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"The Life of Riley"
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Starring: William Bendix (as Chester A. Riley)
with: Marjorie Reynolds (as Peg
Riley). Tom D'Andrea (as Jim Gillis)
Season 1 (NBC) (Early 1953)
Episode Guide
compiled by The Classic TV Archive
with contributions by:
John King, Tom Alger, Rina Fox
references:
TV Guide /
Library of Congress (telnet://locis.loc.gov)
Internet Movie Database (https://us.imdb.com)
UCLA Film and Television Archive
############## The Life of Riley #############
############# season 1 early 1953 ############
##############################################
NBC Fridays 8:30pm (26 episodes)
1.01 [--] Life of Riley: BAB'S SCHOOL ELECTION
Show no. 1
2Jan53 NBC orig. airdate [verified-TA]
Riley tries to insure his daughter's election as freshman
class president.
1.02 [--] Life of Riley: RILEY'S GIFT FROM THE BOSS
Show no. 2
9Jan53 NBC orig. airdate
Riley has been with the plant for ten years. When he sees the
initials C.A.R. after his name on a memo, he now thinks that
he will be given the car as a reward for all his good work
1.03 [--] Life of Riley: RILEY'S NEW SUIT
Show no. 3
16Jan53 NBC orig. airdate
Riley tears his suit on the way to work. The children plan
to buy him a new one for his birthday and borrow the torn
one to get his measurements.
1.04 [--] Life of Riley: THE CAKE CONTEST
Show no. 4
23Jan1953 orig. NBC airdate [verified-TA]
Synopsis:
Riley replaces Peg's baking-contest entry with a store-bought cake. [TA]
1.05 [--] Life of Riley: RILEY'S KISS IN THE DARK
Show no. 5
30Jan53 NBC orig. airdate
Riley reluctantly accompanies Peg to a fancy dress party.
When the light goes off, an unknown woman kisses him.
1.06 [--] Life of Riley: RILEY PROVES HIS MANHOOD
Show no. 6 [LP26639] DPUB: 2Jan53 copyright date
6Feb1953 orig. NBC airdate
[verified-TA]
Synopsis 1:
Riley tells a reporter that all housewives should work.
Synopsis 2:
Peg goes to work in a run-down cafe. [TA]
1.07 [--] Life of Riley: RILEY'S SISTER CISSY
Show no. 7
13Feb53 NBC orig. airdate
1.08 [--] Life of Riley: RILEY AND THE BEAN CONTEST
Show no. 8
20Feb1953 NBC orig. airdate [verified-TA]
Synopsis:
Since he's sponsored by Gulf, it was inevitable that Riley should have a car, if
only to help out
on commercials. So this week he sets out to win one. [Brooklyn NY Daily
Eagle][TA]
1.09 [--] Life of Riley: RILEY AND THE SOUTMASTER
Show no. 9
27Feb53 NBC orig. airdate
Scoutmaster Riley is boasting again, this time he informs
his wife that he could do her housework in half the time it
takes her to do it.
1.10 [--] Life of Riley: RILEY INVADES THE FIGHT GAME
Show no. 10 [LP26640](DPUB: 13Jan53 copyright date)
6Mar1953 NBC orig. airdate (25Jun1954 NBC repeat)
[verified-TA]
Guest Star:
Lou Nova ... Killer Cooper <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lou_Nova>
Synopsis 1:
Killer Cooper, a boxer, is scheduled to take on Chester Riley in an exhibition
bout.
Synopsis 2:
Riley gets mauled by Lou Nova in a funny prizefight scene. He builds himself up
as an ex-prizefighter
to his son, and then gets forced into a charity bout. [Brooklyn NY Daily
Eagle][TA]
1.11 [--] Life of Riley: RILEY'S LOST WEEKEND
Show no. 11 [LP26641]
13Mar53 NBC orig. airdate
DPUB: 20Feb53 copyright date
Riley decides to take the family on a trip to the
country
to spend a three-day weekend.
1.12 [--] Life of Riley: JUNIOR WINS THE SOAPBOX DERBY
(Possibly Show no. 12)[LP26642]
20Mar53 NBC orig. airdate
DPUB: 27Feb53 copyright date
Riley offers to help build Junios's soapbox racer.
1.13 [--] Life of Riley: RILEY'S FAMILY REUNION
Show no. 13 [LP26643]
27Mar53 NBC orig. airdate
DPUB: 6Mar53 copyright date
A radio program plans a surprise party for Riley.
1.14 [--] Life of Riley: RILEY'S BUSINESS VENTURE
Show no. 14 [LP26644]
3Apr1953 NBC orig. airdate
Synopsis 1:
Riley and Dudley decide to go into business for themselves.
Synopsis 2:
Riley decides to augment his income by operating a hamburger stand. You'll be
amused at his "Rileyburger,"
though the ingredients cannot be recommended for your digestive tract. And you
won't blame his family for
cracking down on him when he lets his new venture interfere with his regular
job. [Brooklyn NY Daily Eagle][TA]
1.15 [--] Life of Riley: RILEY CAMPS OUT
Show no. 15
10Apr53 NBC orig. airdate
Riley and Gillis goes on a camping trip to get away from
their daily boredom.
1.16 [--] Life of Riley: RILEY STEPS OUT a.k.a. "The Rileys Step Out"
(copyright title)
Show no. 16 [LP26645]
17Apr1953 orig. NBC airdate [verified-TA]
Synopsis 1:
When Riley finds two banquet tickets discarded by his boss he decides to
surprise peg.
