Banners asked customers and anyone driving past the Buick showroom on Union Avenue, "HOW LONG CAN HE STAY BURIED ALIVE?" Punchy: Hey, why don't you get up, pal? This is the edited transcript of interviews conducted with hin during the winter and spring of 2006-2007. Chester A. Riley: "Babs Riley Featured in Annual School Follies". Henry Morgan voiced Riley's father in one episode. It just doesn't work out that way. Thomas Lynch reads to camera his essay Tract, in which he broaches the topic of his own funeral. According to the 1999 obituary, Digger was survived by his wife, Julie Ann "Maggie" Smith of Dawsonville, Georgia; a son, Bobby Smith, of Lakewell, Florida; and a stepson, Timothy Eugene Fowler, of Gainesville, Georgia. [citation needed], The series was co-developed by the nonperforming Marx Brother turned agent Gummo. Chester A. Riley: I know what you did! William Bendix is heard as Riley, along with co-stars Paula Winslowe, John Brown, Tommy Cook, and Barbara Eiler - plus series creator Irving Brecher . https://www.quotes.net/movies/the_life_of_riley_107479, https://www.quotes.net/movies/the_life_of_riley_quotes_107479. He had a very good sense of that. Thomas Lynch reads to camera his essay Tract (part II). Sign Up now to stay up to date with all of the latest news from TCM. I see my sons now working through this, and their generation. But cremation has increased since then by about 10 percent in every decade. These included Molly's drunken Uncle Dennis and Myrt, the town's telephone operator with whom Fibber shared many a But by the time a couple days later he went in the ground, it was exactly the right thing to do. One of my favorite characters from classic radio is Digby Digger ODell, the friendly undertaker portrayed by John Brown in THE LIFE OF RILEY. "The Life of Riley Quotes." But when the entire conversation circles around and around about how much it's going to cost or how can you prevent this charge, I just find it silly after a while. "You have to have helpers 24 hours a day.". Except I want to send out those circulars, so bring me some round paper. Later, while dropping off the rent to Miss Bogle, Babs receives her first kiss from Jeff. Well, we wear black for funerals -- people have to know who the directors are, who to ask -- and white shirts and gray ties. Up until a couple generations ago, humans were the species that dealt with death, the idea of the thing, by dealing with their dead, the thing itself, so that the way we processed mortality was by processing mortals from one place to the other, one station to the next in this little pilgrimage between as they were to how they are to what we hope they'll be. I always knew I'd bring up my daughter to be somebody someday. I think we're all complicit in the banishment of the dead to the peripheries. Too often Bendix was cast as a mental case who enjoyed smashing skulls, or his roles would take his gentle giant exterior to the extreme and he would be cast as an overgrown child as in "The Babe Ruth Story". He's where he's buried for good. I think cremation very much is like us. So yeah, it is the good news and the bad news. Another time, firefighters rescued him after he apparently suffered a heart attack underground. People will know that. I guess he likes this blond's cooking. Not sure where the voice actor was inspired from, but Mancubus sounds exactly like Digger O'Dell, the friendly undertaker from the old Life of Rile Press J to jump to the feed. So we weep and we laugh, we laugh and we sing, and we try to work our way around this changed reality in much the same way a death in the family articulates this changed reality. The question is not meant to mock; the question is to say: "What is it you don't want to see? He was Herbert ODell Smith, and he conducted this buried alive stunt, along with countless other feats of endurance, across the South. 1 Asked by yeaux. Whether youre growing hot or sweet varieties, there are some important tips for success. Nevertheless, this Life of Riley series with Bendix was a ratings hit, ranking at No. 2 Mar. Chester A. Riley: Gee, Gillis, you're brave - making out you're happy when all the time, inside, you've got a broken heart. Chester A. Riley: Nah what would a rich man want with money? Rosemary DeCamp (as "Peg Riley"), Lanny Rees (as "Junior Riley") and John Brown (as "Digger O'Dell, the Friendly Undertaker") all reprised their movie roles in the original The Life of Riley (1948) TV series. Well, I'll kiss you twice tonight. Searching for Herbert ODell Smith took me nowhere, and youd be surprised how many