We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Sid Tomack was Gillis. English soldiers work hard all day while everyone else is living the life of Riley. airdate DPUB: 20Feb53 copyright date Riley decides to take the family on a trip to the country to spend a three-day weekend. 2023. The CBS program starred Lionel Stander as J. Riley Farnsworth and had no real connection with the more famous series that followed a few years later. The expression "the life of Riley" means that you have an easy and stress-free lifestyle. An unrelated radio show with the title Life of Riley was a summer replacement show heard on CBS from April 12, 1941, to September 6, 1941. Whoever Riley or Reilly was used to be a mystery until modern databases finally revealed his identity. 1.12 [--] Life of Riley: JUNIOR WINS THE SOAPBOX DERBY (Possibly Show no. You have probably heard, watched, or read the term living the life of Riley. - the short version There's not enough evidence to be 100% certain of the origin of the phrase 'the life of Riley' but it is probable that it derives from the life of a real person - Willy Reilly of Sligo, Ireland. But who is Riley, and why does everyone want to live his life? An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. For well-meaning aircraft worker Riley, there's no invention he's not willing to take a crack at, even if he's hopelessly in over his head. Peter had enough money to take off the rest of the year and live the life of Riley. shop my prints here . Riley's penchant for turning mere trouble into near-disaster through his well-intentioned bumbling was often aided or instigated by his arch best friend/next-door neighbor, Gillis. They say politicians should not be living the life of Riley to avoid criticism from people. Known for its tag line "What a revoltin' development this is", The Life of Riley, starring William Bendix, first aired in January of 1944. Don Marshall 9 Episodes 1957. Living the life of Riley means living a luxurious and carefree life. [citation needed] Brown's lines as the undertaker were often repetitive, including puns based on his profession; but thanks to Brown's delivery, the audience loved him. Oxford English Dictionary now only recognizes Riley in living the life of Riley. Written in 1883 by Pat Rooney, a well-known vaudeville comedian, singer and Irish impersonator. We specialize in good fishing, good food and good times. foreign lands. Bendix was recast as the bumbling Chester A. Riley, a wing riveter at the fictitious Cunningham Aircraft facility in California.His repeated scream of outrage"What a revoltin' development!"became one of the 1940s' most renowned catchphrases. At the beginning of the November 11, 1949 radio episode the announcer explained that William Bendix had strained his voice while performing the role of an umpire for an upcoming film (Kill the Umpire) and Gleason substituted for him that one night. Find out what the idiomatic expression means and its origin! Click here for more. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional. It is great for a couple fisherman. Original Language: French (Canada) Director: Alain Resnais. Sterling Holloway. The heartfelt contributions from a plethora of music's superstars were a vast . A scan of a copy of the newspaper the Dublin Weekly Nation, Saturday 14 October 1899 shows that Reiley (and as it turns out it is Reilly, not Riley) was the hero of a popular folk ballad, living exactly the life that would lead to the coining of the phrase we have been seeking. What's the origin of the phrase 'The life of Riley'? I mean to go with you and leave this counterie, To leave my fathers dwelling, his houses and free land;. During World War I, it spread across American training camps as British soldiers wrote home using the phrase. The phrase is likely of early 20th-century Irish-American origin, but to whom Riley refers is uncertain. Alan Ayckbourns Life of Riley also became a well-known play in 2010. The American Meat Institute (194445), Procter & Gamble (Teel dentifrice and Prell shampoo) (194549), and Pabst Blue Ribbon beer (194951) took turns as the radio program's sponsor. This is clearly a romanticised ballad and there are several variants of it, so we need to proceed with caution. There is some suggestion that the idea of a gentleman named Mr. Riley enjoying a luxurious, easy life is suggested in several earlier vaudeville songs, though the phrase living the life of Riley appears slightly later. From our range of leather bound trunks to our latest designs in waxed canvas. His stock answer to every turn of fate became a catch phrase: 'What a revoltin' development this is! The supporting cast featured Paula Winslowe as Riley's wife, Peg, and as Riley's mother-in law; Brown as O'Dell and as Riley's co-worker Jim Gillis; Francis "Dink" Trout as Waldo Binney; Tommy Cook, Bobby Ellis and Scotty Beckett as Junior at various times during the show's run; Barbara Eiler as Riley's daughter, Babs; Shirley Mitchell as Honeybee Gillis; Hans Conried as Uncle Baxter; and Alan Reed as multiple characters, including Riley's boss (Mr. Stevenson) and Peg's father. "[6] The April 13 episode starred Herb Vigran as Riley, and the April 20 episode had Buddy Gray in the title role. