Red Skelton
Actor
Born July 18, 1913 in Vincennes, Indiana, USA
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
A Brave Engineer: Buster Keaton's Last Ride
Self (Archival)
Pioneers of Primetime
Red Skelton: America's Greatest Clown
Red Skelton
Elf: Christmas in Tinseltown
Self (archive)
Red Skelton: Bloopers, Blunders, and Ad Libs
Himself (Host)/Various Characters
Inside the Dream Factory
Self
A Tribute to Houdini
Self
That's Dancing!
From 'Bathing Beauty' (archive footage)
Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers
Self (archive footage)
The Hollywood Clowns
(archive footage)
The People's Command Performance: '77
Self
Rudolph's Shiny New Year
Father Time / Baby Bear (voice)
That's Entertainment, Part II
(archive footage)
America on Parade
Host
That's Entertainment!
(archive footage) (uncredited)
Honor America Day
Self
Swing Out, Sweet Land
Self
The Dean Martin Christmas Show
Self (uncredited)
Clown Alley
Freddie the Freeloader
Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours 11 Minutes
The Neanderthal Man
The Big Parade of Comedy
Aubrey Filmore in 'A Southern Yankee' (archive footage)
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Self
Ocean's Eleven
Self
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
Self
The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour
Red Skeleton
Public Pigeon No. 1
Rusty Morgan
The Country Husband
Self - Announcing Next Week's Show
Around the World in 80 Days
Drunk in Barbary Coast Saloon
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show
Self
The Steve Allen Show
Self - Cameo / Clem Kadiddlehopper
Red Skelton Christmas Classics
Main
Climax!
Rusty Morgan
Susan Slept Here
Oswald from North Dakota (uncredited)
The Great Diamond Robbery
Ambrose C. Park
Half a Hero
Ben Dobson
The Oscars
Self
The Clown
Dodo Delwyn
This Is Your Life
Self
Lovely to Look At
Al Marsh
Texas Carnival
Cornie Quinell
The Red Skelton Show
Host
Excuse My Dust
Joe Belden
Watch the Birdie
Rusty Cammeron / Pop Cammeron / Grandpop Cammeron
The Jack Benny Program
Red Skelton
The Fuller Brush Girl
Red Skelton - Fuller Brush Man (uncredited)
Three Little Words
Harry Ruby
The Bob Hope Show
Self
The Yellow Cab Man
Augustus 'Red' Pirdy
What's My Line?
Self
Neptune's Daughter
Jack Spratt
A Southern Yankee
Aubrey Filmore
The Ed Sullivan Show
Self
The Fuller Brush Man
Red Jones
Merton of the Movies
Merton Gill aka Clifford Armytage
The Show-Off
J. Aubrey Piper
Ziegfeld Follies
J. Newton Numbskull (segment "When Television Comes")
Bathing Beauty
Steve Elliott
Twenty Years After
(archive footage)
Whistling in Brooklyn
Wally 'The Fox' Benton
Thousands Cheer
Red Skelton
I Dood It
Joseph 'Joe' Rivington Renolds
Du Barry Was a Lady
Louis Blore / King Louis
Whistling in Dixie
Wally Benton
Panama Hattie
Red
Maisie Gets Her Man
Herbert P. 'Hap' Hixby
Ship Ahoy
Merton K. Kibble
Lady Be Good
Joe 'Red' Willet
Dr. Kildare's Wedding Day
Vernon Briggs
Whistling in the Dark
Wally Benton
The People Vs. Dr. Kildare
Vernon Briggs
Flight Command
Lieut. 'Mugger' Martin
Seeing Red
Red / Doorman / Coatroom Attendant / Waiter / Emcee
Having Wonderful Time
Itchy