people in America are named Digger ODell. Why, theres Edwin Digger Odell of Abilene, Texas; Allen Digger ODell of Malvern, Iowa; Charles Wayne Digger ODell of Lebanon, Tennessee; Loren Digger ODell of Brookfield, Missouri you get the picture. It is a sadness and a shame that cremation, the fire in this context, is seen as an industrial process instead of an elemental one, in the way that earth is elemental. Chester A. Riley: Well, that'll be it, Miss Millie. And the things we have to do in that period of two days or three days, that's also largely what you do for us, is that right? And Mrs. Verrino's eulogy, her narrative of what she and her husband and their child were going through, was a way of sort of mastering this journey. Does it make it easier? And this movement, emotionally, is mirrored by a physical movement. I think he was keenly aware of the fact that a good funeral is not about what we buy or what we spend; that a good funeral is very much about what we do when someone dies. And there's somebody else digging the hole in the ground. The Life of Riley was 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. Though these things werent discussed in the Memphis newspapers of the 1950s or 1960s, later newspapers provided the details that Digger was equipped with a 60-gallon chemical toilet while he was underground, which must have made his living (and breathing) conditions horrible. Sponsors of the TV show included Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer (194950), Gulf Oil (195358) and Lever Brothers (195758). And that's unfortunate. Scars On My Heart / Her (7", Single) Ranger. to "what are we going to do?" Thanks for any help. By what name was The Life of Riley (1949) officially released in Canada in English? I just read this card, and I just spoke to the Justice of the Peace! UP AND UNDER ANNCR: Prell brings you "The Life of Riley"! I'm calling it off now! The oblivion is the oblivion wherever it is. Even a criminal gets time off for good behavior. [6][7], The NBC adaptation, also created by Irving Brecher, was a single-season Isn't that awful? At the end of that column, in my lackadaisical way weary from all that writing and typing I said I didn't know what happened to Digger after his misadventures in Memphis. I guess you might quibble that the Memory Grove itself the stand of trees that shaded it has been left behind, but the plaque is in better company here, near the famous Doughboy Statue (also a tribute to those lost in the First World War), along with memorials to the men and women who sacrificed their lives in World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and Operation Desert Storm. Well, if it's such a gift, why did it cost you 25 dollars? Anyway, I presume the Digger ODell weve been discussing here was eventually buried one final time, and I hope his gravestone wherever it is pays tribute to one of this countrys unique stuntmen. The dirt on Herbert ODell Smith. Chester A. Riley: Oh. What a revoltin' development, indeed." But you have to do that first, because people will sense if you're not willing to do that, if you're just sort of going through the motions. So for me, I can remember swinging the door all through my teen years, and I think it was 1973 -- I was probably 24 or 25 years old [when I decided]. But I remember coming home after the mass and the burial and the luncheon, getting back to her house -- it was about 3:00-ish in the afternoon -- and thinking, "The trick-or-treaters are coming." I enjoy listening to the frogs croak. Alan Lipscott and Reuben Ship wrote many of the radio series' early episodes, and Don Bernard was the show's initial director. The bearing of it is so very, very important. A factory worker's family is thrown into an uproar when his teenage daughter starts to date his boss' son. Chester A. Riley: Yes. With William Bendix the protagonist, as Riley and among others John Brown, who portrayed the friendly undertaker "Digger" O'Dell. Rejected everywhere, Riley reluctantly asks Monahan for the money, but Monahan also refuses him. Chester A. Riley is back, with long-suffering wife Peg, trouble-prone kids Junior and Babs, moochy pal Gillis, and Digger O'Dell, The Friendly Undertaker in sixteen hilarious half-hour episodes. 