Red Skelton
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.
Photos
Films (66)
A Brave Engineer: Buster Keaton's Last Ride
2026 · Self (Archival)
Pioneers of Primetime
2005
Red Skelton: America's Greatest Clown
2005 · Red Skelton
Elf: Christmas in Tinseltown
2004 · Self (archive)
Red Skelton: Bloopers, Blunders, and Ad Libs
2001 · Himself (Host)/Various Characters
Television: The First Fifty Years
1999 · Buffalo Bob Smith / Howdy Doody (archive footage)
Inside the Dream Factory
1995 · Self
A Tribute to Houdini
1987 · Self
That's Dancing!
1985 · From 'Bathing Beauty' (archive footage)
Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers
1985 · Self (archive footage)
Red Skelton: A Royal Command Performance
1984 · Himself
Freddie the Freeloader's Christmas Dinner
1981 · Freddie the Freeloader
The Hollywood Clowns
1979 · (archive footage)
The People's Command Performance: '77
1977 · Self
Rudolph's Shiny New Year
1976 · Father Time / Baby Bear (voice)
That's Entertainment, Part II
1976 · (archive footage)
America on Parade
1976 · Host, Writer
That's Entertainment!
1974 · (archive footage) (uncredited)
Jack Benny's 20th Anniversary TV Special
1970 · Self (uncredited)
Honor America Day
1970 · Self
Swing Out, Sweet Land
1970 · Self
The Dean Martin Christmas Show
1968 · Self (uncredited)
Clown Alley
1966 · Freddie the Freeloader, Writer
Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours 11 Minutes
1965 · The Neanderthal Man
The Big Parade of Comedy
1964 · Aubrey Filmore in 'A Southern Yankee' (archive footage)
Ocean's Eleven
1960 · Self
The Man in the Funny Suit
1960 · Self
Public Pigeon No. 1
1957 · Rusty Morgan
The Country Husband
1956 · Self - Announcing Next Week's Show
Around the World in 80 Days
1956 · Drunk in Barbary Coast Saloon
Red Skelton Christmas Classics
1955 · Main
Susan Slept Here
1954 · Oswald from North Dakota (uncredited)
The Great Diamond Robbery
1954 · Ambrose C. Park
Half a Hero
1953 · Ben Dobson
The Clown
1953 · Dodo Delwyn
Lovely to Look At
1952 · Al Marsh
Texas Carnival
1951 · Cornie Quinell
Excuse My Dust
1951 · Joe Belden
Watch the Birdie
1950 · Rusty Cammeron / Pop Cammeron / Grandpop Cammeron
The Fuller Brush Girl
1950 · Red Skelton - Fuller Brush Man (uncredited)
Three Little Words
1950 · Harry Ruby
The Yellow Cab Man
1950 · Augustus 'Red' Pirdy
Neptune's Daughter
1949 · Jack Spratt
A Southern Yankee
1948 · Aubrey Filmore
The Fuller Brush Man
1948 · Red Jones
Merton of the Movies
1947 · Merton Gill aka Clifford Armytage
The Show-Off
1946 · J. Aubrey Piper
Ziegfeld Follies
1945 · J. Newton Numbskull (segment "When Television Comes")
Bathing Beauty
1944 · Steve Elliott
Twenty Years After
1944 · (archive footage)
Whistling in Brooklyn
1943 · Wally 'The Fox' Benton
Thousands Cheer
1943 · Red Skelton
I Dood It
1943 · Joseph 'Joe' Rivington Renolds
Du Barry Was a Lady
1943 · Louis Blore / King Louis
Whistling in Dixie
1942 · Wally Benton
Panama Hattie
1942 · Red
Maisie Gets Her Man
1942 · Herbert P. 'Hap' Hixby
Ship Ahoy
1942 · Merton K. Kibble
Lady Be Good
1941 · Joe 'Red' Willet
Dr. Kildare's Wedding Day
1941 · Vernon Briggs
Whistling in the Dark
1941 · Wally Benton
The People Vs. Dr. Kildare
1941 · Vernon Briggs
Flight Command
1940 · Lieut. 'Mugger' Martin
Seeing Red
1939 · Red / Doorman / Coatroom Attendant / Waiter / Emcee
The Broadway Buckaroo
1939 · Red
Having Wonderful Time
1938 · Itchy
Séries (15)
The Tonight Show avec Johnny Carson
1962 · Self
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
1958 · Self
The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour
1957 · Red Skeleton
Tonight Starring Jack Paar
1957 · Self
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show
1956 · Self
The Steve Allen Show
1956 · Self - Cameo / Clem Kadiddlehopper, Self
Climax!
1954 · Rusty Morgan
The Oscars
1953 · Self
This Is Your Life
1952 · Self
The Red Skelton Show
1951 · Host, Producer, Writer
The Jack Benny Program
1950 · Red Skelton
The Bob Hope Show
1950 · Self, Writer
What's My Line?
1950 · Self
The Ed Sullivan Show
1948 · Self
Texaco Star Theater
1948 · Clem Kadiddlehopper