I cant even blame my wife too much. Chester A. Riley: Hello, Digger. Dear j.b.: Well, for starters I can tell you that this interesting fellow (and Im certainly not disputing that) was not a Memphian, and his name wasnt really Digger ODell. The program was broadcast live with a studio audience, most of whom were not aware Brown played both characters. The finger food was good, the talk was uplifting, the music was life-affirming; someone, usually the reverend clergy, could be counted on to declare closure, usually just before the Merlot ran out, and everyone was there but the one who had died. 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. Riley's annoying co-worker, Gillis, was also voiced by Brown. Chester A. Riley: Oh, you're gonna count my blood? It was during this period that Gleason played Riley on one episode of the radio series. Maybe bigger. I know it won't matter, it will be others, but do you see yourself as the fire or the earth, or --? I have children at home; my wife had taken them home from the luncheon. Radio historian Gerald Nachman quotes Brecher as stating, "He was a Brooklyn guy and there was something about him. Peg Riley: No. Sign Up now to stay up to date with all of the latest news from TCM. It seems "Digger O'Dell" was a "friendly undertaker" character in The Life of Riley , a radio soap opera that aired back in the 1930s, but that still doesn't explain the curious popularity of the name, if you ask me. Sometime in the mid-60s, probably having a lot to do with Jessica Mitford's book [The American Way of Death] and a lot to do with other social factors, there was sort of the triumphalist American sense that we didn't have to deal with any discomforts. . I mean, it's uncomfortable, and I don't know what to say any more than the next guy, and I don't do strawberry rhubarb pie. Barbara 'Babs' Riley: But Dad, Simon's only 20. What we don't want to see is our mother or our father dead, and that is the part we need to see. He had a new book out about God not being great. Chester A. Riley: I'm just as much a show-off as they are, ain't I? The local newspapers reported that an 18x24-inch plywood air shaft allowed Digger to receive air and food, and he had carefully stocked his tiny domicile with lights, reading glasses, even packs of cigarettes. 2023 Turner Classic Movies, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Babs Riley: Guess what? 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. Chester A. Riley: I'll go home right now. When Riley learns that the couple is to spend their honeymoon in separate rooms, he becomes suspicious. Id like to think that the cemetery installed a periscope so visitors could see him, or at least a tube where they could drop coins and see if they could ring the bell but I doubt it. The till still rings. You can read in history books about the way a funeral procession was laid out -- which civic group, which ecclesiastical group, which fraternal group, which family group -- how everybody was lined up, so that as people walked in, there was this rise and fall of relationship and grief, and people know this, that good, orderly direction that was assumed by this process, this ritual. I planned the whole thing. I was thrilled to find IA, where I can find some of those classics. And are you a cremation or a burial man? Simon Vanderhopper: Mr. Riley, you're not angry? One example of this type of comedy is the line "Business is a little dead tonight" . Riley, Riley, what a guy! Plunged into darkness, Riley takes the advice of friend and neighbor, undertaker "Digger" O'Dell, and invites his guests to a restaurant. "It is I, Digger O'Dell, your friendly undertaker. Who is the producer of syndicated radio's 'The Sean Hannity Show' that is consistently referred to on-air as "Sweet Baby James"? Web. And oftentimes I'm impressed by how people will wrap their existential concerns about a dying parent in the prearrangement conference. Scars On My Heart / Her (7", Single) Ranger. He was supported by Marjorie Reynolds, replacing both Paula Winslowe and Rosemary DeCamp, as wife Peg; Tom D'Andrea as schemer buddy Jim Gillis; Gloria Blondell (sister of Joan Blondell) as Gillis' wife, Honeybee, and Gregory Marshall as their son Egbert; Lugene Sanders was Babs and Wesley Morgan was Junior. I've really come to the point where I can see in a fire all that release; I can see the Holy Spirit in it, you know. Punchy: Hey, why don't you get up, pal? He jumps across the line just as a girl, who is covered by a blanket, is being shot by an arrow and plunges off a cliff. I admire entrepreneurs and performers as much as the next guy, but it was surely a miserable way to make a living. What is your sense of what's driven and shaped that conversation, and what, if anything, has been missing from that public view of it all? So I took The Flotsam Family script, revised it, made it a Brooklyn Family, took out the flippancies and made it more meat-and-potatoes, and thought of a new title, The Life of Riley. In some ways it is a culture that's based on convenience and cost efficiency. We are now without a mother or without a father. The custom of eulogy, what is its meaning? He has been buried in a concrete vault for 36 days, sealed in glass 33 days, and spent 26 days underwater., But somewhere along the way, he decided to concentrate on burying himself in the worlds smallest apartment, as the various promotions called it. I'll be the dead guy, and the dead say nothing. He also portrayed "the friendly undertaker" Digby "Digger" O'Dell on the same show. Quotes.net. "You have to have helpers 24 hours a day.". I like the connection, the sound of the word "process"; it suggests movement, a pilgrimage. How different is confronting death without faith? there are very few hands raised in the room, because cremation is often shorthand for disappearance. Don't forget the gallon I gave to the Red Cross. His frequent exclamation of indignation became one of the most famous catch phrases of the 1940s: "What a revoltin' development this is!" The radio series greatly benefited from the immense popularity of a supporting character, Digby "Digger" O'Dell (John Brown), "the friendly undertaker." We are less grounded than our grandparents were. Buick customers could view him through a periscope, or they could drop coins down a tube that urged them, Can you