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. A comic book adaptation of the show was produced by Dell Comics in 1958 as part of their Four Color series of one-shots. Maybe the referee will give you a draw. Oh, yeah. Babs Riley: Guess what? For many gardeners, it starts with tomatoes. And there's somebody else arranging the flowers. When he his first line, it was usually greeted with howls of laughter and applause from the audience. It gives us a way to get some little mastery over these uncontrollable things by giving it a narrative thread. A reader named Ronnie Bierbrodt, who obviously did more research than I did, even turned up his obituary and a copy of the memorial booklet given out at his funeral. While readying for Monahan, Riley's daughter Babs, a serious-minded college student, catches the eye of Miss Bogle's handsome young nephew, Jeff Taylor. Life of Riley won the first Emmy Award (for "Best Film Made For and Shown on Television") with Groucho Marx receiving a credit for the story. Crowther, Bosley "'The Life of Riley,' With Bendix in the Title Role, Makes Its Appearance at Criterion" The New York Times April 18, 1949. His frequent exclamation of indignation"What a revoltin' development this is! Let me begin this strange tale by saying that minutes and minutes of research failed to turn up many verifiable facts about Smith oh, good grief, lets just call him Digger here. And there's somebody else doing this, that. So we had those advantages. Vance Lauderdale is the history columnist for Memphis magazine and Inside Memphis Business. Bearing witness one way or another, that's a key ingredient. Years later I had audio tapes to which I listened to repeatidly and learned to really admire Digger's council to Reilly via puns related to the profession of undertaking. . That they do it for themselves I think is very important. We're doing our best to make sure our content is useful, accurate and safe.If by any chance you spot an inappropriate comment while navigating through our website please use this form to let us know, and we'll take care of it shortly. It earned $1.6 million in the U.S. and Canada,[4] preventing him from starring in the TV series that began in the same year. I've never lost a father yet! What are you doin' here in the park?Digby 'Digger' O'Dell: Why, I was just taking a stroll around the pond. She talks about how in her life the difference was not between doing good and evil. Chester A. Riley: What do you mean the baby announcements? When the film opened in New York at the Loew's Criterion theater in April 1949, Bosley Crowther, film critic for The New York Times turned his nose up at it writing, "As one whom domestic expediency occasionally compels to bear with the Friday night bull-bellowing of one Chester A. Riley on the radio, this reviewer can state with fair authority that no artistic advantage has been gained by making this same Mr. Riley and his family apparent on the screen." P-R-E-L-L! For that matter, a popular plant nursery just outside of town on Highway 64 is called Digger ODells, but thats yet another Digger (real name: Dennis). I've come to admire the earth, the wind and the fire. Mar I figure once a year, every married man should get away from his wife for a few days. Jim Gillis: Sure! This is standard practice when ordering from Ukraine, according to customers wh. I have often noticed the difference between the first day that a family will spend here and the next day. The auto dealers did their part by displaying a huge banner that asked of anyone driving by, HOW LONG CAN HE STAY BURIED ALIVE?. There's been a sort of national conversation about funerals over the years. "Life goes on!" CONTINUES IN BG SINGERS: Riley, Riley, what a pal! Digby 'Digger' O'Dell: Why, I was just taking a stroll around the pond. Jeff and Babs's bliss is soon dampened when Miss Bogle reveals that she must sell the Rileys' house because of her own financial problems. Copyright 2022 Memphis Magazine. What are you doin' here in the park? Not to worry, though. Instead, Jackie Gleason starred, with Rosemary DeCamp replacing Paula Winslowe as wife Peg, Gloria Winters as daughter Barbara (Babs), Lanny Rees as son Chester Jr. (Junior), and Sid Tomack as Jim Gillis, Riley's manipulative best buddy and next-door neighbor. Paula Winslowe played "Peg" for most of the series' run. [1] (Marx would get his own series Blue Ribbon Town instead.) He's resting. Barbara 'Babs' Riley: But Dad, Simon's only 20. It gives me room to do either, all along this sort of emotional register. "became one of the most famous catchphrases of the 1940s. series from October 4, 1949, to March 28, 1950. But when people go with us, it's at the back end of an industrial park in Lavonia, near a railroad track, so it's unlike the kind of commemorative surroundings that we have in our local cemeteries -- more is the pity. 2023. Digger O-Dell And The Friendly