Richard Red Skelton (July 18, 1913 â€" September 17, 1997) was an
American comedy entertainer. He was best known for his national radio
and television shows between 1937 and 1971, especially as host of the
television program The Red Skelton Show. He has stars on the Hollywood
Walk of Fame for his work in radio and television, and also appeared
in burlesque, vaudeville, films, nightclubs, and casinos, all while he
pursued an entirely separate career as an artist.Skelton began
developing his comedic and pantomime skills from the age of 10, when
he became part of a traveling medicine show. He then spent time on a
showboat, worked the burlesque circuit, and then entered into
vaudeville in 1934. The "Doughnut Dunkers" pantomime sketch, which he
wrote together with his wife, launched a career for him in vaudeville,
radio, and films. His radio career began in 1937 with a guest
appearance on The Fleischmann's Yeast Hour, which led to his becoming
the host of Avalon Time in 1938. He became the host of The Raleigh
Cigarette Program in 1941, on which many of his comedy characters were
created, and he had a regularly scheduled radio program until 1957.
Skelton made his film debut in 1938 alongside Ginger Rogers and
Douglas Fairbanks Jr. in Alfred Santell's Having Wonderful Time, and
would appear in numerous musical and comedy films throughout the 1940s
and 1950s, with starring roles in 19 films, including Ship Ahoy
(1941), I Dood It (1943), Ziegfeld Follies (1946), and The Clown
(1953).Skelton was eager to work in television, even when the medium
was in its infancy. The Red Skelton Show made its television premiere
on September 30, 1951, on NBC. By 1954, Skelton's program moved to
CBS, where it was expanded to one hour and renamed The Red Skelton
Hour in 1962. Despite high ratings, the show was canceled by CBS in
1970, as the network believed that more youth-oriented programs were
needed to attract younger viewers and their spending power. Skelton
moved his program to NBC, where he completed his last year with a
regularly scheduled television show in 1971. He spent his time after
that making as many as 125 personal appearances a year and working on
his paintings.
American comedy entertainer. He was best known for his national radio
and television shows between 1937 and 1971, especially as host of the
television program The Red Skelton Show. He has stars on the Hollywood
Walk of Fame for his work in radio and television, and also appeared
in burlesque, vaudeville, films, nightclubs, and casinos, all while he
pursued an entirely separate career as an artist.Skelton began
developing his comedic and pantomime skills from the age of 10, when
he became part of a traveling medicine show. He then spent time on a
showboat, worked the burlesque circuit, and then entered into
vaudeville in 1934. The "Doughnut Dunkers" pantomime sketch, which he
wrote together with his wife, launched a career for him in vaudeville,
radio, and films. His radio career began in 1937 with a guest
appearance on The Fleischmann's Yeast Hour, which led to his becoming
the host of Avalon Time in 1938. He became the host of The Raleigh
Cigarette Program in 1941, on which many of his comedy characters were
created, and he had a regularly scheduled radio program until 1957.
Skelton made his film debut in 1938 alongside Ginger Rogers and
Douglas Fairbanks Jr. in Alfred Santell's Having Wonderful Time, and
would appear in numerous musical and comedy films throughout the 1940s
and 1950s, with starring roles in 19 films, including Ship Ahoy
(1941), I Dood It (1943), Ziegfeld Follies (1946), and The Clown
(1953).Skelton was eager to work in television, even when the medium
was in its infancy. The Red Skelton Show made its television premiere
on September 30, 1951, on NBC. By 1954, Skelton's program moved to
CBS, where it was expanded to one hour and renamed The Red Skelton
Hour in 1962. Despite high ratings, the show was canceled by CBS in
1970, as the network believed that more youth-oriented programs were
needed to attract younger viewers and their spending power. Skelton
moved his program to NBC, where he completed his last year with a
regularly scheduled television show in 1971. He spent his time after
that making as many as 125 personal appearances a year and working on
his paintings.
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