Red Skelton

Richard Skelton (aka Red Skelton) was one of the most multi talented performers and artist of our time. He was not only a talented comedian but an oil painter, writer, poet and musical composer. His artwork alone, today, is worth thousands of dollars and is highly sought after by art collectors. He was a lifelong Mason and his American patriotism was unending. He loved the United States.
A famous performer, Ed Wynn, came to Vincennes Indiana in 1922. Ed met Red the newspaper boy out on the street and asked the nine year old boy “What is there to do for entertainment in town?” Not realizing who he was talking to, Red answered that a famous performer by the name of Ed Wynn was performing that very night at the theatre. The man asked Red “would you like to see the show” and Red replied “yes if he could afford it.” Ed Wynn bought the remainder of Red’s newspapers and said “now maybe you can go.” Red rushed home and asked his mother’s permission. She gave him the ticket fee and extra money for candy. When Red arrived at the theatre the nice man was waiting for him. Ed paid for Red’s ticket and took him backstage. Red peeked through the stage curtain at the folks waiting for the show. Red never forgot the joy of seeing an audience from on stage.
At ten years old, the acting bug got the best of Red. He joined a medicine show and would sing and dance in the back of a flatbed truck. During one of his dance routines he fell from the truck and the audience laughed. His routine thereafter contained many clumsy stunts just to hear the laughter. After building his comedian routine he went to work with minstrel shows and the circus. With the circus he performed as a clown just as his father had done. He soon moved on to Burlesque and Vaudeville.
In 1934, Red ended up in Canada and became an instant success. Red was born in 1913 and in a short 25 years he had become famous. In 1938 Red returned to the States and started his famous radio career. During his radio days many characters he created came to life. They included Clem Kaddiddlehopper, Sheriff Deadeye, Junior the mean Widdle Kid and many others. From 1940 to 1950 the Red Skelton radio show was on the air. He would do live broadcast from defense plants and military bases. During this time he served in the United States Army as an enlisted man. When he returned from service his radio show continued.
1951 brought Red into the homes of millions of his fans by way of television. His fans could finally see their favorite character for the first time. The Red Skelton Show remained in the top 10 and top 20 network shows for 20 consecutive seasons. His shows are now replayed by way of the PBS stations.
Red was one of the few performers to have the privilege of performing before 8 United States Presidents, 3 Popes and the royal family of England. He authored children’s books, coloring books, and books of poetry. His “Gertrude and Heathcliffe” book was a National best seller. His song composing list included several hundred songs and musical arrangements that were performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra. He spent many hours painting and his subjects included landscapes, still life and his famous clown series.
After leaving television in 1971 Red made appearances on stages across America performing his many characters and lecturing to colleges. His long career had included not only radio, television and stage but also motion pictures. His film career included starring in over 50 full length feature films.
Red Skelton died on September 17, 1997 at the age of 84 of an undisclosed illness. I will leave you with Red’s message to his audiences when he closed his shows. He said “I personally believe we were put here to build not destroy. So if by chance some day you’re not feeling well and you should remember some silly little thing I’ve said or done and it brings back a smile to your face or a chuckle to your heart then my purpose as your clown has been fulfilled. Goodnight and may God Bless.”