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Starring: William Bendix (as Chester A. Riley)
with: Marjorie Reynolds (as Peg Riley). Tom D'Andrea (as Jim Gillis)
Season 5 (NBC) (1956-57)
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 5 1956-57 ##############
##############################################
NBC Fridays 8:00pm  (39 episodes)
Many episodes from this season were in filmed in color. But they were in shown
B&W when the series was later syndicated.

5.01 [146] Life of Riley: A WIRE FOR GILLIS
[LP26732]
14Sep1956 orig. NBC airdate
Synopsis:
Riley believes Gillis came into a lot of money when he gets a telegram.

5.02 [147] Life of Riley: THE FIRST QUARREL
[LP26733]
21Sep1956 orig. NBC airdate
Synopsis 1:
Babs quarrels with Don when he wants to go fishing.
Synopsis 2:
Riley tries to patch up one quarrel: starts another. [Yonkers NY Herald Statesman]

5.03 [148] Life of Riley: BUTTERING UP A MILLIONAIRE
[LP26734]
28Sep1956 orig. NBC airdate
Synopsis 1:
Riley goes overboard on his welcome home party for the Gillises.
Synopsis 2:
The high cost of entertaining "wealthy" friends. [Yonkers NY Herald Statesman]

5.04 [149] Life of Riley: THE NEW JOB
[LP26735]
5Oct1956 orig. NBC airdate
Synopsis:
In an attempt to get Gillis a job, Riley manages to confuse the personnel office at the plant.

5.05 [150] Life of Riley: DESTINATION DEL MAR VISTA
Show no. 148 [LP26736]
12Oct1956 orig. NBC airdate
Synopsis 1:
Now that Riley and Gillis have acquired new jobs, the next
problem is finding places to live close to the jobs.
Synopsis 2:
Riley moves straight into the housing shortage. [Yonkers NY Herald Statesman]

5.06 [151] Life of Riley: UNCLE BIXBY TAKES OVER
Show no. 149 [LP26737]
19Oct1956 orig. NBC airdate
Synopsis:
With the boss and his wife arriving for brunch, Riley is
shocked to learn that Peg's eccentric uncle has arrived as a house guest.

 5.07 [152] Life of Riley: FRIENDS ARE WHERE YOU FIND THEM
Show no. 150 [LP26738]
26Oct1956 orig. NBC airdate
Synopsis:
Riley and Gillis decide they see too much of each other and decide to find new friends.

5.08 [153] Life of Riley: JUVENILE DELINQUENT
Show no. 151 [LP26752]
2Nov1956 orig. NBC airdate
Synopsis:
Junior says he wants to get a hot-rod, causing Riley to worry.

5.09 [154] Life of Riley: RILEY'S LONELY NIGHT
Show no. 152 [LP26739]
9Nov1956 orig. NBC airdate
Synopsis:
Riley's feelings are hurt because Peg and Junior leave him alone on a Saturday night.

5.10 [155] Life of Riley: A MAN'S PRIDE
Show no. 153. [LP26740]
16Nov1956 orig. NBC airdate
Synopsis:
Junior fights with his girlfriend and refuses to make up with her.

5.11 [156] Life of Riley: RILEY HIRES A NURSE
Show no. 154 [LP26741]
23Nov1956 orig. NBC airdate
Synopsis:
Babs hires the only available baby nurse in town. Riley
decides to interview her, too, and makes the woman so mad that she quits.

5.12 [157] Life of Riley: BLESSED EVENT
Show no. 155 [LP26742]
30Nov1956 orig. NBC airdate
Synopsis:
Riley is resting in bed with a cold when the phone call comes
announcing that Babs has gone to the hospital to have the baby.

5.13 [158] Life of Riley: BENEFIT FOR EGBERT
Show no. 156 [LP26743]
7Dec1956 orig. NBC airdate
Synopsis:
Riley undertakes a fund-raising project- Gillises son Egbert
needs carfare from Chicago to California.

5.14 [159] Life of Riley: HONEYBEE'S MOTHER
Show no. 157 [LP26744]
14Dec1956 orig. NBC airdate
Synopsis:
Gillis' mother-in-law becomes Riley's house guest when it is discovered that the cranky visitor can't climb steps.

5.15 [160] Life of Riley: WORLD'S GREATEST GRANDSON
Show no. 158 [LP26745]
21Dec1956 orig. NBC airdate
Synopsis:
In order to get pictures of his new grandson for boasting purposes, Riley has to elude the baby's nurse.

