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Acting

Red Skelton

Born
Jul 18, 1913 · Aged 84
Died
Sep 17, 1997
Place of birth
Vincennes, Indiana, USA
Gender
Male
Movie credits
66
TV credits
16
Also known as (4)
  • Ред Скелтон
  • Richard Red Skelton
  • Richard Bernard "Red" Skelton
  • Richard Bernard Skelton

Biography

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…