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.
1965
as The Neanderthal Man
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Organization | Category | Movie |
---|
Texaco Star Theater
as Clem Kadiddlehopper
Episodes: 5
First Aired: Jun 08, 1948
Climax!
as Rusty Morgan
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Oct 07, 1954
The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour
as Red Skeleton
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Nov 06, 1957
The Red Skelton Show
as Host
Episodes: 672
First Aired: Sep 30, 1951
The Ed Sullivan Show
as Self
Episodes: 8
First Aired: Jun 20, 1948
Westinghouse Desilu Playhouse
as Self
Episodes: 2
First Aired: Oct 06, 1958
What's My Line?
as Self - Mystery Guest
Episodes: 2
First Aired: Feb 02, 1950
This Is Your Life
as Self
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Oct 01, 1952
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show
as Self
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Oct 05, 1956
The Steve Allen Show
as Self - Cameo / Clem Kadiddlehopper
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Jun 24, 1956
The Oscars
as Self
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Mar 19, 1953
The Jack Benny Program
as Self
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Oct 28, 1950
The Bob Hope Show
as Self
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Apr 09, 1950
The Steve Allen Show
as Self - Recipient
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Jun 24, 1956
The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
as Self
Episodes: 1
First Aired: Oct 01, 1962
Popularity History
Year | Month | Avg | Max | Min |
---|---|---|---|---|
2024 | 6 | 7 | 12 | 3 |
2024 | 7 | 9 | 19 | 2 |
2024 | 8 | 7 | 16 | 2 |
2024 | 9 | 8 | 19 | 3 |
2024 | 10 | 4 | 8 | 1 |
2024 | 11 | 2 | 5 | 1 |
2024 | 12 | 3 | 9 | 1 |
2025 | 1 | 6 | 21 | 2 |
2025 | 2 | 4 | 8 | 1 |
2025 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 1 |
2025 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
2025 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
2025 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2025 | 8 | 4 | 9 | 0 |