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person_profile-Red Skelton

Red Skelton Died at age: 84

Actor | Producer

Fullname:

Red Skelton

Date of Birth:

Jul 18, 1913

Country of birth:

USA

Died:

Sep 17, 1997

Biography of

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 of

Red Skelton

Photos ( 4 Photos

Filmography of

Red Skelton

Found 50 Movies in total

Red Skelton: Bloopers, Blunders, and Ad Libs

Himself (Host)/Various Characters ( Actor )

... 2001

... 1995

That's Dancing!

From 'Bathing Beauty' (archive footage) ( Actor )

... 1985

Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers

Self (archive footage) ( Actor )

... 1985

The Hollywood Clowns

(archive footage) ( Actor )

... 1979

... 1977

Rudolph's Shiny New Year

Father Time / Baby Bear (voice) ( Actor )

... 1976

That's Entertainment, Part II

(archive footage) ( Actor )

... 1976

That's Entertainment!

(archive footage) (uncredited) ( Actor )

... 1974

... 1970

The Dean Martin Christmas Show

Self (uncredited) ( Actor )

... 1968

Clown Alley

Freddie the Freeloader ( Actor )

Writer

... 1966

... 1965

The Big Parade of Comedy

Aubrey Filmore in 'A Southern Yankee' (archive footage) ( Actor )

... 1964

Ocean's Eleven

Self ( Actor )

... 1960

Public Pigeon No. 1

Rusty Morgan ( Actor )

... 1957

Around the World in Eighty Days

Drunk in Barbary Coast Saloon ( Actor )

... 1956

... 1955

Susan Slept Here

Oswald from North Dakota (uncredited) ( Actor )

... 1954

The Great Diamond Robbery

Ambrose C. Park ( Actor )

... 1954

Half a Hero

Ben Dobson ( Actor )

... 1953

The Clown

Dodo Delwyn ( Actor )

... 1953

Lovely to Look At

Al Marsh ( Actor )

... 1952

Texas Carnival

Cornie Quinell ( Actor )

... 1951

Excuse My Dust

Joe Belden ( Actor )

... 1951

Watch the Birdie

Rusty Cammeron ( Actor )

... 1950

The Fuller Brush Girl

Red Skelton - Fuller Brush Man (uncredited) ( Actor )

... 1950

Three Little Words

Harry Ruby ( Actor )

... 1950

The Yellow Cab Man

Augustus 'Red' Pirdy ( Actor )

... 1950

Neptune's Daughter

Jack Spratt ( Actor )

... 1949

A Southern Yankee

Aubrey Filmore ( Actor )

... 1948

The Fuller Brush Man

Red Jones ( Actor )

... 1948

Merton of the Movies

Merton Gill aka Clifford Armytage ( Actor )

... 1947

The Show-Off

J. Aubrey Piper ( Actor )

... 1946

Ziegfeld Follies

J. Newton Numbskull (segment When Television Comes) ( Actor )

... 1945

Bathing Beauty

Stephen "Steve" Sherman Elliott ( Actor )

... 1944

Whistling in Brooklyn

Wally 'The Fox' Benton ( Actor )

... 1943

Thousands Cheer

Red Skelton ( Actor )

... 1943

I Dood It

Joseph 'Joe' Rivington Renolds ( Actor )

... 1943

Du Barry was a Lady

Louis Blore / King Louis XV ( Actor )

... 1943

Whistling in Dixie

Wally Benton ( Actor )

... 1942

Panama Hattie

Red ( Actor )

... 1942

Maisie Gets Her Man

Herbert P. 'Hap' Hixby ( Actor )

... 1942

Ship Ahoy

Merton K. Kibble ( Actor )

... 1942

Lady Be Good

Joe 'Red' Willet ( Actor )

... 1941

Dr. Kildare's Wedding Day

Vernon Briggs ( Actor )

... 1941

Whistling in the Dark

Wally Benton ( Actor )

... 1941

The People Vs. Dr. Kildare

Vernon Briggs ( Actor )

... 1941

Flight Command

Lieut. 'Mugger' Martin ( Actor )

... 1940

Having Wonderful Time

Itchy ( Actor )

... 1938