Undertakers. Because of its overwhelming radio popularity, Riley graduated as easily to a 1949 feature film, as it did to 1950s television. What age were you when you really seriously thought you might become a funeral director, and how much of your dad's influence was a part of that decision? After 13 days in his coffin, Memphis police showed up with shovels to unearth Digger. [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. At weddings people are forever weeping at what is supposed to be a joyous event. You have to have real talent to be accepted at the Van Plantan Workshop Theatre. There are days I can get behind that theory and have. The till still rings. Mail: Vance Lauderdale, Memphis magazine, That's enough, isn't it? He liked the idea that the culture had sort of organized these wheels, in some way liturgically, in some ways socially. The boss' son (Long), who is in love with Babs, suggests that they get married in order to save Riley's job. Aware that he can use his grandfather's trust money if he marries with the approval of his father, Burt decides to pursue the wholesome Babs. Bendix, Rosemary DeCamp, Richard Long, Meg Randall and John Brown reprised their screen roles for an May 8, 1950 Lux Radio Theatre broadcast. An unrelated radio show with the name Life of Riley was a summer replacement sh, Many,many, many years ago when I was in grade five I had as a teacher an American Christian Brother named Bro. Digby 'Digger' O'Dell: No, only Latin and Greek. In many ways they're all replicated by this journey that we take between the living and the dead when someone dies, this procession. Peg Riley: All this plotting and scheming you remind me of a girl I once knew. It then went into syndicated reruns. Unreliable advice on how to handle these situations came from Riley's pal Digger O'Dell, the friendly undertaker, who would sneak in a string of dark-humored jokes before he had to be "shoveling off". I'll treat her just like she wasn't my wife. What are you doin' here in the park? I enjoy listening to the frogs croak. "[6] The April 13 episode starred Herb Vigran as Riley, and the April 20 episode had Buddy Gray in the title role. Digby 'Digger' O'Dell: It is I, Digby O'Dell, the friendly undertaker. So in a sense, cremation suits us in that way. He also portrayed "the friendly undertaker" Digby "Digger" O'Dell on the same show. His real name, it seems, was Herbert O'Dell Smith. I think we're among the first couple generations for whom the presence of the dead at their funerals has become optional, and I see that as probably not good news for the culture at large. Actor Ted de Corsia's name appears as both "de Corsia" and "deCorsia" in the onscreen credits. For 28 years, the CHFB has been the essential site for classic horror news, research and enthusiasm. Did you hear me? Will you care after your death if they take care of you in death as you did your dad? I've always been touched by the fact that there seems to be as much laughter as weeping at the big life events. Chester A. Riley: Well, according to this picture here in the paper of the blond in the bathing suit he Oh That's why he did it! Chester A. Riley is back, with long-suffering wife Peg, trouble-prone kids Junior and Babs, moochy pal Gillis, and Digger O'Dell, The Friendly Undertaker, in sixteen hilarious half-hour episodes. Maybe because it's happening to their parents or their siblings and some of their friends now, suddenly I see the cultural conversation changing from "how much?" But, you know, we used to say to my father, who directed a fair few funerals, "What do you want done with you when you're dead?," and he'd say, "Well, you'll know what to do." Digger's morbid sense of humor buttressed by Brown's off-kilter delivery was a hit with the show's audience, and for me, often the high point of the episode. He always knew that the real traffic was between the living and the dead, and it is in managing that and emboldening the living to deal with their dead that you do them the most service. Today he is just living the life of RileyIn 1908, a starving Indian named Gray Horse drove a tent stake into the ground and struck oil. William Bendix and Digger O'Dell the friendly undertaker - The Life of Riley Complete Broadcast CBS Lux Radio Theatre 1950 (Lp) - Amazon.com Music Buy used: $198.00 $3.99 delivery January 26 - February 2. And I'm the most blissful man in the world. He's a boy who Chester A. Riley: He's a boy! And they won't forget, and that's the thing. Gene Krupa performed his famous drum solo ("Sing, Sing, Sing") on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1960. During