Red Skelton - Overview

Date of Birth: Jul 18, 1913 Date of Death: Sep 17, 1997

Place of Birth: Vincennes, Indiana, USA

Nationality: United States

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Full Biography

A vaudeville and burlesque performer who worked his way up from the bottom of the rung clubs and show boats to play the Paramount Theatre in NYC, Red Skelton entered films in 1938 and went on to appear in some two dozen musicals and comedies through the 1940s, mostly for MGM. Skelton, who had his own radio show from 1941-53, embraced TV in 1950 and gained his greatest fame there, showcasing his gift for pantomime and his memorable characterizations, such as Freddy the Freeloader, on the long-running "The Red Skelton Show" which ran on NBC from 1951-53, then on CBS from 1953-70, and finally on NBC for its last year 1970-71.

Skelton was a physical comedian, and his work showed the influence of the circus his father had performed in, down to the clown-like floppy hats and facial expressions. He had a humble quality, not just in the essence of his characters, but in his modest bows to the audience, during which Skelton would hold his tongue gently between his teeth and just say thank you. (In reality, Skelton was said to be anything but modest when it came to t... Read More

Filmography (5)

Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines (1965)

Ocean's Eleven (1960)

The Great Diamond Robbery (1953)

Ziegfeld Follies (1946)

I Dood It (1943)

Milestones (18)

1981
Made pay TV debut in "Freddy the Freeloader's Christmas Dinner" (HBO)

1965
Final feature, "Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machine"

1952
Had rare dramatic role in "The Clown"

1949
Reteamed with Esther Williams in "Neptune's Daughter"; sang Oscar-winning song "Baby, It's Cold Outside"

1948
Had title role in the screen comedy "The Fuller Brush Man"

1944
First starred opposite Esther Williams in "Bathing Beauty"

1944
Inducted in the US Army as a private

Photos From Last Movie