Acting
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.
Filmography
A Brave Engineer: Buster Keaton's Last Ride
Film · 2026
Pioneers of Primetime
Film · 2005
Red Skelton: America's Greatest Clown
Film · 2005
Elf: Christmas in Tinseltown
Film · 2004
Red Skelton: Bloopers, Blunders, and Ad Libs
Film · 2001
Television: The First Fifty Years
Film · 1999
Inside the Dream Factory
Film · 1995
A Tribute to Houdini
Film · 1987
Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers
Film · 1985
That's Dancing!
Film · 1985
Red Skelton: A Royal Command Performance
Film · 1984
Freddie the Freeloader's Christmas Dinner
Film · 1981
The Hollywood Clowns
Film · 1979
The People's Command Performance: '77
Film · 1977
Rudolph's Shiny New Year
Film · 1976
America on Parade
Film · 1976
That's Entertainment, Part II
Film · 1976
That's Entertainment!
Film · 1974
Jack Benny's 20th Anniversary TV Special
Film · 1970
Swing Out, Sweet Land
Film · 1970
Honor America Day
Film · 1970
The Dean Martin Christmas Show
Film · 1968
Clown Alley
Film · 1966
Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours 11 Minutes
Film · 1965
The Big Parade of Comedy
Film · 1964
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
Series · 1962
Ocean's Eleven
Film · 1960
The Man in the Funny Suit
Film · 1960
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
Series · 1958
Public Pigeon No. 1
Film · 1957
The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour
Series · 1957
Tonight Starring Jack Paar
Series · 1957
Around the World in 80 Days
Film · 1956
The Country Husband
Film · 1956
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show
Series · 1956
The Steve Allen Show
Series · 1956
The Steve Allen Show
Series · 1956
Red Skelton Christmas Classics
Film · 1955
Susan Slept Here
Film · 1954
The Great Diamond Robbery
Film · 1954
Climax!
Series · 1954
The Clown
Film · 1953
Half a Hero
Film · 1953
The Oscars
Series · 1953
Lovely to Look At
Film · 1952
This Is Your Life
Series · 1952
Texas Carnival
Film · 1951
Excuse My Dust
Film · 1951
The Red Skelton Show
Series · 1951
Three Little Words
Film · 1950
The Yellow Cab Man
Film · 1950
Watch the Birdie
Film · 1950
The Fuller Brush Girl
Film · 1950
The Jack Benny Program
Series · 1950
The Bob Hope Show
Series · 1950
What's My Line?
Series · 1950
Neptune's Daughter
Film · 1949
The Fuller Brush Man
Film · 1948
A Southern Yankee
Film · 1948
Texaco Star Theater
Series · 1948
The Ed Sullivan Show
Series · 1948
Merton of the Movies
Film · 1947
The Show-Off
Film · 1946
Ziegfeld Follies
Film · 1945
Bathing Beauty
Film · 1944
Twenty Years After
Film · 1944
Du Barry Was a Lady
Film · 1943
Thousands Cheer
Film · 1943
Whistling in Brooklyn
Film · 1943
I Dood It
Film · 1943
Ship Ahoy
Film · 1942
Whistling in Dixie
Film · 1942
Maisie Gets Her Man
Film · 1942
Panama Hattie
Film · 1942
Lady Be Good
Film · 1941
Dr. Kildare's Wedding Day
Film · 1941
Whistling in the Dark
Film · 1941
The People Vs. Dr. Kildare
Film · 1941
Flight Command
Film · 1940
Seeing Red
Film · 1939
The Broadway Buckaroo
Film · 1939
Having Wonderful Time
Film · 1938