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates? The Life of Riley TV Series 1953-1958 30m IMDb RATING 8.0 /10 417 YOUR RATING Rate Comedy Riley worked in an aircraft plant in California, but viewers usually saw him at home, cheerfully disrupting life with his malapropisms and ill timed intervention into minor problems. His stock answer to every turn of fate became a catch phrase: 'What a revoltin' development this is! The Lightning Seeds - The Life of Riley (Official Video) Lightning Seeds 858K views 13 years ago Almost yours: 2 weeks, on us 100+ live channels are waiting for you with zero hidden fees Dismiss. (The West Australian), By contrast, the similarly aged, similarly divorced and similarly dating George Clooney was depicted as a merry bachelor living the life of Riley. The Life of Riley - 252 episodes of the Old Time Radio comedy : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive Beta Webamp Volume 90% 00:00 27:46 1 Life of Riley 1943-07-25 (xx) Riley Wants to Build a House - 27:46 2 Life of Riley 1944-01-30 (3) The Butler Part 2 - 21:45 Bendix's delivery and the spin he put on his lines made it work. The phrase was much used in the military, especially in WWI. All rights reserved. ", See production, box office & company info, Hal Roach Studios - 8822 Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA. His stock answer to every turn of fate became a catch phrase: 'What a revoltin' development this Riley worked in an aircraft plant in California, but viewers usually saw him at home, cheerfully disrupting life with his malapropisms and ill timed intervention into minor problems. Enjoyed reading about this idiom? Would you like to learn about more idiomatic expressions to use in your writing? The show was originally conceived as a vehicle for Groucho Marx, but it was reworked and recast with the assistance of co-developer Milton "Gummo" Marx, the non-performing Marx brother. Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations. What is the English language plot outline for The Life of Riley (1953)? Life of Riley is a colloquial expression, widely known in the Anglosphere to refer to a comfortable and lavish way of living. The Flotsam Family was reworked with Bendix cast as blundering Chester A. Riley, a wing riveter at the fictional Cunningham Aircraft plant in California. Because of its overwhelming radio popularity, Riley graduated as easily to a 1949 feature film, as it did to 1950s television. Among the flood of tributes that followed the news of BB King's death was one from Barack Obama. Cast & Crew Read More Irving Brecher Director William Bendix Chester A. Riley James Gleason Gillis Rosemary Decamp Peg Riley Bill Goodwin Sidney Monahan Beulah Bondi 'The life of Riley' is an easy and pleasant life. Here are some synonyms and terms related with living the life of Riley. A life of luxury: Sheila found herself living the life of Riley after she won the lottery. The expression comes from a popular song of the 1880s, Is That Mr. Reilly?, in which the title character describes what he would do if he suddenly became wealthy. airdate DPUB: 27Feb53 . So, there's good circumstantial evidence that the major characters referred to in the ballad were real people. He promotes healthy life choices while discussing the life expectancy of the UK population. The hero, an innkeeper, describes what he will do when he strikes it rich: "New York will be swimming in wine" and "A hundred a day will be very small pay / when the White House and Capitol are . [citation needed], The series was co-developed by the nonperforming Marx Brother turned agent Gummo. 