The Life of Riley (1949) User Reviews (10)

A signature role for William Bendix

[AlsExGal · 8/10 · 8 January 2011]

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.

"What A Revoltin' Development This Is"

[bkoganbing · 8/10 · 24 November 2016]

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.

Amusing Artifact

[dougdoepke · 25 November 2016]

Amusing movie entry following up on the TLOR radio series. All the characters are present including daughter Babs, son Junior, wife Peg, buddy Gillis, and of course the inimitable Riley. And what a guffaw to be reminded of Digger O'Dell, "the friendly undertaker". With his graveyard voice and dead serious demeanor, he's a real hoot.

The plot's okay. Blue-collar guy Riley doesn't like it when Babs appears to be dating the boss's son. After all, the loyal worker's been bucking for a promotion for years, but to no avail thanks to the boss. Then when the headman finds out about the dating arrangement, guess who gets a big promotion. But at what cost, as new foreman Riley soon finds out. Too bad that the gangster subplot disrupts the generally amusing flow.

One thing to note is how clearly the Riley series reflects conditions of the 30's and 40's when working men were king. That's in contrast to the upward decade of the 50's when family drama reflected white-collar life in the suburbs, e.g. Father Knows Best, (1954-60). That earlier arrangement is especially reflected in this film's windup. Anyway, Babs is cute, Junior is energetic, Peg's supportive, and Riley's his usual amusing and obstreperous self. What a perfect piece of casting Bendix was. His homely mug is so unlike the slicker dads of later times.

For geezers like myself, the 90-minutes amounts to a fond trip down memory lane. And given half-a-chance, younger folks might find it a worthwhile change from exploding cars and gutter language.

Good adaption of the radio series.

[AbeStreet · 7/10 · 17 January 2004]

By 1949 radio was beginning to give way to television. The golden age of radio was reaching an end. THE LIFE OF RILEY (TLoR)had been on the radio for most of the 1940's and had quite a fan base. In 1953 William Bendix would take his radio show character Riley to television. However in 1949 fans were treated to a movie version of the show.

In typical TLoR fashion Chester Riley (William Bendix)spent most of the show confused as to what was going on around him. Basic elements of the show were present. Riley still worked in an aircraft plant, Riley was busy trying to control Babs dating life and Peg, his wife, showed everyone who really wore the pants in the house. Riley was still the "everyman" struggling to make ends meet and get ahead.

Somethings I didn't care for were the actors who portrayed Riley's children Babs and Junior. They were a far cry from their radio counterparts. Junior was so underused his character was more of a cameo. Gillis, Riley's neighbor, co-worker and friend from Brooklyn, seemed old enough to be Riley's father instead of his contemporary. Allan Reed, the future voice of Fred Flintstone, was in practically every episode of the radio show and often played Riley's boss Mr. Stevenson. It would have been nice if he had been in the movie as the Boss.

Somethings I did care for. The Riley's house was pretty much the way I imagined it to be. John Brown carried on his role as Digger O'Dell the friendly undertaker. The plot stuck close to the radio program.

Lastly, I think it is hard for a radio show to transition to film. The beauty of radio is that every persons imagination will portray what is heard on the radio in their own way. No film or television show can please everyone. Considering what TLoR was up against the end result was not too bad. It's a good view. Any fan of the radio program would enjoy it.

Surprisingly good film, but a mostly different cast from the television series

[vincentlynch-moonoi · 7/10 · 25 November 2016]

I wasn't expecting much from this film, but was pleasantly surprised. It's a very good movie version of a television series I remember well from the childhood. The only problem here is that the television cast is missing, except for William Bendix. However, what's good about the film is that it's more sentimental about life and love than the television series, and Bendix shows the frustrations and joys of a man who just gets by making it, but takes great pride in his family. In fact, there's a lot here about the 1950s that is memorable.

William Bendix was almost always a supporting actor in the movies, sometimes as a heavy, other times as a sort of gentle giant. And he was good in supporting roles, but it's nice here to see him in the lead role, and he handles it nicely. At times brash and unthinking, at other times sentimental and gentle. He shows nuance.

