Last January I wrote a blog about Jackie Gleason called The Great One, a small part of which concerned his early one-year-stint as Chester A. Riley on the first TV incarnation of The Life of Riley.
At that time, the Internet Archive only had two episodes with Gleason, but in recent days some kind soul has uploaded 2 dozen episodes from 1949 and 1950.
The original Life of Riley, barely remembered today, was a summer replacement radio show on the CBS network, which had no real connection to the shows that would follow.
It starred Lionel Stander as J. Riley Farnsworth. Stander was a fixture in radio and early TV, but is probably best remembered as Max, the loyal chauffer/Butler on the TV show Hart to Hart in the 1980s.
The Life of Riley as most people remember it, began in 1944 on the radio, and starred William Bendix. It would air first on the ABC network, but move to NBC in 1945. Proctor and Gamble (Prell Shampoo) and Pabst Blue Ribbon beer were its sponsors.
When the fledgling Dumont network decided to air Riley as situation comedy, a problem developed. Bendix was prevented from accepting the role due to contractual conflicts with his movie studio.
Dumont needed a new Riley, and they went with the little known comedian Gleason.
The show wasn't a particularly good showcase for Gleason's talent, and worse, most of the country was still without television. The Dumont network, which operated on a shoestring budget, had very few broadcast outlets as well.
And Gleason at 33, was arguably a bit young for the part.
They grayed his temples, but Gloria Winters, who played his daughter `Bab's’, was only 15 years his junior while Rosemary DeCamp who played his wife Peg was six years older.
The show was a modest hit though, and was well received by critics. Gleason, however, felt he could do bigger things, and decided to move on.
Gleason's run would last only one year.
(Bendix would head the cast of a revived version of The Life of Riley - the one most of us remember - on NBC starting in 1953, and running for 5 years).
Starring with Gleason were Rosemary DeCamp, Gloria Winters, Lanny Rees, Sid Tomack as Gillis, and John Brown as morbid undertaker and friend Digby (Digger) O'Dell.
Rosemary DeCamp and Gloria Winters would go onto greater fame later in the 1950’s, with DeCamp co-starring in The Bob Cummings Show (see Cummings Attractions) and Winters as Penny in Sky King (see From Out Of The Clear Blue Of The Western Sky Comes . . .)
The `situations’ in these comedies were all typical of the 1950’s and 1960’s. Forgotten birthdays, misunderstandings, or get-rich-quick schemes doomed to failure. Strictly family fare, safe for Grandma to watch, and always with a heartwarming ending.
For nostalgic reasons alone, however, this glimpse at the early work of Gleason, DeCamp, and Winters should be worth the price of admission (free, after all).
S1E01-Life_Of_Riley-10_04_49-Tonsils
Jackie Gleason in The Life Of Riley Aired 10-04-49 ep01
S1E02-Life_Of_Riley-10_11_1949-Babs_and_Simon_Step_Out
Jackie Gleason in The Life Of Riley aired 10-11-49 Ep02
S1E03-Life_Of_Riley-10_18_1949_-_Egberts_Chemistry_Set.
Jackie Gleason in The Life Of Riley aired 10-18-49 Ep03
S1E04-Life_Of_Riley-10_25_1949_-_The_French_Professor
Jackie Gleason in The Life Of Riley aired 10-25-49 Ep04
S1E05-Life_Of_Riley-11_01_1949_-_Nervous_Breakdown
Jackie Gleason in The Life Of Riley aired 11-01-49
S1E06-Life_Of_Riley-11_08_1949_-_Assistant_Manager
Jackie Gleason in The Life Of Riley aired 11-08-49 Ep06
S1E07-Life_Of_Riley-11_15_1949_-_Rileys_Birthday_Gift
Jackie Gleason in The Life Of Riley aired 11-15-49
S1E08-Life_Of_Riley-11_22_1949_-_Riley_Gillis_and_Vanderhopper_Inc
Jackie Gleason in The Life Of Riley aired 11-22-49 Ep08S1E09-Life_Of_Riley-11_29_1949_-_Junior_Falls_For_Teacher
Jackie Gleason in The Life Of Riley aired 11-29-49 Ep09S1E10-Life_Of_Riley_-_12_06_1949_-_Night_School.
Jackie Gleason in The Life Of Riley aired 12-06-49 Ep 10S1E11-Life_Of_Riley-12_13_1949_-_Prom_Dress
Jackie Gleason in The Life Of Riley aired 12-13-49 Ep11
S1E12-Life_Of_Riley-12_20_1949_-_Juniors_Birthday_Party
Jackie Gleason in The Life Of Riley aired 12-20-49 Ep12S1E13-Life_Of_Riley-12_27_1949_-_The_Boarder.
Jackie Gleason in The Life Of Riley aided 12-27-49 Ep 13
S1E14-Life_Of_Riley-01_03_1950_-_Pegs_Birthday
Jackie Gleason in The Life Of Riley aired 01-03-50
S1E15-Life_Of_Riley-01_10_1950_-_Junior_Drops_Out.
Jackie Gleason in The Life Of Riley aired 01-10-50 Ep15
S1E16-Life_Of_Riley-01_17_1950_-_Rileys_Firstborn
Jackie Gleason in The Life Of Riley aired 01-17-50 Ep16
S1E17-Life_Of_Riley-01_24_1950_-_Insurance
Jackie Gleason in The Life Of Riley aired 01-24-50 Ep 17S1E18-Life_Of_Riley-01_31_1950_-_The_Gambler
Jackie Gleason in The Life Of Riley aired 01-31-50 Ep18
S1E19-Life_Of_Riley-02_07_1950_-_Acting_Lessons
Jackie Gleason in The Life Of Riley aired 02-07-50 Ep19
S1E20-Life_Of_Riley-02_14_1950_-_Valentines_Day
Jackie Gleason in The Life Of Riley aired 02-14-50
S1E21-Life_Of_Riley-02_21_1950_-_Home_Sweet_Home.
Jackie Gleason in The Life Of Riley aired 02-21-50 Ep21S1E22-Life_Of_Riley-02_28_1950_-_South_American_Job
Jackie Gleason in The Life Of Riley aired 02-28-50 Ep22S1E23-Life_Of_Riley-03_07_1950_-_Rileys_Quarrel.
Jackie Gleason in The Life Of Riley aired 03-07-50 Ep23
S1E24-Life_Of_Riley-03_14_1950_-_Junior_and_The_Bully.
Jackie Gleason in The Life Of Riley aired 03-14-50 Ep24S1E25-Life_Of_Riley-03_21_1950_-_The_Banned_Book
Jackie Gleason in The Life Of Riley aired 03-21-50 Ep25
S1E26-Life_Of_Riley-03_28_1950_-_Five_Dollar_Bill.
Jackie Gleason in The Life Of Riley aired 03-28-50 Ep26
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