Red Skelton
Age: N/A | From: Vincennes, Indiana, USA
Person Details
Birthday:
Aliases: Ред Скелтон , Richard Red Skelton , Richard Bernard "Red" Skelton , Richard Bernard Skelton
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!
(1954) Rusty Morgan
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
(1958) Self
What's My Line?
(1950) Self - Mystery Guest
The Bob Hope Show
(1950) Self
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show
(1956) Self
This Is Your Life
(1952) Self
The Oscars
(1953) Self
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 Host | ||
| Self - Comedian | ||
| Self - Guest | ||
| 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
| Year | Role | Movie/Tv |
|---|---|---|
| 1966 | Writer | |
| 1951 | Writer | |
| 1950 | Writer | |
| Year | Role | Movie/Tv |
Production
| Year | Role | Movie/Tv |
|---|---|---|
| 1951 | Producer | |
| Year | Role | Movie/Tv |