Red Skelton

Known for ActingBorn 1913-07-18Died 1997-09-17Vincennes, 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.Read more

Movies & web series

Red Skelton: A Royal Command Performance

Clown Alley

The Great Diamond Robbery

America on Parade

The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour

Inside the Dream Factory

Twenty Years After

The Jack Benny Program

Excuse My Dust

The Dean Martin Christmas Show

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

That's Entertainment!

Texaco Star Theater

The Red Skelton Show

That's Dancing!

The Big Parade of Comedy

That's Entertainment, Part II

Jack Benny's 20th Anniversary TV Special

What's My Line?

The Oscars

The Bob Hope Show

The Show-Off

Whistling in Brooklyn

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

The People Vs. Dr. Kildare

The Yellow Cab Man

The Ed Sullivan Show

Rudolph's Shiny New Year

Dr. Kildare's Wedding Day

Around the World in 80 Days

Half a Hero

Swing Out, Sweet Land

Maisie Gets Her Man

This Is Your Life

Ocean's Eleven

The Dinah Shore Chevy Show

Du Barry Was a Lady

Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse

Public Pigeon No. 1

A Tribute to Houdini

Thousands Cheer

The Fuller Brush Man

Three Little Words

Merton of the Movies

The Steve Allen Show

Seeing Red

Ship Ahoy

Whistling in Dixie