Red Skelton

Red Skelton

Born:7/18/1913Died:9/17/1997
Place of Birth:Vincennes, Indiana, USA

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.

Filmography

Pioneers of Primetime

Pioneers of Primetime

20050.0
Red Skelton: America's Greatest Clown

Red Skelton: America's Greatest Clown

20050.0
Red Skelton: Bloopers, Blunders, and Ad Libs

Red Skelton: Bloopers, Blunders, and Ad Libs

20010.0
Television: The First Fifty Years

Television: The First Fifty Years

19990.0
Inside the Dream Factory

Inside the Dream Factory

19956.0
A Tribute to Houdini

A Tribute to Houdini

19876.0
That's Dancing!

That's Dancing!

19857.0
Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers

Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers

19850.0
Red Skelton: A Royal Command Performance

Red Skelton: A Royal Command Performance

19840.0
Freddie the Freeloader's Christmas Dinner

Freddie the Freeloader's Christmas Dinner

19814.8
The Hollywood Clowns

The Hollywood Clowns

19790.0
The People's Command Performance: '77

The People's Command Performance: '77

19770.0
Rudolph's Shiny New Year

Rudolph's Shiny New Year

19766.4
That's Entertainment, Part II

That's Entertainment, Part II

19766.9
America on Parade

America on Parade

19760.0
That's Entertainment!

That's Entertainment!

19747.3
Jack Benny's 20th Anniversary TV Special

Jack Benny's 20th Anniversary TV Special

19700.0
Honor America Day

Honor America Day

19700.0
Swing Out, Sweet Land

Swing Out, Sweet Land

19706.0
The Dean Martin Christmas Show

The Dean Martin Christmas Show

19687.6
Clown Alley

Clown Alley

196610.0
Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours 11 Minutes

Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours 11 Minutes

19656.8
The Big Parade of Comedy

The Big Parade of Comedy

19646.3
Ocean's Eleven

Ocean's Eleven

19606.4
Public Pigeon No. 1

Public Pigeon No. 1

19576.0
The Country Husband

The Country Husband

19560.0
Around the World in Eighty Days

Around the World in Eighty Days

19566.6
Red Skelton Christmas Classics

Red Skelton Christmas Classics

19550.0
Susan Slept Here

Susan Slept Here

19546.2
The Great Diamond Robbery

The Great Diamond Robbery

19540.0
Half a Hero

Half a Hero

19535.5
The Clown

The Clown

19535.6
Lovely to Look At

Lovely to Look At

19525.1
Texas Carnival

Texas Carnival

19514.4
Excuse My Dust

Excuse My Dust

19517.2
Watch the Birdie

Watch the Birdie

19505.3
The Fuller Brush Girl

The Fuller Brush Girl

19506.0
Three Little Words

Three Little Words

19505.9
The Yellow Cab Man

The Yellow Cab Man

19506.3
Neptune's Daughter

Neptune's Daughter

19495.8
A Southern Yankee

A Southern Yankee

19485.2
The Fuller Brush Man

The Fuller Brush Man

19485.8
Merton of the Movies

Merton of the Movies

19476.8
The Show-Off

The Show-Off

19467.0
Ziegfeld Follies

Ziegfeld Follies

19456.1
Bathing Beauty

Bathing Beauty

19445.8
Twenty Years After

Twenty Years After

19446.0
Whistling in Brooklyn

Whistling in Brooklyn

19436.3
Thousands Cheer

Thousands Cheer

19436.4
I Dood It

I Dood It

19433.5
Du Barry Was a Lady

Du Barry Was a Lady

19436.1
Whistling in Dixie

Whistling in Dixie

19425.0
Panama Hattie

Panama Hattie

19424.0
Maisie Gets Her Man

Maisie Gets Her Man

19426.5
Ship Ahoy

Ship Ahoy

19425.9
Lady Be Good

Lady Be Good

19415.4
Dr. Kildare's Wedding Day

Dr. Kildare's Wedding Day

19416.6
Whistling in the Dark

Whistling in the Dark

19415.8
The People Vs. Dr. Kildare

The People Vs. Dr. Kildare

19416.8
Flight Command

Flight Command

19405.6
Seeing Red

Seeing Red

19395.5
The Broadway Buckaroo

The Broadway Buckaroo

19390.0
Having Wonderful Time

Having Wonderful Time

19384.9