The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-01-10
WAVELETS
By ED LEAMY

Announcement of the forthcom-
ing premiere of william BendiX
comedy drama series, of that name
THE Life of Riley" starts Sunday
January 16, at 3 p. m. EWr, on
the Blue - has set the research
ers thinking, with the result that
they have been prying into the IL
braries in an effort to find the orr
gin Of the phrase which hSa oeen
selected as the shows title.
Some authorities credit it to the
life described by the poet James
Whitcomb Riley in his verses about
barefoot boys and drowsy summer
days. While that deduction seems
logical enough, there are those who
look scornfully down their noses
at the followers of the school OF
thought.
"Is that Mr.. Reilly?" song copy
righted in 1883 by Frank Harding
and popularized in the SOS by Pat
Rooney, Is another candidate fol
the honor of having inspired the
phrase. Whether or not the song s
Reilly had anything to do with the
term, he undoubtedly planned to
live The Life of Riley Cor Reilly D
Among his plans were a free Ire
land, farelesS rides an the elevated
railroads, maps in the Presidents
chair, swimming pools filled with
wine and salaries Of 500 day.
The Navy enters the discussion
| too, for The Life of Riley" Is
standard Navy Technology for
either an exceptionally successful
shore leave or for an easy ship
where reveille Is little later than
usual, where liberty Is not as hard
to get, and where the chow is ex-
ceptionally good.
Backers Of this theory trace the
phrase from the Navy back to
Broadway. or more directly. to an
actor named Reilly who was in the
habit of painting the town" when
he could afford 1t. Actors who
were living comfortably honored
this Reilly, so the story goes, by
making him the paragon of hign
living. telling friends that they
were living the life OF Reilly.
It's questionable which came first
the term or the epitaph. but some
body or other has recorded the
classic tombstone inscription: BE
meath this sod an iceman sleeps
They brought him here today. HI
lived the life of Riley while Riley
was away"
The discussion Is still wide oper
and the research is still on. Mean
while, whatever the origin of the
phrase. william Bendix. the out
standing new motion picture find
OF 1913, starts living The Life o.
Riley" on Sunday, January is or
your Blue network station.
One of the fascinating stories in
the passing parade-''The Strength
Of a Dime"-will be unfolded by
John Nesbitt, OF Passing Parade
fame, over NBC on Friday, jan
uary IA, l0:45-ll:00 p. m. (e.w.t).
The program, which will originate
in Hollywood. will be broadcast in
behalf of the 1914 March of Dimes
appeal of The National Foundation
for Infantile Paralysis.
Mr.. Nesbitt will relate the tale
of a humble dime and reveal how
it joined with other dimes in the
passing parade of time until 1t be-
came an integral member Of the
greatest parade Of all the March
Of Dimes.
w. Earl Hall, managing editor OF
the Globe Gazette, Mason City
Iowa, will be honored as the Safe
ty Ace" Of the week during the
"Out Of The Shadows" broadcast
over the Blue Network tonight, at
1918 p. m. EWT.
Halls selection viii also bring
him a $4,000 War 30: d. The edi-
tors interest in accident prey(l-
ton is so intense that he has not
permitted single issue of his news
paper to go to pres in more than
twelve years without at least one
safety article in 1t.
Moreover, Hall was lie founder
of the Iowa State Safety Co '.lcil in
1884 and served as It's presiden for
five years. giving fully of his time
and -. 5y without compensation
In 1896 he won the .ational G. I. T.
award for having written the out
standing safety editorial OF the year
and, In 194l, won a second such
award In this nationwide COMPETE
ton. AS director Of community
service Of the American Legion,
Hall did much to make the high
ways Of Iowa safer.
First thing Ed Gardner did after
returning from Hollywood and stag
ing his "Duffy's" broadcast was to
sit down and write the jokes to be
switched, or given new plots, on the
Awake at the Switch" program
over the Blue Network on Tuesday
Jan. II, at 7 p. m, EWT.
Lew Lehr, Switchmaster Of Cere-
monies, will read "Archie's'' choice
laugh provokers TO the gagwritine
Board Of Ewitchmen- Sid Fields
Dora Vaughan. Dan shapiro and
Pat Q. Flick.
twentieth Century Mozartr' mi
'admlEine colleagues have affectIQn'