RS
Red Skelton
Actor, Writer, Producer
Died September 17, 1997 (84 years)
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.
Known For
Filmography
| 2001 | I Love Lucy's 50th Anniversary Special · as Cast |
| 1999 | Television: The First Fifty Years · as Buffalo Bob Smith / Howdy Doody (archive Footage) |
| 1999 | Television: The First Fifty Years · as Sheriff Deadeye |
| 1989 | The Dini Petty Show (TV Series) · as Clem Kadiddlehopper |
| 1985 | That's Dancing! · as From 'bathing Beauty' (archive Footage) |
| 1982 | Hollywood: The Gift of Laughter · as Actor - 'a Southern Yankee' |
| 1981 | Freddie the Freeloader's Christmas Dinner · as Freddie The Freeloader |
| 1976 | Rudolph's Shiny New Year · as Father Time / Baby Bear (voice) |
| 1976 | That's Entertainment, Part II · as (archive Footage) |
| 1974 | That's Entertainment! · as (archive Footage) (uncredited) |
| 1965 | |
| 1964 | The Big Parade of Comedy · as Aubrey Filmore In 'a Southern Yankee' (archive Footage) |
| 1957 | The Lucy-Desi Comedy Hour (TV Series) · as Red Skeleton |
| 1957 | Public Pigeon No. 1 · as Rusty Morgan |
| 1956 | Around the World in 80 Days · as Drunk In Barbary Coast Saloon |
| 1956 | Playhouse 90 (TV Series) · as Buddy Mccoy |
| 1954 | Susan Slept Here · as Oswald From North Dakota (uncredited) |
| 1954 | Climax! (TV Series) · as Rusty Morgan |
| 1954 | The Great Diamond Robbery · as Ambrose C. Park |
| 1953 | Half a Hero · as Ben Dobson |
| 1953 | The Clown · as Dodo Delwyn |
| 1952 | The Jackie Gleason Show (TV Series) · as Freddie The Freeloader |
| 1952 | Lovely to Look At · as Al Marsh |
| 1951 | Texas Carnival · as Cornie Quinell |
| 1951 | The Red Skelton Show (TV Series) · as Host |
| 1951 | Excuse My Dust · as Joe Belden |
| 1951 | The Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Story · as Cast |
| 1950 | 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 | The Yellow Cab Man · as Augustus 'red' Pirdy |
| 1949 | Neptune's Daughter · as Jack Spratt |
| 1948 | A Southern Yankee · as Aubrey Filmore |
| 1948 | The Milton Berle Show (TV Series) · as Clem Kadiddlehopper |
| 1948 | The Fuller Brush Man · as Red Jones |
| 1947 | Merton of the Movies · as Merton Gill Aka Clifford Armytage |
| 1946 | The Show-Off · as J. Aubrey Piper |
| 1945 | Ziegfeld Follies · as J. Newton Numbskull (segment "when Television Comes") |
| 1944 | Bathing Beauty · as Stephen "steve" Sherman Elliott |
| 1943 | Whistling in Brooklyn · as Wally 'the Fox' Benton |
| 1943 | I Dood It · as Joseph 'joe' Rivington Renolds |
| 1943 | Du Barry Was a Lady · as Louis Blore / King Louis Xv |
| 1942 | Whistling in Dixie · as Wally Benton |
| 1942 | Panama Hattie · as Red |
| 1942 | Maisie Gets Her Man · as Herbert P. 'hap' Hixby |
| 1942 | Ship Ahoy · as Merton K. Kibble |
| 1941 | Lady Be Good · as Joe 'red' Willet |
| 1941 | Dr. Kildare's Wedding Day · as Vernon Briggs |
| 1941 | Whistling in the Dark · as Wally Benton |
| 1941 | The People vs. Dr. Kildare · as Vernon Briggs |
| 1940 | Flight Command · as Lieut. 'mugger' Martin |
| 1938 | Having Wonderful Time · as Itchy |