William Bendix

Chester A. Riley, Bendix's character on The Life of Riley (1953), was ranked #30 in TV Guide's list of the "50 Greatest TV Dads of All Time" [20 June 2004 issue].

Biography in: "Who's Who in Comedy" by Ronald L. Smith. pg. 41-42. New York: Facts on File, 1992. ISBN 0816023387

In the summer of 1961 the residents of Aurora East, OH, voted to name the town park after their favorite television performer--William Bendix. He made a personal appearance to dedicate "William Bendix Park".

William Bendix was not a son of Brooklyn, New York, although because of his stereotypical "Brooklyn accent" it has been widely supposed that he was. Bendix was actually born in the Borough of Manhattan (New York City proper), in a midtown flat hard by the tracks of the long-since defunct Third-Avenue Elevated Railway. (Manhattan sections of the "El," as New Yorkers called it, were demolished circa 1956. )Jut-jawed, broken-nosed and burly, Bendix began his acting career after the ravages of the Great Depression had killed his erstwhile grocery business.

Was a descendant of composer Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy. This was revealed on the TV show This Is Your Life (1950); host Ralph Edwards awarded Bendix with a framed document signed by Mendelssohn.

Despite (or perhaps on account of) his looks he was often called upon to supply comedic support, as in A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court (1948), when, portraying Sir Sagramore of King Arthur's Round Table in full suit of armor and pageboy wig, he waxeth eloquent, in his Brooklyn accent but in the most incongruent of Middle English dialects! On the other hand, that same craggy appearance had him in such roles as that of the thug Jeff in The Glass Key (1942), in which he repeatedly and gleefully uses his fists to beat star Alan Ladd's face to a pulp and then sadistically challenges Ladd, once he is healed, to come back and receive further "treatment"! Although he will always be fondly remembered for his light-comedy portrayals (in *three* of the mass media!) of Chester A.

Portraying Chester Riley on the popular "The Life of Riley" radio program from 1944-52, Bendix was initially prevented from recreating his role for TV due to contractual restrictions. Jackie Gleason played the role when the program first aired, but Bendix subsequently took over the part after the show failed to get decent ratings. Gleason's role as Riley lasted one season (The Life of Riley (1948)). Bendix, who starred in the rarely aired big-screen version The Life of Riley (1949), would finally assume the TV role on NBC's The Life of Riley (1953) four years later. The show became a huge success and ran another five seasons. In a similar turn, Bendix replaced Gleason in the Broadway musical "Take Me Along" in 1960.

" His Hollywood feature debut came about in one of his few starring roles, in Hal Roach's Brooklyn Orchid (1942). But more often than not, in his movies Bendix received less than top billing, inasmuch as so many of his film assignments involved supporting roles.

Having performed in nightclubs even while grocer, and having portrayed taxicab drivers in a series of Broadway flops, he enjoyed his first notable performance on the Broadway stage in 1939, portraying the cop Krupp in William Saroyan's "The Time of Your Life.

Attracted the attention of producer Cheryl Walker in the late 1930s and appeared in six of her productions at the Theatre Guild.

In 1922, when he was 15, Bendix was a bat boy for the New York Yankees, and became a favorite of Babe Ruth, who entrusted Bendix with various personal errands. Years later, in 1948, Bendix played Ruth in The Babe Ruth Story (1948).

As a child he played the son of actress Lillian Walker in a silent film in 1911 (age 5).

He was awarded two Stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Radio at 1638 Vine St. and for Television at 6251 Hollywood Blvd.