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

Climax!

The Red Skelton Show

What's My Line?

The Ed Sullivan Show

The Oscars

The Jack Benny Program

All Movies (65)

• A Brave Engineer: Buster Keaton's Last Ride2026 · as Self (Archival)
• Pioneers of Primetime2005
• Red Skelton: America's Greatest Clown2005 · as Red Skelton
• Red Skelton: Bloopers, Blunders, and Ad Libs2001 · as Himself (Host)/Various Characters
• Television: The First Fifty Years1999 · as Buffalo Bob Smith / Howdy Doody (archive footage)
• Inside the Dream Factory1995 · as Self
• A Tribute to Houdini1987 · as Self
• That's Dancing!1985 · as From 'Bathing Beauty' (archive footage)
• Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers1985 · as Self (archive footage)
• Red Skelton: A Royal Command Performance1984 · as Himself
• Freddie the Freeloader's Christmas Dinner1981 · as Freddie the Freeloader
• The Hollywood Clowns1979 · as (archive footage)
• The People's Command Performance: '771977 · as Self
• Rudolph's Shiny New Year1976 · as Father Time / Baby Bear (voice)
• That's Entertainment, Part II1976 · as (archive footage)
• America on Parade1976 · as Host
• That's Entertainment!1974 · as (archive footage) (uncredited)
• Jack Benny's 20th Anniversary TV Special1970 · as Self (uncredited)
• Honor America Day1970 · as Self
• Swing Out, Sweet Land1970 · as Self
• The Dean Martin Christmas Show1968 · as Self (uncredited)
• Clown Alley1966 · as Freddie the Freeloader
• Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours 11 Minutes1965 · as The Neanderthal Man
• The Big Parade of Comedy1964 · as Aubrey Filmore in 'A Southern Yankee' (archive footage)
• Ocean's Eleven1960 · as Self
• The Man in the Funny Suit1960 · as Self
• Public Pigeon No. 11957 · as Rusty Morgan
• The Country Husband1956 · as Self - Announcing Next Week's Show
• Around the World in 80 Days1956 · as Drunk in Barbary Coast Saloon
• Red Skelton Christmas Classics1955 · as Main
• Susan Slept Here1954 · as Oswald from North Dakota (uncredited)
• The Great Diamond Robbery1954 · as Ambrose C. Park
• Half a Hero1953 · as Ben Dobson
• The Clown1953 · as Dodo Delwyn
• Lovely to Look At1952 · as Al Marsh
• Texas Carnival1951 · as Cornie Quinell
• Excuse My Dust1951 · as Joe Belden
• Watch the Birdie1950 · as Rusty Cammeron / Pop Cammeron / Grandpop Cammeron
• The Fuller Brush Girl1950 · as Red Skelton - Fuller Brush Man (uncredited)
• Three Little Words1950 · as Harry Ruby
• The Yellow Cab Man1950 · as Augustus 'Red' Pirdy
• Neptune's Daughter1949 · as Jack Spratt
• A Southern Yankee1948 · as Aubrey Filmore
• The Fuller Brush Man1948 · as Red Jones
• Merton of the Movies1947 · as Merton Gill aka Clifford Armytage
• The Show-Off1946 · as J. Aubrey Piper
• Ziegfeld Follies1945 · as J. Newton Numbskull (segment "When Television Comes")
• Bathing Beauty1944 · as Steve Elliott
• Twenty Years After1944 · as (archive footage)
• Whistling in Brooklyn1943 · as Wally 'The Fox' Benton
• Thousands Cheer1943 · as Red Skelton
• I Dood It1943 · as Joseph 'Joe' Rivington Renolds
• Du Barry Was a Lady1943 · as Louis Blore / King Louis
• Whistling in Dixie1942 · as Wally Benton
• Panama Hattie1942 · as Red
• Maisie Gets Her Man1942 · as Herbert P. 'Hap' Hixby
• Ship Ahoy1942 · as Merton K. Kibble
• Lady Be Good1941 · as Joe 'Red' Willet
• Dr. Kildare's Wedding Day1941 · as Vernon Briggs
• Whistling in the Dark1941 · as Wally Benton
• The People Vs. Dr. Kildare1941 · as Vernon Briggs
• Flight Command1940 · as Lieut. 'Mugger' Martin
• Seeing Red1939 · as Red / Doorman / Coatroom Attendant / Waiter / Emcee
• The Broadway Buckaroo1939 · as Red
• Having Wonderful Time1938 · as Itchy

All TV Shows (16)

• The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson1962 · as Self
• The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson1962 · as Self (archive footage)
• Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse1958 · as Self
• The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour1957 · as Red Skeleton
• The Dinah Shore Chevy Show1956 · as Self
• The Steve Allen Show1956 · as Self - Cameo / Clem Kadiddlehopper
• The Steve Allen Show1956 · as Self
• Climax!1954 · as Rusty Morgan
• The Oscars1953 · as Self
• This Is Your Life1952 · as Self
• The Red Skelton Show1951 · as Host
• The Jack Benny Program1950 · as Red Skelton
• The Bob Hope Show1950 · as Self
• What's My Line?1950 · as Self
• The Ed Sullivan Show1948 · as Self
• Texaco Star Theater1948 · as Clem Kadiddlehopper