. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978 - 0 - 19 - 507678 - 3. Pp. 396 - 397. Jump up ^ Sies, Luther F. ( 2014 ). Encyclopedia of American Radio, 1920 - 1960, 2nd Edition, Volume 1. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978 - 0 - 7864 - 5149 - 4. P. 397. Jump up ^ `` Top Grossers of 1949 ''. Variety. 4 January 1950. p. 59. ^ Jump up to : Brooks, Tim & Marsh, Earle ( 1979 ). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network TV Shows : 1946 - Present. Ballantine Books. ISBN 0 - 345 - 25525 - 9. P. 351. ^ Jump up to : Terrace, Vincent ( 1999 ). Radio Programs, 1924 - 1984 : A Catalog of More Than 1800 Shows. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978 - 0 - 7864 - 4513 - 4. P. 199. Jump up ^ Terrace, Vincent ( 2011 ). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978 - 0 - 7864 - 6477 - 7. P. 602. Jump up ^ Brooks, Marla. The American Family on Television : A Chronology of 121 Shows, 1948 -- 2004. Jefferson NC : McFarland. pp. 16 -- 117. ISBN 978 - 0786420742. External links Look up life of Riley in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. Wikimedia Commons has media related to The Life of Riley. Museum of Broadcast Communications : The Life of Riley OTR webcast schedule The Life of Riley ( 1949 TV series ) at IMDB The Life of Riley ( 1953 TV series ) at IMDB The Life of Riley ( 1949 feature film ) at IMDB Zoot Radio, free old time radio show downloads of Life of Riley Life of Riley on Outlaws Old Time Radio Corner Several radio and television episodes of The Life of Riley are available for free download at the Internet Archive Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Life_of_Riley&oldid=800242745 '' Categories : 1940s American radio programs 1940s American television series 1949 American television series debuts 1950s American radio programs 1950s American television series 1958 American television series endings American comedy radio programs American television sitcoms Black - and - white television programs NBC radio programs Radio programs adapted into television programs Television series based on radio programs NBC Blue Network radio programs ABC radio programs NBC network shows Hidden categories : Articles lacking in - text citations from November 2012 All articles lacking in - text citations All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from January 2016 Articles that may contain original research from August 2013 All articles that may contain original research Talk Contents About Wikipedia Add links This page was last edited on 12 September 2017, at 08 : 53. 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Question: where does the expression living the life of riley come from
Answer: comforts of a prosperous home life