Red Skelton

Red Skelton

Acting
Born 1913-07-18 - Died 1997-09-17Vincennes, Indiana, USA

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.

Movies (66)

Around the World in 80 Days
6.7

Around the World in 80 Days

1956Movie6.7
Ocean's Eleven
6.4

Ocean's Eleven

1960Movie6.4
Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours 11 Minutes
6.8

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

1965Movie6.8
Bathing Beauty
5.9

Bathing Beauty

1944Movie5.9
Ziegfeld Follies
6.0

Ziegfeld Follies

1945Movie6.0
Panama Hattie
5.7

Panama Hattie

1942Movie5.7
Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers
2.0

Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers

1985Movie2.0
Whistling in Brooklyn
7.0

Whistling in Brooklyn

1943Movie7.0
That's Entertainment!
7.4

That's Entertainment!

1974Movie7.4
Television: The First Fifty Years

Television: The First Fifty Years

1999Movie
The Clown
5.6

The Clown

1953Movie5.6
Three Little Words
6.3

Three Little Words

1950Movie6.3
Thousands Cheer
6.4

Thousands Cheer

1943Movie6.4
The Fuller Brush Man
6.3

The Fuller Brush Man

1948Movie6.3
Dr. Kildare's Wedding Day
6.8

Dr. Kildare's Wedding Day

1941Movie6.8
Twenty Years After
8.0

Twenty Years After

1944Movie8.0
The Fuller Brush Girl
6.1

The Fuller Brush Girl

1950Movie6.1
That's Entertainment, Part II
7.0

That's Entertainment, Part II

1976Movie7.0
That's Dancing!
6.9

That's Dancing!

1985Movie6.9
Neptune's Daughter
6.1

Neptune's Daughter

1949Movie6.1
Whistling in Dixie
6.2

Whistling in Dixie

1942Movie6.2
Maisie Gets Her Man
6.7

Maisie Gets Her Man

1942Movie6.7
Flight Command
5.9

Flight Command

1940Movie5.9
Du Barry Was a Lady
6.5

Du Barry Was a Lady

1943Movie6.5
Rudolph's Shiny New Year
6.4

Rudolph's Shiny New Year

1976Movie6.4
The Big Parade of Comedy
7.2

The Big Parade of Comedy

1964Movie7.2
Susan Slept Here
6.1

Susan Slept Here

1954Movie6.1
A Brave Engineer: Buster Keaton's Last Ride

A Brave Engineer: Buster Keaton's Last Ride

2026Movie
Texas Carnival
5.4

Texas Carnival

1951Movie5.4
Elf: Christmas in Tinseltown

Elf: Christmas in Tinseltown

2004Movie
Whistling in the Dark
5.9

Whistling in the Dark

1941Movie5.9
Swing Out, Sweet Land
5.7

Swing Out, Sweet Land

1970Movie5.7
Watch the Birdie
5.5

Watch the Birdie

1950Movie5.5
Ship Ahoy
6.3

Ship Ahoy

1942Movie6.3
Lady Be Good
5.5

Lady Be Good

1941Movie5.5
Half a Hero
6.5

Half a Hero

1953Movie6.5
Clown Alley
10.0

Clown Alley

1966Movie10.0
Lovely to Look At
5.5

Lovely to Look At

1952Movie5.5
I Dood It
5.1

I Dood It

1943Movie5.1
A Southern Yankee
5.7

A Southern Yankee

1948Movie5.7
Pioneers of Primetime

Pioneers of Primetime

2005Movie
Seeing Red
6.3

Seeing Red

1939Movie6.3
Merton of the Movies
6.3

Merton of the Movies

1947Movie6.3
The Dean Martin Christmas Show
7.6

The Dean Martin Christmas Show

1968Movie7.6
The Show-Off
7.0

The Show-Off

1946Movie7.0
Excuse My Dust
7.8

Excuse My Dust

1951Movie7.8
The Hollywood Clowns

The Hollywood Clowns

1979Movie
The People's Command Performance: '77

The People's Command Performance: '77

1977Movie
Having Wonderful Time
4.9

Having Wonderful Time

1938Movie4.9
The Great Diamond Robbery
10.0

The Great Diamond Robbery

1954Movie10.0
Inside the Dream Factory
8.0

Inside the Dream Factory

1995Movie8.0
Public Pigeon No. 1
6.3

Public Pigeon No. 1

1957Movie6.3
The Yellow Cab Man
6.9

The Yellow Cab Man

1950Movie6.9
The People Vs. Dr. Kildare
7.0

The People Vs. Dr. Kildare

1941Movie7.0
Honor America Day

Honor America Day

1970Movie
The Country Husband

The Country Husband

1956Movie
Jack Benny's 20th Anniversary TV Special
7.0

Jack Benny's 20th Anniversary TV Special

1970Movie7.0
The Man in the Funny Suit

The Man in the Funny Suit

1960Movie
Freddie the Freeloader's Christmas Dinner
5.4

Freddie the Freeloader's Christmas Dinner

1981Movie5.4
The Broadway Buckaroo

The Broadway Buckaroo

1939Movie
America on Parade
9.0

America on Parade

1976Movie9.0
A Tribute to Houdini
6.0

A Tribute to Houdini

1987Movie6.0
Red Skelton: Bloopers, Blunders, and Ad Libs

Red Skelton: Bloopers, Blunders, and Ad Libs

2001Movie
Red Skelton Christmas Classics

Red Skelton Christmas Classics

1955Movie
Red Skelton: A Royal Command Performance
10.0

Red Skelton: A Royal Command Performance

1984Movie10.0
Red Skelton: America's Greatest Clown

Red Skelton: America's Greatest Clown

2005Movie

TV Shows (15)

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
7.5

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

1962Series7.5
The Red Skelton Show
7.4

The Red Skelton Show

1951Series7.4
Climax!
3.8

Climax!

1954Series3.8
What's My Line?
7.0

What's My Line?

1950Series7.0
Tonight Starring Jack Paar
7.5

Tonight Starring Jack Paar

1957Series7.5
The Oscars
7.0

The Oscars

1953Series7.0
The Ed Sullivan Show
6.8

The Ed Sullivan Show

1948Series6.8
The Steve Allen Show
6.2

The Steve Allen Show

1956Series6.2
This Is Your Life
6.5

This Is Your Life

1952Series6.5
The Bob Hope Show
7.0

The Bob Hope Show

1950Series7.0
The Jack Benny Program
7.8

The Jack Benny Program

1950Series7.8
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show
6.4

The Dinah Shore Chevy Show

1956Series6.4
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
6.3

Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse

1958Series6.3
The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour
8.7

The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour

1957Series8.7
Texaco Star Theater
7.5

Texaco Star Theater

1948Series7.5