Person Details

Birthday: 1913-07-18 17:55:40

Death: 1997-09-17 17:55:40

Aliases: No known aliases

Gender: Male

Place of birth: Vincennes, Indiana, USA

Homepage:

Movie Involvements: 13

TV Involvements: 10


Most Famous Work

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.

Most Famous Work

Climax!
Average
3

Climax!

(1954) Rusty Morgan
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
Average
4
What's My Line?
Average
7

What's My Line?

(1950) Self - Mystery Guest
The Bob Hope Show
Average
8

The Bob Hope Show

(1950) Self
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show
Average
4
This Is Your Life
Average
7

This Is Your Life

(1952) Self
The Oscars
Average
7

The Oscars

(1953) Self
Rudolph's Shiny New Year
Average
6

Rudolph's Shiny New Year

(1976) Father Time / Baby Bear (voice)

Acting

Year Character Movie/Tv
2001 Himself (Host)/Various Characters
1995 Self
1985 From 'Bathing Beauty' (archive footage)
Self (archive footage)
1984 Himself
1981 Freddie the Freeloader
1979 (archive footage)
1977 Self
1976 Father Time / Baby Bear (voice)
(archive footage)
1974 (archive footage) (uncredited)
1970 Self (uncredited)
Self
1968 Self (uncredited)
1966 Freddie the Freeloader
1965 The Neanderthal Man
1964 Aubrey Filmore in 'A Southern Yankee' (archive footage)
1960 Self
1958 Self
1957 Red Skeleton
Rusty Morgan
1956 Drunk in Barbary Coast Saloon
Self
Self - Cameo / Clem Kadiddlehopper
Self - Recipient
1954 Rusty Morgan
Oswald from North Dakota (uncredited)
Ambrose C. Park
1953 Ben Dobson
Self
Dodo Delwyn
1952 Self
Al Marsh
1951 Cornie Quinell
Host
Joe Belden
1950 Rusty Cammeron
Self
Red Skelton - Fuller Brush Man (uncredited)
Harry Ruby
Self
Augustus 'Red' Pirdy
Self - Mystery Guest
1949 Jack Spratt
1948 Aubrey Filmore
Self
Self - Guest
Self - Guest Host
Self - Comedian
Clem Kadiddlehopper
Red Jones
1947 Merton Gill aka Clifford Armytage
1946 J. Aubrey Piper
1945 J. Newton Numbskull (segment When Television Comes)
1944 Stephen "Steve" Sherman Elliott
(archive footage)
1943 Wally 'The Fox' Benton
Red Skelton
Joseph 'Joe' Rivington Renolds
Louis Blore / King Louis XV
1942 Wally Benton
Red
Herbert P. 'Hap' Hixby
Merton K. Kibble
1941 Joe 'Red' Willet
Vernon Briggs
Wally Benton
Vernon Briggs
1940 Lieut. 'Mugger' Martin
1939 Red / Doorman / Coatroom Attendant / Waiter / Emcee
1938 Itchy
Year Character Movie/Tv

Writing

Production

Year Role Movie/Tv
1951 Producer
Year Role Movie/Tv

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