The Life of Riley

OUR ORIGINAL ENCOUNTER with THE LIFE OF RILEY was as an early to mid 1950's television series, and a very popular one at that. This was, in fact, our first experience with the on screen acting career of William Bendix. Naturally, the first is usually the most vivid and it wasn't until some time later that we realized that he had such an extensive resume in dramatic roles.

BEING BORN INTO that post World War II "Boomer" Generation, we knew nothing of RILEY having been a popular comedy on the radio. And to round out the spectrum, we've now seen this 1949 Universal feature film.

THE MOVIE WAS drawn from the radio show as the video, small screen version hadn't become a reality until that year and featured Jackie Gleason in the title role (that season only); due to contractual obligations of Mr.Bendix.

AS IS THE case with many adaptations from one medium to the screen, the very nature of single film creates a need for a major crisis or relatively earth-shaking event. This provides a beginning, middle and an end for the story. With a series, the operating word is episodic as the story of one week will be followed by another and another story which is unrelated to hat which went before; save for the continuity which is provided by the regular characters.

IN SUMMARY, WE much preferred Tom D'Andrea's interpretation of Gillis on television to that of James Gleason in the motion picture feature.

(THERE SCHULTZ, THAT should nail it for our reading public!)

William Bendix recreates the eponymous Chester A. Riley role that was featured in the successful radio show. Riley is hapless, clueless, full of pretense, always falling short of his own short-lived dreams.

In the film, the primary story revolves around the engagement of his daughter. A mistaken assumption is paired with a dishonest revelation to create what is actually a tragic circumstance, but we know this is a comedy, so the final reel unravels the falsehoods and reveals the happy truths.

Riley is a character you laugh at, but personally I feel rather sad for him. Perhaps he is a little too desperate and his life is so out of his control. Still, the story is meant to be light-hearted--a good-natured ribbing of a fool who always trips over his own intentions.

All production aspects of the film are average and the acting roles offer few opportunities to shine.

Too often Bendix was cast as a mental case who enjoyed smashing skulls, or his roles would take his gentle giant exterior to the extreme and he would be cast as an overgrown child as in "The Babe Ruth Story". This is the way I like to remember William Bendix - playing a family man doing the best he can in a world that tends to be a bit too much for him, with children that tend to be a bit too much for him too.

The plot here has to do with aircraft worker Riley's daughter preparing for her marriage to the son of Riley's boss. Neither loves the other. However, the son owes some gambling debts to some fellows that either want to start breaking big bills or the young man's legs. If the young man gets married he gets part of his inheritance and can pay off his debts. What's in it for Riley's daughter? The industrialist's son has told the girl that Riley is about to lose his job, but that his job would be safe if she married the boss' son. The girl therefore agrees to a marriage in name only to save dad's job.

I will tell you only this about how the plot works out. None of Riley's family has any idea that there is anything the least bit amiss in this situation until Riley sees the train tickets for the soon-to-be-married couple and discovers that his daughter and son-in-law will be honeymooning in separate compartments on the train. Riley's reaction - "Wow, when her mom and I got married all we could afford was one berth!" - and then it hits him that this lack of togetherness on one's wedding night is a sign of something more than an excess of cash on hand.

This film is a great slice of life of the new post-war American middle class of the 40's and 50's. Catch it if you can.

After several years on radio where instead of being a fine character player William Bendix was a star, the Life Of Riley made it to the big screen. The film is a far cry from Chester A. Riley's catch phrase of 'what a revoltin' development this is'. The characters that America loved on radio came to life on the big screen.

Bendix was so popular as the working class Riley who if at times was a bit thick dearly loved his family and they him and he strove always to get ahead. Like with so many it was shoveling against the tide, but working class America loved Chester A. Riley from Brooklyn and his transplanted family in southern California.

Where Riley worked on the assembly line at an aircraft factory where Mark Daniels the boss's son is giving competition to boy next door Richard Long for the hand of Babs Riley played by Meg Randall. Daniels has his own reason for wanting to get married and it ain't necessarily love.

Bendix is having some problems of his own. Visiting from out of town is Bill Goodwin the glad handing, fast talking guy Rosemary DeCamp almost married. Bendix feels so intimidated that he feels he has to put on a big front for Goodwin to show how successful he is. When he takes them to dinner at a French restaurant note how snooty the waiter is and also note those 1949 prices. Enough to make you cry.

The film is an extended version of the half hour radio, later television drama. That's no criticism I still wish ME TV or the TV Land channel would run those Life Of Riley comedies which I remember so well as a lad.

Chester A. Riley, working class hero, we salute you.

"The Life of Riley" was originally a radio show starring William Bendix in the title role. It was so successful that Universal Studios decided to make a big-screen film once again starring Bendix as Chester Riley. But the Dumont Network ALSO wanted to make a weekly TV series...and because Bendix was already starring in the movie, they re-cast the role and now Jackie Gleason was Chester Riley! If this isn't confusing enough, the TV series wasn't originally well received...and eventually it was rebooted with Bendix once again in the lead!

In many ways, Chester Riley from this film reminded me of Ralph Kramden (played by Jackie Gleason on "The Honeymooners" and "The Jackie Gleason Show"). In fact, one of the plots to "The Honeymooners" is very similar to the one in this film. A guy the Riley's knew back when they used to live in Brooklyn contacts them. Chester hates the guy BUT he still invites him over for dinner--hoping to show this guy that Chester is living a better life. Of course, Monahan is rich and very successful and Riley spends much of their evening trying to look like a big man. And, after the evening concludes, Chester swears to his wife that he, too, will be a success and give her everything she wants. Just HOW is he going to do this? And, how is the boss' rotten son going to be part of this?

This is a thoroughly enjoyable film...and makes me want to see the TV series. Well written, well acted...and, most importantly, fun.