Red Skelton

Personal Info

Known For

Acting

Known Credits

79

Gender

Male

Birthday

1913-07-18

Day of death

1997-09-17 (84 years old)

Place of Birth

Vincennes, Indiana, USA

Red Skelton

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

  • The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

    The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

  • The Red Skelton Show

    The Red Skelton Show

  • What's My Line?

    What's My Line?

  • Climax!

    Climax!

  • The Steve Allen Show

    The Steve Allen Show

  • The Steve Allen Show

    The Steve Allen Show

  • The Oscars

    The Oscars

  • The Dinah Shore Chevy Show

    The Dinah Shore Chevy Show

  • The Jack Benny Program

    The Jack Benny Program

  • The Bob Hope Show

    The Bob Hope Show

  • The Ed Sullivan Show

    The Ed Sullivan Show

  • This Is Your Life

    This Is Your Life

  • Having Wonderful Time

    Having Wonderful Time

  • Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse

    Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse

  • Bathing Beauty

    Bathing Beauty

  • Excuse My Dust

    Excuse My Dust

  • The Clown

    The Clown

  • Neptune's Daughter

    Neptune's Daughter

  • Ocean's Eleven

    Ocean's Eleven

  • Clown Alley

    Clown Alley

  • The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour

    The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour

  • Ship Ahoy

    Ship Ahoy

  • Susan Slept Here

    Susan Slept Here

  • That's Dancing!

    That's Dancing!

  • The Show-Off

    The Show-Off

  • Watch the Birdie

    Watch the Birdie

  • Du Barry Was a Lady

    Du Barry Was a Lady

  • Texas Carnival

    Texas Carnival

  • Around the World in 80 Days

    Around the World in 80 Days

  • Twenty Years After

    Twenty Years After

  • The Fuller Brush Girl

    The Fuller Brush Girl

  • That's Entertainment!

    That's Entertainment!

  • The Hollywood Clowns

    The Hollywood Clowns

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

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

  • I Dood It

    I Dood It

  • Texaco Star Theater

    Texaco Star Theater

  • Seeing Red

    Seeing Red

  • A Southern Yankee

    A Southern Yankee

  • Half a Hero

    Half a Hero

  • Freddie the Freeloader's Christmas Dinner

    Freddie the Freeloader's Christmas Dinner

  • Ziegfeld Follies

    Ziegfeld Follies

  • Honor America Day

    Honor America Day

  • Television: The First Fifty Years

    Television: The First Fifty Years

  • Three Little Words

    Three Little Words

  • The Big Parade of Comedy

    The Big Parade of Comedy

  • Lovely to Look At

    Lovely to Look At

  • Rudolph's Shiny New Year

    Rudolph's Shiny New Year

  • Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers

    Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers

  • The Dean Martin Christmas Show

    The Dean Martin Christmas Show

  • The Fuller Brush Man

    The Fuller Brush Man

  • The People's Command Performance: '77

    The People's Command Performance: '77

  • Panama Hattie

    Panama Hattie

  • Thousands Cheer

    Thousands Cheer

  • That's Entertainment, Part II

    That's Entertainment, Part II

  • The Yellow Cab Man

    The Yellow Cab Man

  • Merton of the Movies

    Merton of the Movies

  • Swing Out, Sweet Land

    Swing Out, Sweet Land

  • The Great Diamond Robbery

    The Great Diamond Robbery

  • Public Pigeon No. 1

    Public Pigeon No. 1

  • Whistling in the Dark

    Whistling in the Dark

  • Jack Benny's 20th Anniversary TV Special

    Jack Benny's 20th Anniversary TV Special

  • The Man in the Funny Suit

    The Man in the Funny Suit

  • Whistling in Dixie

    Whistling in Dixie

  • Inside the Dream Factory

    Inside the Dream Factory

  • Flight Command

    Flight Command

  • Lady Be Good

    Lady Be Good

  • Dr. Kildare's Wedding Day

    Dr. Kildare's Wedding Day

  • The People Vs. Dr. Kildare

    The People Vs. Dr. Kildare

  • Red Skelton: Bloopers, Blunders, and Ad Libs

    Red Skelton: Bloopers, Blunders, and Ad Libs

  • Maisie Gets Her Man

    Maisie Gets Her Man

  • Whistling in Brooklyn

    Whistling in Brooklyn

  • Pioneers of Primetime

    Pioneers of Primetime

  • The Country Husband

    The Country Husband

  • Red Skelton Christmas Classics

    Red Skelton Christmas Classics

  • A Tribute to Houdini

    A Tribute to Houdini

  • America on Parade

    America on Parade

  • The Broadway Buckaroo

    The Broadway Buckaroo

  • Red Skelton: America's Greatest Clown

    Red Skelton: America's Greatest Clown

  • Red Skelton: A Royal Command Performance

    Red Skelton: A Royal Command Performance