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The Life of Riley ...
William Bendix, who started his acting career after his grocery business fell victim to the Great Depression, will always be best remembered for his portrayal of Chester A. Riley - a role he played on radio, television and the silver screen.
Blue collar workers had a champion in Chester A. Riley, the central character on THe Life Of Riley (1944 - 1951). Riley was a factory worker who came home to a loyal , long-suffering loving wife named peg (played over time by Grace Coppin, Georgia Backus, and Paula Winslow), and two teenaged children, Babs (variously played by Peggy Conklin, Sharon Doughlas, and Barbara Eiler) and Junior(Jack Grimes, Scotty Beckett, Conrad Binyon, and Tommy Cook).
William Bendix, who started his acting career after his grocery business fell victim to the Great Depression, will always be best remembered for his portrayal of Chester A. Riley - a role he played on radio, television and the silver screen.
Blue collar workers had a champion in Chester A. Riley, the central character on THe Life Of Riley (1944 - 1951). Riley was a factory worker who came home to a loyal , long-suffering loving wife named peg (played over time by Grace Coppin, Georgia Backus, and Paula Winslow), and two teenaged children, Babs (variously played by Peggy Conklin, Sharon Doughlas, and Barbara Eiler) and Junior(Jack Grimes, Scotty Beckett, Conrad Binyon, and Tommy Cook).
The Life of Riley
Riley's unsophisticated innocence, his tendency to screw up, then observing the mess with, "What A Revoltin' Develpment This Is!" kept the laugh meter high. His amusing friends, such as Digger O' Dell, the friendly undertaker (John Brown), neighbors Gillis and his wife, Honeybee (Brown and Gloria Blondell), and his Uncle Barker (Hans Conried) were no small part of the show's success. Riley made a smooth transition to television, with Jackie Gleason as the title character for a short period of time. Then Bendix again took over the role.
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