- published: 26 Nov 2009
- views: 216460
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 Riley for one truncated season, then with Bendix for six seasons), and a 1958 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. (Groucho went on to host Blue Ribbon Town from 1943 to 1944 and then You Bet Your Life from 1947 to 1961.) 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—"What a revoltin' development this is!"—became one of the most famous catchphrases of the 1940s. The radio series also benefited from the immense popularity of a supporting character, Digby "Digger" O'Dell (John Brown), "the friendly undertaker".
I'm questioning all that you are,
Accused of neglecting,
The truth plain in sight,
The judge is the conscience,
The jury mankind.
What about you now,
what about your fault,
How can you live with the hurt you allowed.
Bow your head in shame and see,
Who's flawed, who's fake,
Who gets fucked 'till he bleeds.
'Cause you've
Only known the life of Riley,
Never been a poor street whore.
Hey, what does the mirror reveal,
A grimace created by lies and deceit.
How can you boast about life on the wild side,
Despising a real man who fights for his meal.
What about you now,
What about your fault,
How can live with the hurts you allowed.
Never ever tasted shit,
The silver spoon's got in the way!
Only known the life of Riley,
Never been a poor street whore.
Only known the life of Riley,