Who Is Red Skelton? Age, Biography, and Wiki
Red Skelton was born on July 18, 1913, and sadly passed away on September 17, 1997. As of 2025, had he been alive, he would have celebrated his 112th birthday. Renowned for his slapstick comedy, Skelton was a staple in American entertainment, known for his sketches and characters on television, radio, and in films. With a career spanning several decades, he left a profound impact on the world of comedy that continues to be celebrated today.
| Occupation | Republicans |
|---|---|
| Date of Birth | July 18, 1913 |
| Age | 84 Years |
| Birth Place | Vincennes, Indiana, U.S. |
| Horoscope | Cancer |
| Country | India |
| Date of death | 17 September, 1997 |
| Died Place | Rancho Mirage, California, U.S. |
Popularity
Red Skelton's Popularity over time
Height, Weight & Measurements
Red Skelton stood at an impressive height of 6 feet (183 cm) and maintained a well-proportioned physique throughout his career. Though not extensively documented, it was known that he weighed around 180 lbs (82 kg) during his active years. His charming demeanor, coupled with his comedic talent, made him a beloved figure across generations.
At the height of Skelton's popularity, his 9-year-old son Richard was diagnosed with leukemia and was given a year to live. While the network told him to take as much time off as necessary, Skelton felt that unless he went back to his television show, he would be unable to be at ease and make his son's life a happy one.
He returned to his television show on January 15, 1957, with guest star Mickey Rooney helping to lift his spirits. In happier times, he had frequently mentioned his children on his program, but he found it extremely difficult to do this after Richard became ill. Skelton resumed this practice only after his son asked him to do so.
After his son's diagnosis, Skelton took his family on an extended trip, so Richard could see as much of the world as possible. The Skeltons had an audience with Pope Pius XII on July 22, 1957.
According to an International News Service article that appeared in the August 1, 1957, issue of the St.Joseph, Missouri News Press, Richard said that the audience with the Pope was the high point of the trip so far.
The Skeltons cut their travels short and returned to the United States after an encounter with an aggressive reporter in London and relentlessly negative reports in British newspapers.
Family, Dating & Relationship Status
Throughout his life, Red Skelton was married twice. His first marriage was to Edna Marie Sturgeon in 1931, with whom he had a son named Richard. After their divorce, he married actress and dancer Georgia Davis in 1945. They remained together until Skelton's passing. While there is limited information on romantic relationships beyond these unions, Skelton was known for cherishing his family and finding joy in his personal life.
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 appeared 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), Three Little Words (1950), and The Clown (1953).
Net Worth and Salary
At the time of his death, Red Skelton’s net worth was estimated to be around $20 million. His wealth was accrued through a successful career in entertainment, including his long-running television show, various film roles, and live performances. Skelton's unique brand of comedy not only earned him a massive following but also made him one of the highest-paid entertainers during his peak years.
In 1943, after a memorable role as a nightclub hatcheck attendant who becomes King Louis XV of France in a dream opposite Lucille Ball and Gene Kelly in Roy Del Ruth's Du Barry Was a Lady, Skelton starred as Joseph Rivington Reynolds, a hotel valet besotted with Broadway starlet Constance Shaw (Powell) in Vincente Minnelli's romantic musical comedy
, I Dood It.
The film was largely a remake of Buster Keaton's Spite Marriage; Keaton, who had become a comedy consultant to MGM after his film career had diminished, began coaching Skelton on set during the filming.
Keaton worked in this capacity on several of Skelton's films, and his 1926 film The General was also later rewritten to become Skelton's A Southern Yankee (1948), under directors S. Sylvan Simon and Edward Sedgwick. Keaton was so convinced of Skelton's comedic talent that he approached MGM studio head Louis B.
Mayer with a request to create a small company within MGM for himself and Skelton, where the two could work on film projects. Keaton offered to forgo his salary if the films made by the company were not box-office hits; Mayer chose to decline the request.
In 1944, Skelton starred opposite Esther Williams in George Sidney's musical comedy Bathing Beauty, playing a songwriter with romantic difficulties.