ring the bell? Nobody seemed to ask and the newspapers werent telling how on earth the man would use the bathroom during his 58 days (and maybe longer) underground. I mean, if it was just a matter of forgetting, we would do that. Oh, yeah. [6][7], The NBC adaptation, also created by Irving Brecher, was a single-season And I've seen it work, I've seen it work. Bareiss, Warren "The Life of Riley" Encyclopedia of Television But people will go home, and they will look at pictures of the dead; they'll look at movies of the dead; they'll quote the dead to one another; and they will weep and laugh and carry on. John Brown, Radio and TV Actor, Dies; Played Digger O'Dell in 'Life of Riley' Give this article May 18, 1957 The New York Times Archives See the article in its original context from May 18, 1957,. When he his first line, it was usually greeted with howls of laughter and applause from the audience. For 28 years, the CHFB has been the essential site for classic horror news, research and enthusiasm. Chester A. Riley: No. Before going, Riley instructs his precocious son Junior to exchange his piggy bank coins into bills and meet him at the restaurant, assuming that Junior's savings combined with his five dollars will be enough to pay for the meal. And I do think that while the dead don't care, the dead matter. I enjoy listening to the frogs croak. Digger O'Dell Buried For Good This Time. That's not what you don't want to see, because we can fix that all." The expression "life of Riley" or "living the life of Riley (Reilly)" emerged in the early 1920s, and was probably derived from turn-of-the-century Irish songs, such as "The Best in the House Is None Too Good for Reilly." I've always been touched by the fact that there seems to be as much laughter as weeping at the big life events. I see no difference in the machinery it takes to dig a hole [and] the machinery it takes to build a fire. It has to do with the gift of language. Peg Riley: Well, of all the revolting ideas! t.r., memphis. Sponsors of the TV show included Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer (194950), Gulf Oil (195358) and Lever Brothers (195758). Dr. Beamish: Not now, I'm afraid. : Commissioned in 1932 by Memphis Chapter 1 of the American War Mothers, this large bronze plaque carried the names of 27 Memphians who had lost their lives in World War I. There are several videos on line. But I don't know of anybody who has come in here entirely angry at the prospect of God who has done well with this type of thing, with deaths in the family. When the publicity manager urged him to change into a dark suit (so it would be more funeral-like) Digger refused: Ive got to have my robe. When the promoter begged him to change clothes once he was below ground, Digger explained the situation: No room. It's not always the same thing, and for everyone it's different. By Lorraine LoBianco. The Life of Riley, 1944 to 1951. And particularly when you see the transaction which involves this rather impressive life-or-death event with the rather mundane mercantility of it all. Peg Riley: Then I've been in love with you the whole time. And the components of a funeral sometimes change. to "how come? 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? It has always been a family-owned and -operated firm, founded by Thomas Lynch's father, Edward Joseph Lynch. His real name, it seems, was Herbert O'Dell Smith. The character of Digger O'Dell was not resurrected as a result of actor John Brown having been placed on the Hollywood blacklist. My mother died on the 27th of October and was buried on the 31st of October, so it was the Eve of All Saints. 460 Tennessee Street #200, Memphis, TN 38103. In addition to Bendix' Riley, the show featured immensely popular supporting characters, including Digby "Digger" O'Dell, the ghoulish "friendly undertaker" voiced by John Brown (who also played Thorny on Ozzie and Harriet, Al on My Friend Irma, and Broadway on The Damon Runyan Theatre). Not all of the radio cast made the transition to film; Paula Winslowe and Barbara Eiler were replaced with DeCamp and Meg Randall as Riley's wife, Peg, and daughter, Babs respectively. He noted that "the grave that he can't escape from" is located in Sawnee View Memorial Gardens, just outside of Cummings, Georgia. [citation needed] Mel Blanc provided some voices as well, including that of Junior's dog Tiger as well as that of a dog catcher who claimed to have a special bond with dogs. They'll survive it. 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. After Riley overhears Burt discussing "business" with Norman, he beats up Norman and drags him before the wedding crowd. 16 in its first season, with four of its six seasons in the top 30, and ran for a total of 217 episodes. When Burt finally tells Babs about his financial predicament and suggests that they marry quickly so that Riley can keep his job and he can save his life, Babs reluctantly agrees. He's where he's buried for good. The character of Digger O'Dell was not resurrected as a result of actor John Brown having been placed on . I prefer the dead languages. 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. What can you tell me about this interesting fellow? Get Ready for a New Season of Gardening -Choose from Tomatoes, Peaches, Corn, Zinnias & More! Bendix, Rosemary DeCamp, Richard Long, Meg Randall and John Brown reprised their screen roles for an May 8, 1950 Lux Radio Theatre broadcast. DIGGER, Digby O'Dell, the Friendly Undertaker MOTHER, Irish and obnoxious ANNOUNCER SINGERS MUSIC: THEME . She just cant help being money hungry.. A great memorable quote from the The Life of Riley movie on Quotes.net - "It is I, Digger O'Dell, your friendly undertaker. She has her picture on the front page. [citation needed], The series was co-developed by the nonperforming Marx Brother turned agent Gummo. We'd be wise, as a culture, to examine some of these things. The Life of Riley, 1944 to 1951. Opening credits conclude with the following written statement: "America! It was a sudden inspiration brought on by ownership of a tuxedo T-shirt! In 1907, a penniless farmer named Ruben Shipp discovered gold while plowing his field. So it's not like you do things for them as much as you do it with them and embolden them to do for themselves. 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