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.
Acting
Movie
Around the World in 80 Days
as Drunk in Barbary Coast Saloon
1956
Movie
Ocean's Eleven
as Self
1960
Movie
Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours 11 Minutes
as The Neanderthal Man
1965
Movie
Rudolph's Shiny New Year
as Father Time / Baby Bear (voice)
1976
TV
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
as Self
1962
TV
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
as Self (archive footage)
1962
TV
The Oscars
as Self
1953
Movie
That's Entertainment!
as (archive footage) (uncredited)
1974
Movie
Ziegfeld Follies
as J. Newton Numbskull (segment "When Television Comes")
1945
Movie
That's Entertainment, Part II
as (archive footage)
1976
Movie
Neptune's Daughter
as Jack Spratt
1949
Movie
Bathing Beauty
as Steve Elliott
1944
Movie
Susan Slept Here
as Oswald from North Dakota (uncredited)
1954
TV
What's My Line?
as Self - Mystery Guest
1950
TV
The Ed Sullivan Show
as Self
1948
Movie
Thousands Cheer
as Red Skelton
1943
Movie
That's Dancing!
as From 'Bathing Beauty' (archive footage)
1985
TV
The Red Skelton Show
as Host
1951
Movie
Du Barry Was a Lady
as Louis Blore / King Louis
1943
Movie
Three Little Words
as Harry Ruby
1950
TV
The Jack Benny Program
as Self
1950
Movie
Lady Be Good
as Joe 'Red' Willet
1941
Movie
Having Wonderful Time
as Itchy
1938
Movie
Whistling in the Dark
as Wally Benton
1941
