10.0
10.0
Clown Alley
1966
Writer
Red Skelton
Acting
Born:July 18, 1913
Died:September 17, 1997(aged 84)
Birthplace:Vincennes, Indiana, USA
N/A
CommunityBiography
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 (52 movies)
7.2
7.2
Excuse My Dust
1951
as Joe Belden
7.0
7.0
The Show-Off
1946
as J. Aubrey Piper
6.8
6.8
Merton of the Movies
1947
as Merton Gill aka Clifford Armytage
6.8
6.8
The People Vs. Dr. Kildare
1941
as Vernon Briggs
6.8
6.8
Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours 11 Minutes
1965
as The Neanderthal Man
6.6
6.6
Dr. Kildare's Wedding Day
1941
as Vernon Briggs
6.5
6.5
Maisie Gets Her Man
1942
as Herbert P. 'Hap' Hixby
6.4
6.4
Rudolph's Shiny New Year
1977
as Father Time / Baby Bear (voice)
6.4
6.4
Thousands Cheer
1943
as Red Skelton
6.3
6.3
Whistling in Brooklyn
1943
as Wally 'The Fox' Benton
6.3
6.3
The Big Parade of Comedy
1964
as Aubrey Filmore in 'A Southern Yankee' (archive footage)
6.3
6.3
The Yellow Cab Man
1950
as Augustus 'Red' Pirdy
6.2
6.2
Du Barry Was a Lady
1943
as Louis Blore / King Louis XV
6.1
6.1
Three Little Words
1950
as Harry Ruby
6.0
6.0
Susan Slept Here
1954
as Oswald from North Dakota (uncredited)
6.0
6.0
Public Pigeon No. 1
1957
as Rusty Morgan
6.0
6.0
A Tribute to Houdini
1987
as Self
6.0
6.0
Swing Out, Sweet Land
1970
as Self
6.0
6.0
Inside the Dream Factory
1995
as Self
6.0
6.0
The Fuller Brush Man
1948
as Red Jones
6.0
6.0
Ziegfeld Follies
1945
as J. Newton Numbskull (segment "When Television Comes")
5.9
5.9
Neptune's Daughter
1949
as Jack Spratt
5.9
5.9
Ship Ahoy
1942
as Merton K. Kibble
5.8
5.8
Whistling in the Dark
1941
as Wally Benton
5.7
5.7
Bathing Beauty
1944
as Steve Elliott
5.6
5.6
Flight Command
1940
as Lieut. 'Mugger' Martin
5.5
5.5
Half a Hero
1953
as Ben Dobson
5.5
5.5
Seeing Red
1939
as Red / Doorman / Coatroom Attendant / Waiter / Emcee
5.4
5.4
Lady Be Good
1941
as Joe 'Red' Willet
5.3
5.3
Watch the Birdie
1950
as Rusty Cammeron
5.3
5.3
The Clown
1953
as Dodo Delwyn
5.2
5.2
A Southern Yankee
1948
as Aubrey Filmore
5.0
5.0
Whistling in Dixie
1942
as Wally Benton
4.8
4.8
Freddie the Freeloader's Christmas Dinner
1981
as Freddie the Freeloader
4.8
4.8
Lovely to Look At
1952
as Al Marsh
4.7
4.7
Texas Carnival
1951
as Cornie Quinell
4.6
4.6
Having Wonderful Time
1938
as Itchy
4.0
4.0
Panama Hattie
1942
as Red
3.5
3.5
I Dood It
1943
as Joseph 'Joe' Rivington Renolds
The Man in the Funny Suit
1960
as Self
The Great Diamond Robbery
1954
as Ambrose C. Park
Jack Benny's 20th Anniversary TV Special
1970
as Self (uncredited)
Red Skelton Christmas Classics
1955
as Main
Red Skelton: Bloopers, Blunders, and Ad Libs
2001
as Himself (Host)/Various Characters
The Broadway Buckaroo
1939
as Red
Honor America Day
1970
as Self
Pioneers of Primetime
2005
Red Skelton: America's Greatest Clown
2005
as Red Skelton
The Country Husband
1956
as Self - Announcing Next Week's Show
America on Parade
1976
Writer
Red Skelton: A Royal Command Performance
1984
as Himself
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to review!