Rosemary DeCamp plays his wife here (in the t.v. show it was Marjorie Reynolds). DeCamp does well; she was always a decent actress that I never felt got the attention she deserved.

Here, James Gleason plays Riley's friend Gillis, and while I've always liked Gleason, I miss the Gillis of the television show -- Tom D'Andra.

Notably, Beulah Bondi is here playing the mother of the love interest for "Babs" (Riley's daughter). Certainly not her most notable role, but always a class act.

Richard Long plays that love interest, and does so quite nicely.

Oddly enough, the young actors playing Riley's son and daughter are not particularly impressive...not bad...just not impressive.

Again, don't dismiss this film too quickly. It's surprisingly good.

The Life of Riley on the big screen

[dmdavidsonhome · 10/10 · 26 January 2011]

I have long been a fan of old-time radio but only discovered the wonderful world of The Life of Riley a few months ago. Ever since, I have made every effort to collect every known available episode of the radio program and of the two different t.v. shows (1949 with Jackie Gleason as Riley and the 1953-58 series with William Bendix). And my collection now includes the 1949 big screen feature film version. I am a huge fan of Jackie Gleason, but William Bendix was the definitive Chester A. Riley. He is in the film version, along with Rosemary DeCamp from the 1949 t.v. show as Peg. Lanny Rees is also Junior Riley as he was in the 1949 t.v. series. Unfortunately, they decided to have Barbara "Babs" Riley all grown-up and chose to replace Gloria Winters from the 1949 show with the older Meg Randall. James Gleason, as another reviewer said, was too old to play Riley's neighbour Jim Gillis. It is wonderful to see the great John Brown reprise his radio and 1949 t.v. show character of Digby "Digger" O'Dell. The film is a very good adaptation and well captures the flavour of the post World War II era. It is a lot of fun for Riley fans and for those soon to be.

Radio Show Starts on First Film

[DKosty123 · 7/10 · 27 November 2016]

I am thankful this holiday season that TCM dug this rarely seen film out of the vaults and aired it. I had seen some of the iconic 1950's series, but had never seen this theater "B" feature film. I have to admit it is okay.

William Bendix is already in form as the down on his luck family man who is always stressing, trying to succeed in life but never quite making it where he wants to be, comfortable. Rosemary DeCamp is great in the role as his wife, who no matter how bad things get she is always loving and forgiving of him. James Gleason is Riley's Co- Worker -Willis- in this film. This character role is not as developed or dominate in this film as it would be later on the TV series. Rileys daughter is an actress, Meg Randall, who only did limited work in films and is more known for being a Kettle than this series, though she is still alive at age 90 as of this writing. Why she left acting by 1961 is a mystery, but in this film she is being courted by Richard Long and Riley's Boss son.

That is the center of the plot, as she loves Long but needs to help dad by marrying the boss son so dad can get a promotion and not be destroyed. The family value this film has is that the family of 4 always rallies around dad, regardless, and the comedy is in the odd circumstances Riley gets involved in.

Chester A. Riley (Bendix), gets to do the trademark line here, and while this movie is on a bit of a forgotten track today, it is very correct when he utters it here, "What a revolting development this is." There is a charm to this that played well in the late 1940's and throughout the 1950's.

An Average Comedy About A Hapless Soul

[atlasmb · 6/10 · 24 November 2016]

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.

****

[edwagreen · 10/10 · 26 November 2016]

Wonderful movie version of the radio and eventual television series.

In the film, Bendix is much more perplexed as he is constantly bemoaning the fact regarding his inability to provide for his family and hence he has been a failure.

The film deals with Riley's attempt for success and the push he is given by the boss's son who wants to wed Babs so that he can get his grandfather's estate money.

The restaurant sequence with old Brooklyn friend and now successful Bill Goodwin is hilarious as Bendix literally counts to be able to pay for the $13.59 bill they have run up. What comes out about Goodwin at the end is hilarious.

Richard Long is along for the ride as the medical student, nephew of landlady Beulah Bondi who loves Babs. Ted DiCorsia is his usual villainous self as the guy trying to collect the money owed to him by the son of Riley's boss.

It's great fun and so much is true to life.

Thrice Told Tale

[redryan64 · 6/10 · 27 November 2016]

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!)