5.16 [161] Life of Riley: DOUBLE, DOUBLE DATE
Show no. 159 [LP26746]
28Dec1956 orig. NBC airdate
Synopsis 1:
Riley mistakes a couple of gun molls for the girls he is
supposed to pick up for his son's double date.
Synopsis 2:
Checking on their sons' dates, Riley and Gillis mistake a couple of gun molls for teen-age students.
Several laughs and a very clever middle commercial. Riley fans should have a ball.

5.17 [162] Life of Riley: RILEY WINS A TRIP
Show no. 160 [LP26748]
4Jan57 NBC orig. airdate
Riley gets himself entered in a teen-ager's dance contest to win a free trip to Hawaii.

5.18 [163] Life of Riley: ALOHA, RILEY, GOODBYE
Show no. 161 [LP26749]
11Jan57 NBC orig. airdate
Riley thinks he killed a man and goes to the police with a confession.

5.19 [164] Life of Riley: CHANGE IN COMMAND
Show no. 162 [LP26751]
18Jan57 NBC orig. airdate
Riley and Gillis scheme to get rid of foreman Hawkins and
replace him with their friend Otto.

5.20 [165] Life of Riley: STROLLING THROUGH THE PARK
Show. no. 163 [LP26750]
25Jan57 NBC orig. airdate
Riley takes his new grandchild for a stroll in the park, and
comes home with the wrong baby.

5.21 [166] Life of Riley: DEEP IN THE HEART OF . . .
Show no. 164 [LP26753]
1Feb57 NBC orig. airdate
Riley and his friends startle the whole town with a midnight horse ride that gets out of hand.

5.22 [167] Life of Riley: CANDID CAMERA
Show no. 165 [LP26754]
8Feb57 NBC orig. airdate
While trying out his new camera at the scene of an auto
accident, Riley turns up some damaging evidence.

5.23 [168] Life of Riley: FOREIGN INTRIGUE
Show no. 166 [LP26755]
15Feb57 NBC orig. airdate
In order to help a friend out of a jam, Riley brings home a lovely French maid.

5.24 [169] Life of Riley: ALL-AMERICAN BRAIN
Show no. 167 [LP26756]
22Feb57 NBC orig. airdate
A handsome young football coach proves to be a disruptive influence in the Riley home.

5.25 [169] Life of Riley: GETTING RILEY'S GOAT
Show no. 168 [LP26757]
1Mar57 NBC orig. airdate
Junior brings home a goat to keep for a ten-day 4-H Club assignment.

5.26 [171] Life of Riley: A YOUNG MAN'S FANCY
Show no. 169 [LP26758]
8Mar57 NBC orig. airdate
Riley confuses his son's love interest with an older woman who has a boyfriend named Junior.

5.27 [172] Life of Riley: BABS'S DREAM HOUSE
Show no. 170. [LP26759]
15Mar57 NBC 8:30pm (broadcast in B&W)
Synopsis 1:
Riley is sure he can save on an architect's fee for Babs's
dream house.
Synopsis 2:
After Babs and Don find an architect to build their home, Rile steps
in and turns everything into chaos. [TA]

5.28 [173] Life of Riley: A WATCH FOR GILLIS
Show no. 171. [LP26760]
22Mar57 NBC orig. airdate
The purchase of an inexpensive watch as a gift for Gillis
proves to be no bargain for Riley.

5.29 [174] Life of Riley: JUNIOR'S FUTURE
Show no. 172 [LP26761]
29Mar57 orig. airdate
(no story synopsis available)

 5.30 [175] Life of Riley: A DAY AT THE BEACH (*final b&w episode for season 5)
Show no. 173 [LP26747]
5Apr57 NBC orig. airdate
Synopsis 1:
The Riley's and the Gillises plan to spend a quiet day at the beach.
Synopsis 2:
A two day beach vacation for the Rileys and the Gillises becomes a fishing fiasco which leads Riley,
Gillis and Otto not to the bass but to the Bastille. [TA]

-----------------------------------------------------
"Life of Riley" (season 5 final 9 episodes broadcast in COLOR from 12-Apr-1957)
*The series switches back to b&w for Season 6
-----------------------------------------------------

5.31 [176] Life of Riley: A HOUSE DIVIDED
Show no. 174 [LP26762]
12Apr57 NBC Fri 8:30pm EST (orig. airdate) (broadcast in COLOR)
Featuring (regulars) :
Tom D’Andrea (Gillis), Wesley Morgan (Junior)
Synopsis 1:
After an argument with his landlord, Riley receives a notice of eviction from the two-family dwelling.
Angered, he persuades next-door neighbor Gillis to be unusually obnoxious, so that no one will rent
Riley’s old apartment. But the scheme backfires. [TA]
Synopsis 2:
When a new owner buys the duplex which the Riley's and the Gillises share trouble starts which almost
gets both families evicted from the house.