16 in its first season, with four of its six seasons in the top 30, and ran for a total of 217 episodes. The first printed citation of 'the life of Riley' (with the easy/carefree meaning of the phrase) that I have found is from New Jersey newspaper The News, May 1910: Henry Mungersdorf is living the life of Riley just at present. ley -r-l variants or less commonly life of Reilly Synonyms of life of Riley : a carefree comfortable way of living Word History Etymology from the name Riley or Reilly First Known Use 1911, in the meaning defined above Time Traveler The first known use of life of Riley was in 1911 See more words from the same year According to Sir Charles Duffys account, Reiley, not Reilly or Riley, was a hero of a once-famous American comic song in the 1800s. 1.11 [--] Life of Riley: RILEY'S LOST WEEKEND Show no. Heres our breakdown of a chip off the old block. ", "Good, my lord, he stole from her her diamonds,Gold watch and silver buckles, and many precious things,Which cost me in bright guineas more than five hundred pounds,I'll have the life of Reilly should it cost ten thousand pounds. B.B. [6][7], The NBC adaptation, also created by Irving Brecher, was a single-season The Life of Reilly is also a film adaptation of the play, Save it for the Stage: The Life of Reilly. 1,001 following. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. All Rights Reserved. And the skits of Bob&Ray. An unrelated radio show with the name Life of Riley was a summer replacement show heard on CBS from April 12, 1941, to September 6, 1941. BB King: the life of riley. Here's the ballad, as printed in 1899, which recounts the story of Willy Reilly running away with his hieress lover only to be caught and tried for abduction, eventually finding freedom and riches in his lover's arms - truly the life of Reilly: [Note: 'Coolen bawn' is an Anglised version of 'Caillin ban', meaning 'young, white girl'. 306K followers. Duffy goes on to indicate the widespread knowledge of the song in the north of the island of Ireland: "There is no family under the rank of gentry in the inland counties of Ulster where it is not familiarly known. Martin Milner. A comic book adaptation of the show was produced by Dell Comics in 1958 as part of their Four Color series of one-shots. The story on which it founded happened some sixty years ago; and, as the lover was a young Catholic farmer, and the lady's family of high Orange principles, it got a party character, which, no doubt, contributed its great populanty. 1911, "Bullet Ends Life of Famous Wild Cow", The Hartford Courant, December 1911: The famous wild cow of Cromwell is no more. Its rare that the old radio comedies have held up as well as Riley. Several Victorian music-hall songs referred to a Reilly who was living a life of luxury. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. In 2016, Phil Riley wrote a book, The Life of Riley: Mastering the five secret habits to enjoy a longer and healthier life. Nevertheless, the thrust of the tale is consistant amongst the versions of it, that is, Reilly wooing/abducting Ms Ffolliott and later being united with her and her wealth and contentedly raising a family together. [9], William Bendix and Sterling Holloway, 1957. It's not available on DVD or VHS Amc used to show it back when AMC was worth watching. [citation needed], In all of the show's incarnations, the comedic plotlines centered around Riley himself, a gullible and occasionally clumsy (but big-hearted) man, and the doings and undoings of his family. It was later on adapted into a French film directed by Alain Resnais. There are many other films with the same title. King worked closely with Director Jon Brewer for 2 years to create this powerful film. An easy life, as in Peter had enough money to take off the rest of the year and live the life of Riley. LIFE OF RILEY - 76 Photos & 96 Reviews - 2222 18th St NW, Washington, DC - Yelp Restaurants Home Services Auto Services Life of Riley 3.9 (96 reviews) Claimed Pet Boarding, Pet Groomers Edit Closed 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM Hours updated 2 months ago See hours See all 76 photos Services Offered Verified by Business Nail Trimming in 4 reviews ""I will my loving lady, with many thanks to thee. | Full season and episodes - free online streaming fast high quality legal movies and TV television shows "became one of the most famous catchphrases of the 1940s. The source of the expression 'the life of Riley' has been the subject of much etymological research, which had pretty much drawn a blank until the miracle of modern-day searchable databases came to the rescue. From his roots as a sharecropper's son, working in the cotton fields of Mississippi, he . on January 6, 2011, Me too: my votes go for LOR, FKB and GG all the way, with A&A thrown in for good measure. 2017 Life Of Riley Salon Services. Sponsors of the TV show included Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer (194950), Gulf Oil (195358) and Lever Brothers (195758). The Life of Riley is an American radio situation comedy series of the 1940s that was adapted into a 1949 feature film, a 1950s television series, and a 1958 comic book. ", The jailors son to Reilly goes, and thus to him did say,"Oh! The details of the story, and of the ballad, appear in several variants. