Red Skelton
Acting
Born: July 18, 1913 · Vincennes, Indiana, USA
Died: September 17, 1997 (aged 84)
Highest Rated
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.
Known for
Around the World in 80 Days
1956
Ocean's Eleven
1960
Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours 11 Minutes
1965
Rudolph's Shiny New Year
1976
The Oscars
1953
That's Entertainment!
1974
Ziegfeld Follies
1945
That's Entertainment, Part II
1976
Neptune's Daughter
1949
Bathing Beauty
1944
Susan Slept Here
1954
What's My Line?
1950
Photos (4)
Movies (48)
Around the World in 80 Days
Drunk in Barbary Coast Saloon
Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours 11 Minutes
The Neanderthal Man
Bathing Beauty
Steve Elliott
That's Entertainment!
(archive footage) (uncredited)
Three Little Words
Harry Ruby
That's Dancing!
From 'Bathing Beauty' (archive footage)
Ziegfeld Follies
J. Newton Numbskull (segment "When Television Comes")
Flight Command
Lieut. 'Mugger' Martin
Du Barry Was a Lady
Louis Blore / King Louis
Neptune's Daughter
Jack Spratt
Texas Carnival
Cornie Quinell
The Fuller Brush Girl
Red Skelton - Fuller Brush Man (uncredited)
That's Entertainment, Part II
(archive footage)
Twenty Years After
(archive footage)
Thousands Cheer
Red Skelton
The Big Parade of Comedy
Aubrey Filmore in 'A Southern Yankee' (archive footage)
Lady Be Good
Joe 'Red' Willet
Clown Alley
Freddie the Freeloader
Rudolph's Shiny New Year
Father Time / Baby Bear (voice)
Susan Slept Here
Oswald from North Dakota (uncredited)
Half a Hero
Ben Dobson
Panama Hattie
Red
Whistling in the Dark
Wally Benton
Ship Ahoy
Merton K. Kibble
Whistling in Brooklyn
Wally 'The Fox' Benton
Lovely to Look At
Al Marsh
Pioneers of Primetime
2005
The Fuller Brush Man
Red Jones
The Show-Off
J. Aubrey Piper
Watch the Birdie
Rusty Cammeron / Pop Cammeron / Grandpop Cammeron
Maisie Gets Her Man
Herbert P. 'Hap' Hixby
I Dood It
Joseph 'Joe' Rivington Renolds
Seeing Red
Red / Doorman / Coatroom Attendant / Waiter / Emcee
The Hollywood Clowns
(archive footage)
Excuse My Dust
Joe Belden
The People Vs. Dr. Kildare
Vernon Briggs
A Southern Yankee
Aubrey Filmore
The Great Diamond Robbery
Ambrose C. Park
Having Wonderful Time
Itchy
Whistling in Dixie
Wally Benton
Dr. Kildare's Wedding Day
Vernon Briggs
The Clown
Dodo Delwyn
Merton of the Movies
Merton Gill aka Clifford Armytage
The Yellow Cab Man
Augustus 'Red' Pirdy
Public Pigeon No. 1
Rusty Morgan
America on Parade
Host
Red Skelton Christmas Classics
Main
Red Skelton: America's Greatest Clown
Red Skelton
TV Shows (4)
Self / Appearances (22)
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Self · 1 eps
The Oscars
Self · 1 eps
What's My Line?
Self · 2 eps
The Ed Sullivan Show
Self · 8 eps
The Steve Allen Show
Self - Cameo / Clem Kadiddlehopper · 1 eps
The Steve Allen Show
Self · 1 eps
The Bob Hope Show
Self · 1 eps
This Is Your Life
Self · 1 eps
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show
Self · 1 eps
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
Self · 2 eps
Ocean's Eleven
Self
Swing Out, Sweet Land
Self
A Brave Engineer: Buster Keaton's Last Ride
Self (Archival)
Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers
Self (archive footage)
The Dean Martin Christmas Show
Self (uncredited)
Elf: Christmas in Tinseltown
Self (archive)
Honor America Day
Self
Inside the Dream Factory
Self
The Country Husband
Self - Announcing Next Week's Show
The People's Command Performance: '77
Self
A Tribute to Houdini
Self
Red Skelton: Bloopers, Blunders, and Ad Libs
Himself (Host)/Various Characters