By: Ashley Rutkowski

RED’S LIFE

The name he was born under is Richard Bernard Skelton He was born July 18, 1913 in Vincennes, Indiana, U.S. His father died 2 months before he was born so Red had to help make money for his poor family.

So he sold newspapers and odd jobs Ed Wynn spotted him selling newspapers and he took Red backstage to meet all the other

performers he was traveling with. Red then got the “show-biz bug” Left home at age 10 to join a traveling medicine show. Joined in on the Vaudeville action at age 15 Did many things from medicine show, vaudeville, burlesque, showboats, minstrel shows, circus

(his dad’s, Hagenbeck-Wallace Circus) and radio At the age of 17 he married Edna Marie Stillwell who was a Vaudeville usher who became his chief

writer and manager. He divorced her 13 years later Debuted on Broadway and radio in 1937 Debuted in film in 1938 Drafted in March of 1944 In 1945 Red married Georgia Davis, they had two children named Richard (who died of leukemia at

age 9) and Valentina. They divorced in 1972 Returned to his show December 4th of 1945 In 1973 he married Lothian Toland who was the daughter of the Academy Award winning

cinematographer Gregg Toland Became the first show to begin taping in color (early 1960’s) He died at the age of 84 of pneumonia on September 17, 1997in Rancho Mirage, California

Red and Lothian

Red & his radio team

Works Having Wonderful Time in 1938- played Itchy Faulkner and Camp Social Director as himself

Also starred Ginger Rogers, Lucille Ball

The Red Skelton Radio Show premiered on October 7, 1941- The Raleigh Cigarette Program (radio)

Du Barry Was a Lady (1943)- he was Louis Blore/King Louis XV

Also starred Lucille Ball and Gene Kelly

I Dood It in 1943- played Joseph ‘Joe’ Rivington Renolds

Ziegfeld Follies in 1945- starred as himself, Raffles, Tai Long, and Gentleman

Also starred Lucille Ball, Judy Garland, and Gene Kelly

Three Little Words in 1950- played Harry Ruby

Also starred Debby Renolds

Red Skelton Revue in 1954- starred as himself and many of his famous characters

The Red Skelton Hour (TV Series) 1951-1971

Starred many great actors and actresses

Around the World in Eighty Days in 1956- he played a drunk in Barbary Coast Saloon

Rudolph’s Shiny New Year (TV movie) in 1976- voice of father time and baby bear

ALONG WITH MANY OTHER WORKS

WARNING****************

If you are DEATHLY afraid of CLOWNS turn away now!!!

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T h e Tr i p l e S e l f -

Po r t r a i t

C l e m K i d i d d l e h o p p e

r

RED’S CLOWNS

The Financier

Amigo

Freddie’s Birthday

Sunday Afternoon

Touchdown

Christmas Again

The New Stetson

Hold That Tiger

The Pledge

Crazy Qui l t Clown

Freddie’s Kitty Cat

Freddie in the Tub

The Escorts

Holly Clown

The Chef

Clown wi th

Candy Cane

FAMOUS CHARACTERS

The Mean Widdle Kid

Cauliflower McPugg

Freddie the Freeloader

Clem Kadiddlehopper

Sheriff Deadeye

His character became staple of American entertainment!

GuestsO Red Skelton met Michael Jackson when the Jackson

Family appeared on his TV show. They remained friends for years and Red painted Michael on a linen for the Jackson family.

O Red is joined in the fun by a who's who from the world of stage, screen and television. Jerry Lewis, Mickey Rooney, Martha Raye, Tony Randall, Phyllis Diller, Audrey Meadows, Jill St. John, Walter Brennan, Vincent Price, Jayne Meadows, Jackie Gleason, Mamie Van Dorne, Cesar Romero and Keenan Wynn are just a few of the many

O He never really needed a guest star but he knew how to utilize their talents to make the show even funnier

• He was inducted into the International Clown Hall of Fame in 1989

• Inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 1994

• He was awarded 2 stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Television and for Radio

• And many other movies adding up to 48 motion pictures (22 he was the star), composed 8,000 songs (5,000 musical selections), wrote 64 symphonies, painted many pictures (mostly his signature clown), and performed for the Queen of England, 8 U.S. Presidents, and 3 private showings for the Pope.

• Recipient of Emmy Awards in 1951, 1956, 1960, 1961

• The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences awarded him the Governor’s Award for lifetime achievement in 1986

Achievements

Quotes “My mother told me something I’ve never

forgotten: ‘Don’t take life too seriously, son. You don’t come out of it alive anyway.”

“I’m nuts and I know it. But so long as I make ‘em laugh, they ain’t going to lock me up.”

“I always believed God puts each one of us here for a purpose and mine is to try to make people happy.”

“If I can make people smile, then I have served my purpose for God.”

• Red’s trademark was his hat. He performed and did characters with his brown hat. He performed these different character by changing the way the hat looks and how he wears

• His father was a circus clown

• In 1986, as Clem Kaddiddlehopper, he received an Honorary Doctorate of Foolology from Ball Stat University in Muncie, IN

• He insisted on getting his television skits done on the first take, even if it meant ad-libbing around blown lines and failed props. In one famous incident on LIVE television, he managed to ad-lib while a cow defecated on stage

“Not only does she give milk, but also Pet-Ritz pies!”

• He served in the United States Army during WWII (1944-1945)

• He was the star of “The Red Skelton Show” on NBC Radio (1941-1949) & CBS Radio (1949-1953)

• His daughter, Valentina Marie Skelton, was born on May 5, 1947 & his son, Richard Freeman Skelton, was born on May 20, 1948 and died on May 10, 1958 of leukemia

• When Red took a serious fall, injuring himself, one of the writers named Johnny Carson took his place on the show that night

• In 1960 Red purchased the old Charles Chaplin studios

• Although he was famous for his “drunk” comedy sketches, he never drank and was allergic to alcohol

• Skelton admitted that he fudged his officially accepted birth year to people Magazine. They year 1910 is sometimes given instead of 1913, but Arthur Marx claims that Skelton told close associates he was really born in 1906

• Red appears as his character Freddie the Freeloader on a 44cent USA commemorative postage stamp

Other Facts

Video Pedestrian polo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QAGbOPhVA6s&feature=youtu.be

OR

Beanstalk and Freddie dance

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6K0fFeHX474&feature=youtu.be

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Um08hUHX7uk&feature=youtu.be

Extra time video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2A3rVkpMWpI&feature=youtu.be