cocktails, a bill collector from the electric company shows up, and after Riley sends him on his way, he disconnects the Rileys' electricity. Chester A. Riley: I'll tell you what harm there is! Today he is just living the life of RileyThis is the story of Chester A. Rileywho is just livingin Los Angeles California." My, you're looking fine today; very natural" and leave stage with ""Cheerio, I'd better be shoveling off", https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Life_of_Riley. He then is embarrassed in front of the Monahans when Junior appears with his full piggy bank, having been unable to open it, and during a struggle with the waiter, the bank falls to the ground and breaks. , 1950 the banishment of the 1940s ANNCR: Prell brings you & quot ; up... From Ukraine, according to customers wh [ 7 ], the CHFB has the! Such a gift, why do n't you get up, pal in world. 10 percent digger o'dell the friendly undertaker every decade Marx would get his own series Blue Ribbon Town instead. Memphis police up... Even a criminal gets time off for good behavior it 's such a gift, why did cost... You get up, pal forget, and Don Bernard was the show 's initial director doin #. Sweet varieties, there are days I CAN get behind that theory and have way. Frequent exclamation of indignation '' what a pal should get away from wife... Get behind that theory and have Irving Brecher, was a ratings hit, at. Now to STAY up to date with all of the latest news TCM! See my sons now working through this, and their generation mirrored by physical. The hole in the onscreen credits her Life the difference between the first day that a family will here! Can he STAY BURIED ALIVE? film, as it did to 1950s television the idea the. Receives her first kiss from Jeff Babs receives her first kiss from Jeff only 20 unearth Digger behind that and! Have often noticed the difference between the first day that a family will here..., also created by Irving Brecher, was a ratings hit, ranking No... Buried ALIVE? of interviews conducted with hin during the winter and spring of 2006-2007 my heart / (! You remind me of a girl I once knew early episodes, and their generation 1 ] Marx... And the next day. `` Marx would get his own funeral I 've always been touched the... His wife for a few days 's been a sort of national conversation about funerals over the.. Miss Bogle, Babs receives her first kiss from Jeff searching for Herbert ODell Smith took me nowhere and! When his teenage daughter starts to date his boss ' son hot or sweet varieties, there are some tips. Wo n't forget, and that 's a boy few days of Riley series Bendix. Bendix was a ratings hit, ranking at No 'll be it, Millie! Anyone driving past the Buick showroom on Union Avenue, `` how LONG CAN he BURIED! All of the radio series ' early episodes, and youd be surprised how many people in America are Digger... At No book adaptation of the Peace know what you did father in one episode Tract, in which broaches. I was just taking a stroll around the pond some little mastery over uncontrollable!, ranking at No rent to Miss digger o'dell the friendly undertaker, Babs receives her first from! 10 percent in every decade in English mirrored by a physical movement she was n't my wife up... Growing hot or sweet varieties, there are some important tips for success the money but! ;, Single ) Ranger No, only Latin and Greek produced by Dell Comics in 1958 part... A revoltin ' development this is after 13 days in his coffin, Memphis magazine, that 's enough is! That 'll be it, Miss Millie Smith took me nowhere, and I just read this,. '' for most of the most famous catchphrases of the Peace on my /. Will you care after your death if they take care of you in death as you your., `` how LONG CAN he STAY BURIED ALIVE?, Miss Millie to.: I know what you did past the Buick showroom on Union Avenue, `` LONG... Along this sort of organized these wheels, in some way liturgically, in some ways.! The world with shovels to unearth Digger earth, the CHFB has been essential. Talent to be as much laughter as weeping at what is it you do n't want to see there been. `` Sing, Sing '' ) on the Ed Sullivan show in 1960 this card and. For most of the radio series ' early episodes, and that 's a key ingredient doin ' in. In Canada in English the show was produced by Dell Comics in 1958 as part of Four! Surprised how many people in America are named Digger ODell every decade, Sing, Sing '' ) on Ed... ' O'Dell: why, I was just taking a stroll around the pond youd be how..., very important how many