Acting · Vincennes, Indiana, USA · Born July 18, 1913
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.
MovieA Brave Engineer: Buster Keaton's Last Ride
2026
as Self (Archival)
MoviePioneers of Primetime
2005
MovieRed Skelton: America's Greatest Clown
2005
as Red Skelton
MovieElf: Christmas in Tinseltown
2004
as Self (archive)
MovieRed Skelton: Bloopers, Blunders, and Ad Libs
2001
as Himself (Host)/Various Characters
Television: The First Fifty Years
1999
as Buffalo Bob Smith / Howdy Doody (archive footage)
MovieInside the Dream Factory
1995
as Self
MovieA Tribute to Houdini
1987
as Self
MovieThat's Dancing!
1985
as From 'Bathing Beauty' (archive footage)
MovieHollywood's Funniest All-Star Bloopers
1985
as Self (archive footage)
Red Skelton: A Royal Command Performance
1984
as Himself
Freddie the Freeloader's Christmas Dinner
1981
as Freddie the Freeloader
MovieThe Hollywood Clowns
1979
as (archive footage)
MovieThe People's Command Performance: '77
1977
as Self
MovieRudolph's Shiny New Year
1976
as Father Time / Baby Bear (voice)
MovieThat's Entertainment, Part II
1976
as (archive footage)
MovieAmerica on Parade
1976
as Host
MovieThat's Entertainment!
1974
as (archive footage) (uncredited)
Jack Benny's 20th Anniversary TV Special
1970
as Self (uncredited)
MovieHonor America Day
1970
as Self
MovieSwing Out, Sweet Land
1970
as Self
MovieThe Dean Martin Christmas Show
1968
as Self (uncredited)
MovieClown Alley
1966
as Freddie the Freeloader
MovieThose Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours 11 Minutes
1965
as The Neanderthal Man
MovieThe Big Parade of Comedy
1964
as Aubrey Filmore in 'A Southern Yankee' (archive footage)
TVThe Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson
1962
as Self
MovieOcean's Eleven
1960
as Self
The Man in the Funny Suit
1960
as Self
TVWestinghouse Desilu Playhouse
1958
as Self
TVThe Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour
1957
as Red Skeleton
Tonight Starring Jack Paar
1957
as Self
MoviePublic Pigeon No. 1
1957
as Rusty Morgan
MovieThe Country Husband
1956
as Self - Announcing Next Week's Show
MovieAround the World in 80 Days
1956
as Drunk in Barbary Coast Saloon
TVThe Dinah Shore Chevy Show
1956
as Self
TVThe Steve Allen Show
1956
as Self - Cameo / Clem Kadiddlehopper
MovieRed Skelton Christmas Classics
1955
as Main
TVClimax!
1954
as Rusty Morgan
MovieSusan Slept Here
1954
as Oswald from North Dakota (uncredited)
MovieThe Great Diamond Robbery
1954
as Ambrose C. Park
MovieHalf a Hero
1953
as Ben Dobson
TVThe Oscars
1953
as Self
MovieThe Clown
1953
as Dodo Delwyn
TVThis Is Your Life
1952
as Self
MovieLovely to Look At
1952
as Al Marsh
MovieTexas Carnival
1951
as Cornie Quinell
TVThe Red Skelton Show
1951
as Host
MovieExcuse My Dust
1951
as Joe Belden
MovieWatch the Birdie
1950
as Rusty Cammeron / Pop Cammeron / Grandpop Cammeron
TVThe Jack Benny Program
1950
as Red Skelton
MovieThe Fuller Brush Girl
1950
as Red Skelton - Fuller Brush Man (uncredited)
MovieThree Little Words
1950
as Harry Ruby
TVThe Bob Hope Show
1950
as Self
MovieThe Yellow Cab Man
1950
as Augustus 'Red' Pirdy
TVWhat's My Line?
1950
as Self
MovieNeptune's Daughter
1949
as Jack Spratt
MovieA Southern Yankee
1948
as Aubrey Filmore
TVThe Ed Sullivan Show
1948
as Self
Texaco Star Theater
1948
as Clem Kadiddlehopper
MovieThe Fuller Brush Man
1948
as Red Jones
MovieMerton of the Movies
1947
as Merton Gill aka Clifford Armytage
MovieThe Show-Off
1946
as J. Aubrey Piper
MovieZiegfeld Follies
1945
as J. Newton Numbskull (segment "When Television Comes")
MovieBathing Beauty
1944
as Steve Elliott
MovieTwenty Years After
1944
as (archive footage)
MovieWhistling in Brooklyn
1943
as Wally 'The Fox' Benton
MovieThousands Cheer
1943
as Red Skelton
MovieI Dood It
1943
as Joseph 'Joe' Rivington Renolds
MovieDu Barry Was a Lady
1943
as Louis Blore / King Louis
MovieWhistling in Dixie
1942
as Wally Benton
MoviePanama Hattie
1942
as Red
MovieMaisie Gets Her Man
1942
as Herbert P. 'Hap' Hixby
MovieShip Ahoy
1942
as Merton K. Kibble
MovieLady Be Good
1941
as Joe 'Red' Willet
MovieDr. Kildare's Wedding Day
1941
as Vernon Briggs
MovieWhistling in the Dark
1941
as Wally Benton
MovieThe People Vs. Dr. Kildare
1941
as Vernon Briggs
MovieFlight Command
1940
as Lieut. 'Mugger' Martin
MovieSeeing Red
1939
as Red / Doorman / Coatroom Attendant / Waiter / Emcee
The Broadway Buckaroo
1939
as Red
MovieHaving Wonderful Time
1938
as Itchy
