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.
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.
External links
IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/nm0804026
Wikipedia: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1277029
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Filmography (Movies)
Pioneers of Primetime
Character:
Release Date:09/11/2005
Red Skelton: America's Greatest Clown
Character:Red Skelton
Release Date:28/06/2005
Red Skelton: Bloopers, Blunders, and Ad Libs
Character:Himself (Host)/Various Characters
Release Date:15/05/2001
Television: The First Fifty Years
Character:Buffalo Bob Smith / Howdy Doody (archive footage)
Release Date:01/01/1999
Inside the Dream Factory
Character:Self
Release Date:01/11/1995
A Tribute to Houdini
Character:Self
Release Date:01/01/1987
That's Dancing!
Character:From 'Bathing Beauty' (archive footage)
Release Date:18/01/1985
Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers
Character:Self (archive footage)
Release Date:01/01/1985
Red Skelton: A Royal Command Performance
Character:Himself
Release Date:22/04/1984
Freddie the Freeloader's Christmas Dinner
Character:Freddie the Freeloader
Release Date:13/12/1981
The Hollywood Clowns
Character:(archive footage)
Release Date:23/03/1979
Rudolph's Shiny New Year
Character:Father Time / Baby Bear (voice)
Release Date:04/12/1977
The People's Command Performance: '77
Character:Self
Release Date:07/04/1977
That's Entertainment, Part II
Character:(archive footage)
Release Date:16/05/1976
America on Parade
Character:Host
Release Date:03/04/1976
That's Entertainment!
Character:(archive footage) (uncredited)
Release Date:21/06/1974
Jack Benny's 20th Anniversary TV Special
Character:Self (uncredited)
Release Date:16/11/1970
Honor America Day
Character:Self
Release Date:04/07/1970
Swing Out, Sweet Land
Character:Self
Release Date:01/01/1970
The Dean Martin Christmas Show
Character:Self (uncredited)
Release Date:19/12/1968
Clown Alley
Character:Freddie the Freeloader
Release Date:09/11/1966
Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours 11 Minutes
Character:The Neanderthal Man
Release Date:16/06/1965
The Big Parade of Comedy
Character:Aubrey Filmore in 'A Southern Yankee' (archive footage)
Release Date:02/09/1964
Ocean's Eleven
Character:Self
Release Date:10/08/1960
The Man in the Funny Suit
Character:Self
Release Date:15/04/1960
Public Pigeon No. 1
Character:Rusty Morgan
Release Date:17/05/1957
The Country Husband
Character:Self - Announcing Next Week's Show
Release Date:01/11/1956
Around the World in 80 Days
Character:Drunk in Barbary Coast Saloon
Release Date:17/10/1956
Red Skelton Christmas Classics
Character:Main
Release Date:23/12/1955
Susan Slept Here
Character:Oswald from North Dakota (uncredited)
Release Date:28/07/1954
The Great Diamond Robbery
Character:Ambrose C. Park
Release Date:29/01/1954
Half a Hero
Character:Ben Dobson
Release Date:11/05/1953
The Clown
Character:Dodo Delwyn
Release Date:16/01/1953
Lovely to Look At
Character:Al Marsh
Release Date:29/05/1952
Texas Carnival
Character:Cornie Quinell
Release Date:05/10/1951
Excuse My Dust
Character:Joe Belden
Release Date:27/06/1951
Watch the Birdie
Character:Rusty Cammeron
Release Date:11/12/1950
The Fuller Brush Girl
Character:Red Skelton - Fuller Brush Man (uncredited)
Release Date:15/09/1950
Three Little Words
Character:Harry Ruby
Release Date:12/07/1950
The Yellow Cab Man
Character:Augustus 'Red' Pirdy
Release Date:25/03/1950
Neptune's Daughter
Character:Jack Spratt
Release Date:10/06/1949
A Southern Yankee
Character:Aubrey Filmore
Release Date:05/08/1948
The Fuller Brush Man
Character:Red Jones
Release Date:01/06/1948
Merton of the Movies
Character:Merton Gill aka Clifford Armytage
Release Date:11/10/1947
The Show-Off
Character:J. Aubrey Piper
Release Date:01/12/1946
Ziegfeld Follies
Character:J. Newton Numbskull (segment "When Television Comes")
Release Date:26/08/1945
Bathing Beauty
Character:Steve Elliott
Release Date:27/06/1944
Twenty Years After
Character:(archive footage)
Release Date:01/01/1944
Whistling in Brooklyn
Character:Wally 'The Fox' Benton
Release Date:01/12/1943
Thousands Cheer
Character:Red Skelton
Release Date:13/09/1943
I Dood It
Character:Joseph 'Joe' Rivington Renolds
Release Date:01/09/1943
Du Barry Was a Lady
Character:Louis Blore / King Louis XV
Release Date:13/08/1943
Whistling in Dixie
Character:Wally Benton
Release Date:31/12/1942
Panama Hattie
Character:Red
Release Date:30/09/1942
Maisie Gets Her Man
Character:Herbert P. 'Hap' Hixby
Release Date:01/06/1942
Ship Ahoy
Character:Merton K. Kibble
Release Date:16/04/1942
Lady Be Good
Character:Joe 'Red' Willet
Release Date:18/09/1941
Dr. Kildare's Wedding Day
Character:Vernon Briggs
Release Date:22/08/1941
Whistling in the Dark
Character:Wally Benton
Release Date:08/08/1941
The People Vs. Dr. Kildare
Character:Vernon Briggs
Release Date:02/05/1941
Flight Command
Character:Lieut. 'Mugger' Martin
Release Date:27/12/1940
Seeing Red
Character:Red / Doorman / Coatroom Attendant / Waiter / Emcee
Release Date:25/08/1939
The Broadway Buckaroo
Character:Red
Release Date:03/06/1939
Having Wonderful Time
Character:Itchy
Release Date:01/07/1938
Television Appearances
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Character:Self
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
Character:Self
The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour
Character:Red Skeleton
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show
Character:Self
The Steve Allen Show
Character:Self - Cameo / Clem Kadiddlehopper
The Steve Allen Show
Character:Self - Recipient
Climax!
Character:Rusty Morgan
The Oscars
Character:Self
This Is Your Life
Character:Self
The Red Skelton Show
Character:Host
The Jack Benny Program
Character:Self
The Bob Hope Show
Character:Self
What's My Line?
Character:Self - Mystery Guest
The Ed Sullivan Show
Character:Self
Texaco Star Theater
Character:Clem Kadiddlehopper
Images
