What happens
Riley, a factory worker, reads a book called How to Choose a Mate and decides he should help his daughter Babs find a suitable husband while she is still a teenager. His wife Peg and the rest of the family object strongly to the idea. Riley's inner conscience argues with him as he measures himself against the book's list of qualities for a perfect mate. When Peg's old friend Sidney Monahan arrives unexpectedly and is invited to stay, Riley grows jealous and tries to win back his wife's affection. The episode is the first part of The Life of Riley, a radio comedy series broadcast on the Blue Network and ABC, first aired on 8 October 1948. William Bendix stars as Riley, with Paula Winslowe and Hans Conried in supporting roles.
The Riley family's home
Characters: Riley, Peg, Babs, Junior, Sidney Monahan, Riley's conscience
Listen for: Riley reading aloud from the book's list of qualities for a perfect mate, and his argument with his conscience
Written from the episode itself; it never gives away the ending. Every recording is remastered for the stream: cleaned of rumble, hiss and mains hum (and the old TV whine where we found it), then levelled in two passes to steady broadcast loudness, so one show is never quieter than the next.