ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, February 16, 1997 TAG: 9702170046
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B-4 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: MANHATTAN BEACH, CALIF.
TYPE: NEWS OBIT
Actress Marjorie Reynolds, wooed by rivals Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire in ``Holiday Inn'' and later the long-suffering wife on television's ``The Life of Riley,'' died Feb. 1 at age 79, her family said Wednesday.
``Holiday Inn,'' the 1942 film that featured Crosby singing ``White Christmas,'' crowned Reynolds' hard-won place in Hollywood.
She went on to star in the Fritz Lang drama ``Ministry of Fear'' opposite Ray Milland, ham it up in the comedy ``Up in Mabel's Room'' opposite Dennis O'Keefe, and dance in another musical, ``Bring on the Girls,'' with Eddie Bracken.
As Peg Riley, Reynolds became a familiar face in American living rooms. She played the role opposite William Bendix's Chester A. Riley, aircraft plant worker and lovable bumbler, from 1953 to 1958.
After the Riley television series, Reynolds appeared in the films ``Juke Box Rhythm'' in 1959 and ``The Silent Witness'' in 1962, but largely abandoned her acting career.
- Associated Press
LENGTH: Short : 31 linesby CNB