Family Situation Comedy (1941 - 51)
Fibber
McGee and Molly, Burns and Allen,
Jack Benny and others had refined
broad character comedy in vaudeville and then did it on radio, but
none did it with wife and kids characters, intent on portraying
the All-American family like Dagwood and later Dennis the Menace
did in the funnies. The Life of Riley, and The
Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet were old time radio shows written
to celebrate the classic American suburban family.
Text on OTRCAT.com ©2007 OTRCAT INC All Rights Reserved-Reproduction is prohibited. The Life of Riley is about Chester A. Riley, an aircraft
plant blue-collar worker, his family and their neighbors. Bendix
took the title role in '44, after doing mostly heavies in the films.
The show quickly grew in popularity in post WWII America, as thousands
of GI's were coming home to find work, buy a house and raise a family.Just like Riley. Riley is stubborn and opinionated, and knows his
way is the right way. His family and neighbors think otherwise.
Text on OTRCAT.com ©2007 OTRCAT INC All Rights Reserved-Reproduction is prohibited.  Peg, his capable and charming wife (in spite of it all), was played
by Grace Coppin, and then Paula Winslowe. Jack Grimes, Scotty Beckett,
Conrad Binyon and Tommy Cook played Junior (Riley's son) through
the years, Peggy Conklin, Sharon Douglas and Barbara Eiler was Babs
(Riley's daughter). The regulars included John Brown as Gillis,
his buddy and Digby "Digger" O'Dell- a pun-loving undertaker
that was "creepy" for the kids listening, and a sly swipe
at the many "chiller" shows on radio for many adults.
Shirley Mitchell was Honeybee Gillis and Francis "Dink" Trout played the wacky Waldo Binny.
 TV sit-coms fans will feel right at home, as the Life of Riley
went on to become one of the 50's most popular TV shows, and a model
for much of what followed. But it was Riley on the radio who first
uttered his classic tag line, "What a revoltin' development
this is!" Fans tuned in for laughs, and enjoyed the kids growing
up in episodes such as "Babs is born", "Babs First
Date" right up to "Babs Moves Out," (telescoped into
five years…this was radio sit-com, after all!)
The idea of a guy getting steamed by the daily grind is still a
classic comedy concept, and so is Life of Riley.
For more family comedy shows, see Ozzie and Harriet and Vic and Sade.
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