Around the World in 80 Days1956
As Drunk in Barbary Coast Saloon
TMDb 6.7 / 10
Red Skelton
Born
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 (66)
Ocean's Eleven1960
As Self
TMDb 6.4 / 10
Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours 11 Minutes1965
As The Neanderthal Man
TMDb 6.8 / 10
Bathing Beauty1944
As Steve Elliott
TMDb 5.9 / 10
That's Entertainment!1974
As (archive footage) (uncredited)
TMDb 7.4 / 10
The Dean Martin Christmas Show1968
As Self (uncredited)
TMDb 7.6 / 10
Ziegfeld Follies1945
As J. Newton Numbskull (segment "When Television Comes")
TMDb 6.0 / 10
That's Entertainment, Part II1976
As (archive footage)
TMDb 7.0 / 10
Thousands Cheer1943
As Red Skelton
TMDb 6.4 / 10
Du Barry Was a Lady1943
As Louis Blore / King Louis
TMDb 6.5 / 10
The Big Parade of Comedy1964
As Aubrey Filmore in 'A Southern Yankee' (archive footage)
TMDb 7.2 / 10
Whistling in the Dark1941
As Wally Benton
TMDb 5.9 / 10
Susan Slept Here1954
As Oswald from North Dakota (uncredited)
TMDb 6.1 / 10
Three Little Words1950
As Harry Ruby
TMDb 6.3 / 10
The Fuller Brush Girl1950
As Red Skelton - Fuller Brush Man (uncredited)
TMDb 6.1 / 10
Public Pigeon No. 11957
As Rusty Morgan
TMDb 6.3 / 10
The Fuller Brush Man1948
As Red Jones
TMDb 6.4 / 10
Television: The First Fifty Years
Television: The First Fifty Years1999
As Buffalo Bob Smith / Howdy Doody (archive footage)
Lovely to Look At1952
As Al Marsh
TMDb 5.5 / 10
That's Dancing!1985
As From 'Bathing Beauty' (archive footage)
TMDb 6.9 / 10
Hollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers1985
As Self (archive footage)
TMDb 2.0 / 10
Rudolph's Shiny New Year1976
As Father Time / Baby Bear (voice)
TMDb 6.4 / 10
Swing Out, Sweet Land1970
As Self
TMDb 5.7 / 10
The People's Command Performance: '771977
As Self
Neptune's Daughter1949
As Jack Spratt
TMDb 6.1 / 10
Dr. Kildare's Wedding Day1941
As Vernon Briggs
TMDb 6.8 / 10
Texas Carnival1951
As Cornie Quinell
TMDb 5.4 / 10
Twenty Years After1944
As (archive footage)
TMDb 8.0 / 10
The Clown1953
As Dodo Delwyn
TMDb 5.6 / 10
I Dood It1943
As Joseph 'Joe' Rivington Renolds
TMDb 5.1 / 10
The Yellow Cab Man1950
As Augustus 'Red' Pirdy
TMDb 6.9 / 10
Merton of the Movies1947
As Merton Gill aka Clifford Armytage
TMDb 6.3 / 10
The Great Diamond Robbery1954
As Ambrose C. Park
TMDb 10.0 / 10
Inside the Dream Factory1995
As Self
TMDb 8.0 / 10
Clown Alley1966
As Freddie the Freeloader
TMDb 10.0 / 10
Maisie Gets Her Man1942
As Herbert P. 'Hap' Hixby
TMDb 6.7 / 10
Flight Command1940
As Lieut. 'Mugger' Martin
TMDb 5.9 / 10
A Southern Yankee1948
As Aubrey Filmore
TMDb 5.7 / 10
The People Vs. Dr. Kildare1941
As Vernon Briggs
TMDb 7.0 / 10
Panama Hattie1942
As Red
TMDb 5.7 / 10
Honor America Day1970
As Self
Jack Benny's 20th Anniversary TV Special
Jack Benny's 20th Anniversary TV Special1970
As Self (uncredited)
TMDb 7.0 / 10
Whistling in Brooklyn1943
As Wally 'The Fox' Benton
TMDb 7.0 / 10
Watch the Birdie1950
As Rusty Cammeron / Pop Cammeron / Grandpop Cammeron
TMDb 5.5 / 10
Pioneers of Primetime2005
A Brave Engineer: Buster Keaton's Last Ride2026
As Self (Archival)
The Man in the Funny Suit
The Man in the Funny Suit1960
As Self
Lady Be Good1941
As Joe 'Red' Willet
TMDb 5.5 / 10
Having Wonderful Time1938
As Itchy
TMDb 4.9 / 10
Elf: Christmas in Tinseltown2004
As Self (archive)
Excuse My Dust1951
As Joe Belden
TMDb 7.8 / 10
Ship Ahoy1942
As Merton K. Kibble
TMDb 6.3 / 10
Whistling in Dixie1942
As Wally Benton
TMDb 6.2 / 10
The Show-Off1946
As J. Aubrey Piper
TMDb 7.0 / 10
The Hollywood Clowns1979
As (archive footage)
Half a Hero1953
As Ben Dobson
TMDb 6.5 / 10
Seeing Red1939
As Red / Doorman / Coatroom Attendant / Waiter / Emcee
TMDb 6.3 / 10
The Country Husband1956
As Self - Announcing Next Week's Show
A Tribute to Houdini1987
As Self
TMDb 6.0 / 10
Freddie the Freeloader's Christmas Dinner
Freddie the Freeloader's Christmas Dinner1981
As Freddie the Freeloader
TMDb 5.4 / 10
America on Parade1976
As Host
TMDb 9.0 / 10
The Broadway Buckaroo
The Broadway Buckaroo1939
As Red
Red Skelton: Bloopers, Blunders, and Ad Libs2001
As Himself (Host)/Various Characters
Red Skelton: America's Greatest Clown2005
As Red Skelton
Red Skelton Christmas Classics1955
As Main
Red Skelton: A Royal Command Performance
Red Skelton: A Royal Command Performance1984
As Himself
TMDb 10.0 / 10
Filmography and biography: TMDb