The Life of Riley (TV Series) The Boarder (1949) User Reviews

Suspicious Minds

[JordanThomasHall · 6/10 · 2 April 2018]

Riley (Jackie Gleason) has found the family needs to have more money to work with after going over the household accounts. Gillis (Sid Tomack) suggests taking in a boarder and Riley acts upon it. The family is upset that one of their rooms has been rented to a man Riley hasn't met, nor knows anything about. Junior (Lanny Rees) reads in the paper where LA police are on the hunt for a convicted burglar who shot two officers and escaped. The boarder, Mr. Ferguson (character actor Alan Reed, "The Postman Always Rings Twice", voice of Fred Flintstone), arrives in a stern, quiet manner that puts the family on edge. Riley goes through his suitcase to find a gun and a blackjack, and brings in the police. The revelation may only be the start of problems after all.

I found the episode quite predictable with missed opportunities for more comedy.

The Good, the bad, and the other

[mitchrmp · 7/10 · 3 June 2014]

Riley doesn't like that they don't have any money so he comes up with an idea on getting more. Well, at first he actually wants to take Junior's fifty cents allowance (and then give him a raise to make it a dollar) for room and board, but Peg won't allow it. So when Gillis comes over, he suggest they take in a boarder - an idea Riley embraces with fever.

But before the man even arrives, the family fears he may be a robber/murderer the police are looking for. The truth is really quite humorous.

The episode is humorous from beginning to end.