Red Skelton
Acting
1913-07-18 · 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
2026 · Movie
Pioneers of Primetime
2005 · Movie
Red Skelton: America's Greatest Clown
2005 · Movie
Elf: Christmas in Tinseltown
2004 · Movie
Red Skelton: Bloopers, Blunders, and Ad Libs
2001 · Movie
Television: The First Fifty Years
1999 · Movie
Inside the Dream Factory
1995 · Movie
A Tribute to Houdini
1987 · Movie
That's Dancing!
1985 · Movie
Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers
1985 · Movie
Red Skelton: A Royal Command Performance
1984 · Movie
Freddie the Freeloader's Christmas Dinner
1981 · Movie
The Hollywood Clowns
1979 · Movie
The People's Command Performance: '77
1977 · Movie
Rudolph's Shiny New Year
1976 · Movie
That's Entertainment, Part II
1976 · Movie
America on Parade
1976 · Movie
That's Entertainment!
1974 · Movie
Jack Benny's 20th Anniversary TV Special
1970 · Movie
Honor America Day
1970 · Movie
Swing Out, Sweet Land
1970 · Movie
The Dean Martin Christmas Show
1968 · Movie
Clown Alley
1966 · Movie
Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours 11 Minutes
1965 · Movie
The Big Parade of Comedy
1964 · Movie
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1962 · Series
Ocean's Eleven
1960 · Movie
The Man in the Funny Suit
1960 · Movie
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
1958 · Series
The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour
1957 · Series
Tonight Starring Jack Paar
1957 · Series
Public Pigeon No. 1
1957 · Movie
The Country Husband
1956 · Movie
Around the World in 80 Days
1956 · Movie
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show
1956 · Series
The Steve Allen Show
1956 · Series
Red Skelton Christmas Classics
1955 · Movie
Climax!
1954 · Series
Susan Slept Here
1954 · Movie
The Great Diamond Robbery
1954 · Movie
Half a Hero
1953 · Movie
The Oscars
1953 · Series
The Clown
1953 · Movie
This Is Your Life
1952 · Series
Lovely to Look At
1952 · Movie
Texas Carnival
1951 · Movie
The Red Skelton Show
1951 · Series
Excuse My Dust
1951 · Movie
Watch the Birdie
1950 · Movie
The Jack Benny Program
1950 · Series
The Fuller Brush Girl
1950 · Movie
Three Little Words
1950 · Movie
The Bob Hope Show
1950 · Series
The Yellow Cab Man
1950 · Movie
What's My Line?
1950 · Series
Neptune's Daughter
1949 · Movie
A Southern Yankee
1948 · Movie
The Ed Sullivan Show
1948 · Series
Texaco Star Theater
1948 · Series
The Fuller Brush Man
1948 · Movie
Merton of the Movies
1947 · Movie
The Show-Off
1946 · Movie
Ziegfeld Follies
1945 · Movie
Bathing Beauty
1944 · Movie
Twenty Years After
1944 · Movie
Whistling in Brooklyn
1943 · Movie
Thousands Cheer
1943 · Movie
I Dood It
1943 · Movie
Du Barry Was a Lady
1943 · Movie
Whistling in Dixie
1942 · Movie
Panama Hattie
1942 · Movie
Maisie Gets Her Man
1942 · Movie
Ship Ahoy
1942 · Movie
Lady Be Good
1941 · Movie
Dr. Kildare's Wedding Day
1941 · Movie
Whistling in the Dark
1941 · Movie
The People Vs. Dr. Kildare
1941 · Movie
Flight Command
1940 · Movie
Seeing Red
1939 · Movie
The Broadway Buckaroo
1939 · Movie
Having Wonderful Time
1938 · Movie