5.32 [177] Life of Riley: RETURN TO BLUE VIEW
Show no. 175 [LP26763]
19Apr57 orig. airdate (orig. airdate) (broadcast in  COLOR)
Synopsis 1:
A spinster causes complications for Riley in his attempt to find some missing bonds which needs as his half
of the down payment on the duplex he and Oillis plan to buy. [TA/Alton Evening Telegraph]
Synopsis 2:
Riley breaks into his old house in order to retrieve the $3000 he left behind when they moved to their new house.

5.33 [178] Life of Riley: THE HIGH COST OF RILEY
Show no. 176 [LP26764]
26Apr57 NBC (orig. airdate) (broadcast in  COLOR)
Riley and Gillis are convinced that they can buy food for much less than their wives can.

5.34 [179] Life of Riley: BABS COMES HOME
Show no. 177 [LP26765]
3May57 NBC 8:30pm (orig. airdate) (broadcast in  COLOR)
Synopsis 1:
Riley volunteers as a substitute when Babs's husband must go away.
Synopsis 2:
Riley insists that Babs come home to stay while her husband is away. [TA]

5.35 [180] Life of Riley: FATHER-IN-LAW VERSUS FATHER-IN-LAW
Show no. 178 [LP26766]
10May57 NBC 8:30pm (orig. airdate) (broadcast in  COLOR)
Riley tries to break up Junior's romance with his new girlfriend.

5.36 [181] Life of Riley: THE STRAY DOG
Show no. 179 [LP26767]
17May57 NBC 8:30pm (orig. airdate) (broadcast in  COLOR)
Hoping for a large reward, Riley provides overnight shelter for a noisy dog.

5.37 [182] Life of Riley: VACATION PLANS
Show no. 180 [LP26768]
24May57 orig. airdate (broadcast in  COLOR)
Synopsis 1:
The Riley's and the Gillises plan a camping trip together.
Synopsis 2:
Riley and Gillis plan to spend their vacations together. Then Riley
receives an invitation for the whole family to stay at a beach house. [TA]

5.38 [183] Life of Riley: HOMELESS OTTO
Show no. 181 [LP26769]
31May57 NBC Fri 8:30pm (orig. airdate) (broadcast in  COLOR)
Featuring (regulars):
Henry Kulky (as Otto), Emory Parnell (as Hawkins, Riley's boss)
Guest Cast:
Benny Baker (as Lambert)
Synopsis 1:
Gillis and Riley finally receive a raises. Elated with their good fortune they convince Otto he should do
the same. But Otto isn't as fortunate as his well-meaning friends and suddenly finds he's is unemployed. [TA]
Synopsis 2:
Otto demands a raise and loses his job.

5.39 [184] Life of Riley: SUMMER JOB FOR JUNIOR
Show no. 182 [LP26770]
7Jun57 NBC 8:30pm (broadcast in  COLOR)
Synopsis 1:
Riley has to pay out $50 on a bus boy job in the event that his son doesn't make it.
Synopsis 2:
Riley puts down a $50 deposit on a busboy job for Junior not knowing his son has a better job.
[Niagara Falls NY Gazette]
Synopsis 3:
Junior decides he's going off to work in a logging camp for the summer. [TA]

Summer Repeats (14Jun1957 to 06Sep1957)
14Jun1957 - repeat of 3.07 THE DUCK HUNTING TRIP (from 29Oc1954)
21Jun1957 - repeat of 3.39 RILEY UNITES THE FAMILY (from 10Jun1955)
28Jun1957 - repeat of 3.17 UNWELCOME GUESTS (from 7Jan1955)
05Jul1957 - repeat of 3.02 RILEY IN THE WILD BLUE YONDER (24Sep1954)
12Jul1957 - repeat of 3.19 RILEY BUYS A WRESTLER (from 21Jan1955)
19Jul1957 - repeat of 3.18 COME BACK, LITTLE JUNIOR (from 14Jan1955)
26Jul1957 - repeat of 3.26 CHICKEN RANCH (from 11Mar1955)
02Aug1957 - repeat of 3.23 A BRIDE FOR OTTO (from 18Feb1955)
09Aug1957 - repeat of 3.31 MEET THE NEIGHBOR (from 15Apr1955)
16Aug1957 - repeat of 3.20 LIGHT-FINGERED BABS (from 28Jan1955)
23Aug1957 - repeat of 3.27 UP TO THE JURY (from 18Mar1955)
30Aug1957 - repeat of 3.36 THE DIET (from 20May1955)
06Sep1957 - repeat of 3.41 THE STUPID CUPIDS (from 24Jun1955)

############## The Life of Riley #############
############### end of season 5 ##############
##############################################

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