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Whats the Meaning of the Phrase The Life of Riley? Uploaded by The radio program initially aired on the Blue Network (later known as ABC) from January 16, 1944, to July 8, 1945, it then moved to NBC, where it was broadcast from September 8, 1945, to June 29, 1951. I listen to each of these in turn all night every night, and when I'm traveling between cities I have the mp3's on a flash drive - these radio shows really keep me alert, engaged and amused while making a 6-hour drive. [1] His stock answer to every turn of fate became a catch phrase: 'What a revoltin' development this Read allRiley worked in an aircraft plant in California, but viewers usually saw him at home, cheerfully disrupting life with his malapropisms and ill timed intervention into minor problems. The Life of Riley, with William Bendix in the title role, was 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. Living The Life Of Riley Origin. ", The lady with a tear began, and thus replied she,"The fault is none of Reilly's, the blame lies all on me,I forced him for to leave his place and come along with me,I loved him out of measure, which wrought our destiny. It might seem strange that this expression originated in the USA rather than Ireland. Right now, the phrase is a popular idiomatic expression that refers to a comfortable and luxurious life. Jim Gillis 92 Episodes 1958. https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/life+of+Riley. Season 1. ", Then out spoke noble Fox, "You may let the prisoner go,The lady's oath has cleared him, as the Jury all may knowShe has released her own true love, she has renewed his name,May her honour bright gain high estate, Another Irish/American song, George Gaskin, was popular in New York around the same time. Originally airing on ABC, it jumped to NBC after one season. This pet friendly rental has a private pool, wifi, and a fireplace among many other amenities. Some believe that it comes from a real person named Willy Reily from Sligo, Ireland. Riley was originally spelled Reilly. The resort also has many additional amenities: full service marina, dinning hall, store, game room, natural sand beach, and much more. 2023 Grammarist, a Found First Marketing company. For the final season, filming reverted to black-and-white. Pampered from a young age after his father came into sudden wealth, Jonathan led the life of Riley compared to the hardships his older siblings faced. Definitions by the largest Idiom Dictionary. Now Willy's drest from top to toe all a suit of green,His hair hangs oer his shoulders most glorious to seen;He's tall and straight, and comely as any could found,He's fit for Foillard's daughter, was she heiress to a crown. His 1897 song, The Best in the House is None Too Good for Reilly, elaborated on the whimsical idea of a wealthy Irishman being treated lavishly: He's money for to pay,So they let him have his way,The best in the house is none too good for Reilly. Jon Brewer for 2 years to create this powerful film ABC, it jumped to NBC after season! Create this powerful film, widely known in the military, especially in WWI DVD or Amc... Worked closely with Director Jon Brewer for 2 years to create this film. 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Day while everyone else is living the life of Riley after she won the lottery comfortable and luxurious life would. [ citation needed ], the series was co-developed by the nonperforming Marx Brother turned agent Gummo in.! Refers to a comfortable and lavish way of living cotton fields of Mississippi,.... Create this powerful film choices while discussing the life of luxury: Sheila found herself living life! Databases finally revealed his identity soldiers wrote home using the phrase is a popular idiomatic expression means its... And terms related with living the life of Riley after she won the lottery phrase: 'What revoltin. For 2 years to create this powerful film to go with you and leave this counterie, leave... In peter had enough money to take the family on a trip to the country to a! Means that you have an easy life, as in peter had enough money take! Sterling Holloway, 1957 Irish impersonator of BB King & # x27 ; s,! Create this powerful film, appear in several variants some of the year and live life... Have probably heard, watched, or read the term living the of... ) Director life of riley Alain Resnais originally airing on ABC, it spread across American training camps British..., Riley graduated as easily to a Reilly who was living a life of Riley French ( Canada ):.
life of riley
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