Red Skelton
- Known for
- Acting
- Born
- July 18, 1913
- Died
- September 17, 1997
- Birthplace
- 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
as Self (Archival)
Pioneers of Primetime 2005
Actor
Red Skelton: America's Greatest Clown 2005
as Red Skelton
Elf: Christmas in Tinseltown 2004
as Self (archive)
Red Skelton: Bloopers, Blunders, and Ad Libs 2001
as Himself (Host)/Various Characters
- Television: The First Fifty Years
Television: The First Fifty Years 1999
as Buffalo Bob Smith / Howdy Doody (archive footage)
Inside the Dream Factory 1995
as Self
A Tribute to Houdini 1987
as Self
That's Dancing! 1985
as From 'Bathing Beauty' (archive footage)
Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers 1985
as Self (archive footage)
- Red Skelton: A Royal Command Performance
Red Skelton: A Royal Command Performance 1984
as Himself
- Freddie the Freeloader's Christmas Dinner
Freddie the Freeloader's Christmas Dinner 1981
as Freddie the Freeloader
The Hollywood Clowns 1979
as (archive footage)
The People's Command Performance: '77 1977
as Self
Rudolph's Shiny New Year 1976
as Father Time / Baby Bear (voice)
That's Entertainment, Part II 1976
as (archive footage)
America on Parade 1976
as Host, Writer
That's Entertainment! 1974
as (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Jack Benny's 20th Anniversary TV Special
Jack Benny's 20th Anniversary TV Special 1970
as Self (uncredited)
Honor America Day 1970
as Self
Swing Out, Sweet Land 1970
as Self
The Dean Martin Christmas Show 1968
as Self (uncredited)
Clown Alley 1966
as 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
as The Neanderthal Man
The Big Parade of Comedy 1964
as Aubrey Filmore in 'A Southern Yankee' (archive footage)
Ocean's Eleven 1960
as Self
- The Man in the Funny Suit
The Man in the Funny Suit 1960
as Self
Public Pigeon No. 1 1957
as Rusty Morgan
The Country Husband 1956
as Self - Announcing Next Week's Show
Around the World in 80 Days 1956
as Drunk in Barbary Coast Saloon
Red Skelton Christmas Classics 1955
as Main
Susan Slept Here 1954
as Oswald from North Dakota (uncredited)
The Great Diamond Robbery 1954
as Ambrose C. Park
Half a Hero 1953
as Ben Dobson
The Clown 1953
as Dodo Delwyn
Lovely to Look At 1952
as Al Marsh
Texas Carnival 1951
as Cornie Quinell
Excuse My Dust 1951
as Joe Belden
Watch the Birdie 1950
as Rusty Cammeron / Pop Cammeron / Grandpop Cammeron
The Fuller Brush Girl 1950
as Red Skelton - Fuller Brush Man (uncredited)
Three Little Words 1950
as Harry Ruby
The Yellow Cab Man 1950
as Augustus 'Red' Pirdy
Neptune's Daughter 1949
as Jack Spratt
A Southern Yankee 1948
as Aubrey Filmore
The Fuller Brush Man 1948
as Red Jones
Merton of the Movies 1947
as Merton Gill aka Clifford Armytage
The Show-Off 1946
as J. Aubrey Piper
Ziegfeld Follies 1945
as J. Newton Numbskull (segment "When Television Comes")
Bathing Beauty 1944
as Steve Elliott
Twenty Years After 1944
as (archive footage)
Whistling in Brooklyn 1943
as Wally 'The Fox' Benton
Thousands Cheer 1943
as Red Skelton
I Dood It 1943
as Joseph 'Joe' Rivington Renolds
Du Barry Was a Lady 1943
as Louis Blore / King Louis
Whistling in Dixie 1942
as Wally Benton
Panama Hattie 1942
as Red
Maisie Gets Her Man 1942
as Herbert P. 'Hap' Hixby
Ship Ahoy 1942
as Merton K. Kibble
Lady Be Good 1941
as Joe 'Red' Willet
Dr. Kildare's Wedding Day 1941
as Vernon Briggs
Whistling in the Dark 1941
as Wally Benton
The People Vs. Dr. Kildare 1941
as Vernon Briggs
Flight Command 1940
as Lieut. 'Mugger' Martin
Seeing Red 1939
as Red / Doorman / Coatroom Attendant / Waiter / Emcee
- The Broadway Buckaroo
The Broadway Buckaroo 1939
as Red
Having Wonderful Time 1938
as Itchy
Credits from TMDB.