He next had a relatively minor role as a "TV announcer who, in the course of demonstrating a brand of gin, progresses from mild inebriation through messy drunkenness to full-blown stupor" in the "When Television Comes" segment of Ziegfeld Follies, which featured William Powell and Judy Garland in the main roles.
In 1946, Skelton played boastful clerk J. Aubrey Piper opposite Marilyn Maxwell and Marjorie Main in Harry Beaumont's comedy picture The Show-Off. Skelton's contract called for MGM's approval prior to his radio shows and other appearances.
When he renegotiated his long-term contract with MGM, he wanted a clause that permitted him to remain working in radio and to be able to work on television, which was then largely experimental.
At the time, the major work in the medium was centered in New York; Skelton had worked there for some time, and was able to determine that he would find success with his physical comedy through the medium. By 1947, Skelton's work interests were focused not on films, but on radio and television.
His MGM contract was rigid enough to require the studio's written consent for his weekly radio shows, as well as any benefit or similar appearances he made; radio offered fewer restrictions, more creative control, and a higher salary.
Skelton asked for a release from MGM after learning he could not raise the $750,000 needed to buy out the remainder of his contract. He also voiced frustration with the film scripts he was offered while on the set of The Fuller Brush Man, saying, "Movies are not my field.
Radio and television are." He did not receive the desired television clause nor a release from his MGM contract. In 1948, columnist Sheilah Graham printed that Skelton's wishes were to make only one film a year, spending the rest of the time traveling the U.S. with his radio show.
Career, Business and Investments
Red Skelton began his career in vaudeville and expanded into film and television, with a successful show that aired from the 1950s to 1970s. His television program, "The Red Skelton Show," became a cultural phenomenon, showcasing his various characters and comedic talent. Besides performing, Skelton was also an accomplished painter, earning additional income through his artwork and selling his paintings. His investments in the entertainment industry contributed to his overall financial success.
Richard Bernard Skelton (July 18, 1913 – September 17, 1997) was an American entertainer 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.
Social Network
Red Skelton was not a part of today’s social networking landscape, as social media emerged long after his time. However, his legacy continues through various fan pages and tribute accounts that celebrate his work and influence in comedy on platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. His timeless sketches and quotes are often shared, ensuring that his comedic spirit remains alive in the digital age.
The couple viewed the Loew's State engagement in 1937 as Skelton's big chance. They hired New York comedy writers to prepare material for the engagement, believing they needed more sophisticated jokes and skits than the routines Skelton normally performed.
However, his New York audience did not laugh or applaud until Skelton abandoned the newly-written material and began performing the "Doughnut Dunkers" and his older routines. The doughnut-dunking routine also helped Skelton rise to celebrity status. In 1937, while he was entertaining at the Capitol Theater in Washington, D.C., President Franklin D.
Roosevelt invited Skelton to perform at a White House luncheon. During one of the official toasts, Skelton grabbed Roosevelt's glass, saying, "Careful what you drink, Mr. President.
I got rolled in a place like this once." His humor appealed to FDR and Skelton became the master of ceremonies for Roosevelt's official birthday celebration for many years afterward.
Education
Red Skelton’s formal education was limited; he dropped out of school at an early age to pursue a career in entertainment. However, Skelton was a lifelong learner, honing his craft through experience in vaudeville and performance arts. His passion for comedy and entertainment became his greatest education, leading him to become one of America’s most beloved comedians.
Skelton's first contact with Hollywood came in the form of a failed 1932 screen test. In 1938, he made his film debut for RKO Pictures in the supporting role of a camp counselor in Having Wonderful Time. He appeared in two short subjects for Vitaphone in 1939: Seeing Red and The Broadway Buckaroo.
Actor Mickey Rooney contacted Skelton, urging him to try for work in films after seeing him perform his "Doughnut Dunkers" act at President Roosevelt's 1940 birthday party.
For his Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) screen test, Skelton performed many of his more popular skits, such as "Guzzler's Gin", but added some impromptu pantomimes as the cameras were rolling. "Imitation of Movie Heroes Dying" were Skelton's impressions of the cinema deaths of stars such as George Raft, Edward G. Robinson, and James Cagney.
