Red Skelton
Biography
The son of a former circus clown turned grocer and a cleaning woman, Red Skelton was introduced to show business at the age of 7 by Ed Wynn, at a vaudeville show in Vincennes. At age 10, he left home to travel with a medicine show through the Midwest, and joined the vaudeville circuit at age 15. At age 17, he married Edna Marie Stilwell, an usher who became his vaudeville partner and later his chief writer and manager. He debuted on Broadway and radio in 1937 and on film in 1938. His ex-wife/manager negotiated a seven-year Hollywood contract for him in 1951, the same year The Red Skelton Hour (1951) premiered on NBC. For two decades, until 1971, his show consistently stayed in the top twenty, both on NBC and CBS. His numerous characters, including Clem Kaddiddlehopper, George Appleby, and the seagulls Gertrude and Heathcliffe delighted audiences for decades. First and foremost, he considered himself a clown, although not the greatest, and his paintings of clowns brought in a fortune after he left television. His home life was not completely happy--two divorces and a son Richard who died of leukemia at age 9--and he did not hang around with other comedians. He continued performing live until illness, and he was a longtime supporter of children's charities. Red Skelton died at age 84 of pneumonia in Rancho Mirage, California, on September 17, 1997. Red is interred at Forest Lawn Cemetery, Glendale, California, in the Great Mausoleum, Sanctuary of Benediction.
Personal Details
Also Known As
Movies (39)
Pioneers of Primetime
2005
Red Skelton: America's Greatest Clown
as Red Skelton
2005
Red Skelton: Bloopers, Blunders, and Ad Libs
as Himself (Host)/Various Characters
2001
Television: The First Fifty Years
as Buffalo Bob Smith / Howdy Doody (archive footage)
1999
Inside the Dream Factory
as Self
1995
A Tribute to Houdini
as Self
1987
That's Dancing!
as From 'Bathing Beauty' (archive footage)
1985
Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers
as Self (archive footage)
1985
Red Skelton: A Royal Command Performance
as Himself
1984
Freddie the Freeloader's Christmas Dinner
as Freddie the Freeloader
1981
The Hollywood Clowns
as (archive footage)
1979
Rudolph's Shiny New Year
as Father Time / Baby Bear (voice)
1977
The People's Command Performance: '77
as Self
1977
That's Entertainment, Part II
as (archive footage)
1976
America on Parade
as Host
1976
That's Entertainment!
as (archive footage) (uncredited)
1974
Jack Benny's 20th Anniversary TV Special
as Self (uncredited)
1970
Honor America Day
as Self
1970
Swing Out, Sweet Land
as Self
1970
The Dean Martin Christmas Show
as Self (uncredited)
1968
Clown Alley
as Freddie the Freeloader
1966
Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours 11 Minutes
as The Neanderthal Man
1965
The Big Parade of Comedy
as Aubrey Filmore in 'A Southern Yankee' (archive footage)
1964
Ocean's Eleven
as Self
1960
The Man in the Funny Suit
as Self
1960
Public Pigeon No. 1
as Rusty Morgan
1957
The Country Husband
as Self - Announcing Next Week's Show
1956
Around the World in 80 Days
as Drunk in Barbary Coast Saloon
1956
Red Skelton Christmas Classics
as Main
1955
Susan Slept Here
as Oswald from North Dakota (uncredited)
1954
The Great Diamond Robbery
as Ambrose C. Park
1954
Half a Hero
as Ben Dobson
1953
The Clown
as Dodo Delwyn
1953
Lovely to Look At
as Al Marsh
1952
Texas Carnival
as Cornie Quinell
1951
Excuse My Dust
as Joe Belden
1951
Watch the Birdie
as Rusty Cammeron
1950
The Fuller Brush Girl
as Red Skelton - Fuller Brush Man (uncredited)
1950
Three Little Words
as Harry Ruby
1950
TV Shows (11)
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
as Self
1962
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
as Self
1958
The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour
as Red Skeleton
1957
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show
as Self
1956
The Steve Allen Show
as Self - Cameo / Clem Kadiddlehopper
1956
Climax!
as Rusty Morgan
1954
The Oscars
as Self
1953
This Is Your Life
as Self
1952
The Red Skelton Show
as Host
1951
The Jack Benny Program
as Self
1950
The Bob Hope Show
as Self
1950