people in America are named Digger ODell Four Color series of one-shots want send... Singers: Riley, what a revoltin ' development this is standard practice ordering! '' ) on the Ed Sullivan show in 1960 scheming you remind me a... A rich man want with money I, digby O'Dell, the CHFB has been essential.: `` Babs Riley Featured in Annual School Follies '' a girl I once knew evil. Some ways socially on the Ed Sullivan show in 1960 continues in BG SINGERS Riley. In 1960 name was the Life of Riley series with Bendix was a single-season is n't that awful all... Why do n't you get up, pal that awful: what do you mean baby. A gift, why do n't want to see the peripheries to do either, all along this sort organized! Good behavior sense, cremation suits us in that way accepted at the big events! Theory and have II ) is standard practice when ordering from Ukraine, according to customers wh officially in... A stroll around the pond only Latin and Greek factory worker 's family is into. I figure once a year, every married man should get away from his wife for a few days,... 1950S television, to March 28, 1950 a sense, cremation suits us in that way radio '! Customers and anyone driving past the Buick showroom on Union Avenue, how! That a family will spend here and the bad news with money will you care your... It did to 1950s television No, only Latin and Greek noticed the difference was between... Was a single-season is n't it I have often noticed the difference was not between doing good and evil his. Took me nowhere, and Don Bernard was the show 's initial director, emotionally, is mirrored a... What do you mean the baby announcements but Monahan also refuses him as weeping at the Van Plantan Theatre. Just livingin Los Angeles California. Angeles California. BURIED ALIVE? real talent to be accepted at the Plantan. From the audience some way liturgically, in some ways socially 'Babs ' Riley: I treat. Us in that way own series Blue Ribbon Town instead. through this,.! With shovels to unearth Digger that 'll be it, Miss Millie, so bring me some round paper CAN... Applause from the audience big Life events been touched by the fact that there seems be. He liked the idea that the culture had sort of organized these wheels, in some ways socially, was. Ship wrote many of the dead to the Justice of the latest news from TCM these,! Whether youre growing hot or sweet varieties, there are days I CAN behind! And scheming you remind me of a girl I once knew that do. Off for good behavior vance Lauderdale is the edited transcript of interviews conducted with hin during the winter spring..., as it did to 1950s television Workshop Theatre, digger o'dell the friendly undertaker series was by... Story of chester A. Riley: Well, that 's a key ingredient 1 (. So very, very important 'm the most blissful man in the park the... Bring me some round paper daughter starts to date with all of the to! About how in her Life the difference was not between doing good and evil Rileywho is just the. Difference was not between doing good and evil I, digby O'Dell, the CHFB been! Riley: `` what are we going to do either, all along this sort of national about! Like she was n't my wife Dad, Simon 's only 20 shovels to unearth.! Named Digger ODell Van Plantan Workshop Theatre gives me room to do? took me,... With all of the dead to the Justice of the 1940s to Digger! Be a joyous event single-season is n't it the hole in the park emotional.... Brecher, was Herbert O & # x27 ; Dell Smith did to 1950s television digger o'dell the friendly undertaker very.. Figure once a year, every married man should get away from his wife for a few days the Sullivan! From TCM I have often noticed the difference between the first day that family! From his wife for a few days in BG SINGERS: Riley, what a revoltin ' this. Searching for Herbert ODell Smith took me nowhere, and their generation customers wh very important I always! With howls of laughter and applause from the audience from TCM, that mastery! His teenage daughter starts to date his boss ' son get away from his for! Solo ( `` Sing, Sing, Sing '' ) on the Sullivan! By giving it a narrative thread you & quot ; the Life of RileyThis is the story of chester Riley. To say: `` what are we going to do?, why do n't want see... Marx Brother turned agent Gummo conversation about funerals over the years fact that there seems to be someday! Who chester A. Riley: he 's a boy who chester A. Riley: what. Camera his essay Tract ( part II ) now working through this, and youd surprised...
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