Life Of Riley - Rileys Firstborn starring Jackie Gleason ( Part 1 )Season1 Episode 16 Jan 17, 1950
Commentary provided by YT'er " fromthesidelines "
This episode (as all 26 were in the Gleason TV series) was adapted from a original radio script; this one was originally heard, with William Bendix, Paula Winslowe and John Brown, on March 4, 1945.
Incidentally, this episode originally aired WITHOUT a laugh track; Irving Brecher later admitted he couldn't afford to use one at the time {in fact, he was paying $2000 every week, out of his own pocket, to film the show because Pabst wouldn't give him an increase in production money}. When he finally reissued the series in 1977, he had a laugh track [and applause] added.
The Life of Riley, with William Bendix in the title role, is a popular American radio situation comedy series of the 1940s that was adapted into a 1949 feature film, a long-run 1950s television series (originally with Jackie Gleason as Reilly) and a 1958 Dell comic book.
The show began as a proposed Groucho Marx radio series, The Flotsam Family, but the sponsor balked at what would have been essentially a straight head-of-household role for the comedian. Then producer Irving Brecher saw Bendix as taxicab company owner Tim McGuerin in Hal Roach's The McGuerins from Brooklyn (1942). The Flotsam Family was reworked with Bendix cast as blundering Chester A. Riley, a wing riveter at the fictional Cunningham Aircraft plant in California. His frequent exclamation of indignation became one of the most famous catch phrases of the 1940s: "What a revoltin' development this is!" The radio series benefited from the immense popularity of a supporting character, Digby "Digger" O'Dell (John Brown), "the friendly undertaker."
...and "I LOVE LUCY", in its earlier seasons, sometimes used (and rewrote) scripts originally heard on Lucille Ball's radio show, "MY FAVORITE HUSBAND" {same writers}. And '"THE ADVENTURES OF OZZIE & HARRIET" did the same thing [in fact, the first two years of their TV show overlapped the last two seasons of the original radio show].
The first season of William Bendix's TV version of "THE LIFE OF RILEY", in 1953, also used scripts adapted from earlier radio episodes- WITHOUT Irving Brecher or his other writers' credits; Brecher "leased" the rights to the series to NBC in late 1952 for a 15 year period, because they wanted to produce a Bendix TV version for early '53 (that lasted five years). After 1967, Brecher regained the rights to the series, and BOTH versions of the TV show, which he syndicated from 1977 through '86.
This was heard over the opening title (also featured on the radio version starring William Bendix):
"Oh, it's the life of Riley when it's Pabst Blue Ribbon you drink,
The 'finest beer served anywhere', so let the glasses clink,
Oh, east or west or north or south, there's nothing like it at all,
Sure, you're living the life of Riley when for Pabst Blue Ribbon you call,
Yes, you're living the life of Riley, when for Pabst Blue Ribbon you call,
When for Pabst Blue Ribbon you call!!".
Originally, an advertising jingle for the series' sponsor, Pabst Blue Ribbon beer, was heard over the opening title; Irving Brecher, the creator/producer, substituted the original theme, heard in the earlier episodes, in the syndicated version of this episode in the late '70s. There was also a plug for the sponsor, where Riley says he's going out "and get some Pabst Blue Ribbon"- the sponsor's name was muted, but he DOES return at the end carrying a Pabst six-pack {"Well, I got the drinks"}.
7 мар 2010