Synopsis 2:
Riley gives in to his wife's demands and decides to take her out for a big
evening. But, as usual, he gets
things messed up and only his weekly stroke of fortune sets things right.
[Brooklyn NY Daily Eagle][TA]
1.17 [--] Life of Riley: RILEY'S OPERATION
Show no. 17
24Apr53 NBC orig. airdate
Produced by Tom McKnight [RF]
Directed by Abby Berlin [RF]
Written for Television by Harry Clork [RF]
Synopsis:
Riley accidentally swallows a fishbone and the company doctor
insists that he has to have his tonsels removed.
1.18 [--] Life of Riley: RILEY THE EXECUTIVE TYPE
Show no. 18 [LP26646]
1May1953 orig. NBC airdate
[verified-TA]
Synopsis:
Riley is convinced he deserves better pay, but his boss accepts his resignation.
1.19 [--] Life of Riley: RILEY ENGAGES AN ESCORT
Show no. 19 [LP26647]
8May1953 orig. NBC airdate [verified-TA]
Synopsis:
Riley overhears Babs trying to arrange a date for Sadie Hawkins Day and decides
to help her along.
1.20 [--] Life of Riley: RILEY CULTIVATES BABS
[LP26649]
15May1953 orig. NBC airdate (16Jul1954 NBC repeat)
Synopsis 1:
Riley decides to become better acquainted with his daughter.
Synopsis 2:
When Babs' friends see her out with Riley, rumors fly that she's dating a rich
older man. [TA]
Synopsis 3:
Chester A. Riley will get himself into another of his "revoltin' developments"
when he takes his daughter,
Babs, out for a soda. Babs' eavesdropping friends in the next booth overhear
snatches of conversation and
misinterpret the situation. The rumors soon will fly about Babs' "sugar daddy,"
a development Riley considers
"revoltin! [TA]
1.21 [--] Life of Riley: RILEY'S UNCLE BAXTER
[LP26650]
22May1953 orig. NBC airdate (23Jul1954 NBC repeat)
Guest cast:
Alan Mowbray ... Uncle Baxter
Synopsis 1:
Peg's Uncle Baxter comes for a visit.
Synopsis 2:
Alan Mowbray plays Peg Riley's Uncle Baxter, an unwelcome in-law, who plans on
prolonging his visit to the Riley home.
Chester gets heavily involved in schemes to remove the offending guest.
[23Jul1954 Dallas Morning News][TA]
Synopsis 3:
Chester and Uncle Baxter try to impress a college dean and cost Babs her
scholarship. [TA]
1.22 [--] Life of Riley: RILEY OUTWITS CUPID
[LP26651]
29May1953 orig. NBC airdate (30Jul1954 NBC repeat)
Guest cast:
Michael Hall ... Don
Synopsis 1:
Riley discovers that Babs is going steady.
Synopsis 2:
Chester decides to play the role of a stern father in breaking up one of Babs'
high school romances.
Upset by a rumor that his 17-year-old Babs is "going Steady" with one of the
neighborhood boys, Riley
decides she is too young. [Richmond VA Times Dispatch][TA]
Synopsis 3:
Chester A. Riley becomes his usual explosive self when he discovers that his
daughter, Babs, has accepted
the fraternity pin of her boy friend, Don. [Cleveland Plain Dealer][TA]
1.23 [--] Life of Riley: RILEY GETS ENGAGED
[LP26648]
05Jun1953 orig. NBC airdate (11Dec1953 NBC repeat)
Synopsis 1:
In an attempt to hold off the immigration bureau, a beautiful French girl tricks
Riley into becoming
engaged despite his marital state.
Synopsis 2:
Fun in a laundromat as Riley almost gets trapped into marriage with a desperate
French girl whose visa is
due to expire. Of course, Riley's wife doesn't like the idea, but Maria Palmer
is cute as the girl.
[15May1953 Brooklyn NY Daily Eagle][TA]
1.24 [--] Life of Riley: RILEY PUNISHES JUNIOR
12Jun1953 orig. NBC airdate
Synopsis:
Riley is named Father of the Month by his lodge.
--same episode?
Riley doesn't think Babs should go steady and decides to have a heart-to-heart
talk with her and her new boy friend.
So she almost gets married before the situation is straightened out. [Brooklyn
NY Daily Eagle][TA]
1.25 [--] Life of Riley: RILEY MEETS A RIVAL
[LP26652]
19Jun1953 orig. NBC airdate
Guest star:
Chick Chandler ... Sidney
Synopsis 1:
Peg, tired of hearing Riley complain about his lot in life, decides to teach him
a lesson.
Synopsis 2:
Hoping to make Riley jealous, Peg invites an old flame for dinner. [TA]
Synopsis 3:
A visit from Peg's old beau (Chick Chandler) gets Riley jumping to wrong
conclusions.
[Brooklyn NY Daily Eagle][TA]
1.26 [--] Life of Riley: RILEY THE TYPICAL WORKER
[LP26653]
26Jun1953 orig. NBC airdate
Synopsis 1:
Riley learns that an award for the most typical worker is to be given at the
plant and he feels confident
that he is going to get it.
Synopsis 2:
Riley wants to surprise his family by winning a vacation in Hawaii. But he gets
everything balled up and they
get the wrong kind of surprise. [Brooklyn NY Daily Eagle][TA]
Summer Replacement series:
From 03Jul1953 though 11Sep1953 "The Life of Riley" was replaced by the drama
series "First Person" [TA]
############## The Life of Riley #############
############### end of season 1 ##############
##############################################
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