Acting
Red Skelton
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.
Known for
Around the World in 80 Days
Ocean's Eleven
Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours 11 Minutes
Rudolph's Shiny New Year
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
The Oscars
That's Entertainment!
Ziegfeld Follies
That's Entertainment, Part II
Neptune's Daughter
Bathing Beauty
Susan Slept Here
What's My Line?
The Ed Sullivan Show
That's Dancing!
Thousands Cheer
Movie credits · 66
A Brave Engineer: Buster Keaton's Last Ride
Pioneers of Primetime
Red Skelton: America's Greatest Clown
Elf: Christmas in Tinseltown
Red Skelton: Bloopers, Blunders, and Ad Libs
Television: The First Fifty Years
Inside the Dream Factory
A Tribute to Houdini
That's Dancing!
Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers
Red Skelton: A Royal Command Performance
Freddie the Freeloader's Christmas Dinner
The Hollywood Clowns
The People's Command Performance: '77
Rudolph's Shiny New Year
That's Entertainment, Part II
America on Parade
That's Entertainment!
Jack Benny's 20th Anniversary TV Special
Honor America Day
Swing Out, Sweet Land
The Dean Martin Christmas Show
Clown Alley
Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours 11 Minutes
The Big Parade of Comedy
Ocean's Eleven
The Man in the Funny Suit
Public Pigeon No. 1
The Country Husband
Around the World in 80 Days
Red Skelton Christmas Classics
Susan Slept Here
The Great Diamond Robbery
Half a Hero
The Clown
Lovely to Look At
Texas Carnival
Excuse My Dust
Watch the Birdie
The Fuller Brush Girl
TV credits · 15
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour
Tonight Starring Jack Paar
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show
The Steve Allen Show
Climax!
The Oscars
This Is Your Life
The Red Skelton Show
The Jack Benny Program
The Bob Hope Show
What's My Line?
The Ed Sullivan Show
Texaco Star Theater
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