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February 2012

Ship Ahoy - a musical comedy starring Eleanor Powell, Red Skelton, Bert Lahr, Virginia O'brien

Ship Ahoy [Eleanor Powell, Red Skelton]

Ship Ahoy (1942) – Red Skelton, Bert Lahr, Eleanor Powell, Virginia O’Brien

Ship Ahoy is a very funny musical-comedy-romance from MGM that begins with Bert Lahr (the Cowardly Lion from The Wizard of Oz) in one of his rare film appearances playing Skip Owens.  Skip has fallen hopelessly in love with stage dancer Fran Evans (Virginia O’Brien). She is about to leave for Manila along with the Tommy Dorsey band and the rest of her troupe. The troupe is headlined by Tallulah Winters (Eleanor Powell).   Tallulah is a talented dancer who is taken to see a government agent. He wants her to smuggle a magnetic mine to their people in Manila.

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The Great Diamond Robbery (1953) starring Red Skelton and Cara Williams

The Great Diamond Robbery

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The Great Diamond Robbery (1953) starring Red Skelton and Cara Williams

In The Great Diamond Robbery, Red Skelton plays Ambrose C. Park, a jewel cutter who was abandoned on a park bench as an infant (hence his name – Ambrose Central Park).   He is looking for his family, thinking that finding them will fill the void in his life.   He eats his lunch in Central Park every day across from the bench where he was left as an infant.  Hoping that his parents will come by – to no avail.   In his work life he is a jewel cutter.

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Red Skelton, America's Clown Prince - 6 DVD set

Red Skelton – America’s Clown Prince

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Red Skelton – America’s Clown Prince – 6 DVD Set

Buy from Amazon.com I am a huge fan of Red Skelton, and one of my pet peeves is that even though he had thirty years of prime time television series, it’s not rerun anywhere.   Therefore, I’m truly grateful for Red Skelton – America’s Clown Prince.   In short, it simply is a 6-DVD collection of The Red Skelton Show (technically, a 5-DVD collection of the TV series, with the 6th containing some odds and ends, such as appearances in Sparks, Nevada, movie trailers, Red Skelton’s presentation of the Pledge of Allegiance, etc.).  

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The Fuller Brush Man - Red Skelton - DVD

The Fuller Brush Man

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The Fuller Brush Man (1948), starring Red Skelton, Janet Blair

Red Skelton and Janet Blair in "The Fuller Brush Man "

In a nutshell, The Fuller Brush Man is one of the funniest movies I’ve ever seen.   Red Skelton is at his finest, both in verbal comedy as well as in physical slapstick galore.   The basic plot has Red Skelton playing the part of Red Jones, a well-meaning young man … Who keeps getting fired from every job he’s ever held within three weeks.   The girl he loves, Ann Elliot (played by Janet Blair) refuses his marriage proposal. Until he matures enough to be able to provide for a family.   Red decides to emulate his rival for Ann’s love by becoming a door-to-door salesman for the Fuller Brush company.   Unfortunately, this leads him to be the witness to a murder, with the police and gangsters following him … And why are the bad people interested in one of his hairbrushes?

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Red Skelton's Christmas Dinner

Red Skelton’s Christmas Dinner special

Red Skelton’s Christmas Dinner starring Red Skelton, Vincent Price, Imogene Coca

Red Skelton’s final television project, Red Skelton’s Christmas Dinner (also known as Freddie the Freeloader’s Christmas Dinner), is one of his best.   It centers around Red’s hobo clown character, Freddie the Freeloader, who has been saving up his money to afford a nice Christmas dinner with his friend, The Professor — another hobo clown, played wonderfully by Vincent Price.  

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I Dood It! (1943) starring  Red Skelton, Eleanor Powell

I Dood It

movie review of I Dood It! (1943) starring Red Skelton, Eleanor Powell, directed by Vincente Minelli  The movie I Dood It! is a musical comedy,… Read More »I Dood It

Three Little Words, Fred Astaire, Red Skelton, Vera-Ellen, Arlene Dahl, 1950

Three Little Words

Three Little Words (1950) starring Red Skelton, Fred Astaire, Vera-Ellen, Arlene Dahl

Three Little Words is a long-time favorite movie of mine, for several reasons.   First, I’m a large fan of the comedy of Red Skelton, and he’s given plenty of room to work his comedy, both physical and verbal.   Likewise, I’m a fan of Fred Astaire, and I love to watch him dance.  And he has his own very good sense of humor, that plays against Red’s very well.   And thirdly, I’m a fan of well-done musicals, and Three Little Words definitely counts in that regard.

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DuBarry Was A Lady (1943) starring Red Skelton, Lucille Ball, Gene Kelly, Virginia O'Brien, Rags Ragland, Zero Mostel, Tommy Dorsey

DuBarry Was A Lady

DuBarry Was A Lady (1943) starring Red Skelton, Lucille Ball, Gene Kelly, Virginia O’Brien, Rags Ragland, Zero Mostel, Tommy Dorsey

Buy from Amazon.com The basic plot of DuBarry Was A Lady is as follows: Hat check man Louis Blore (Red Skelton) is in love with nightclub star May Daly. (Lucille Ball). May, however, is in love with a poor dancer (Gene Kelly). But due to her parents’ poverty wants to marry for money. When Louis wins the Irish Sweepstakes, he asks May to marry him. She accepts even though she doesn’t love him. Soon after, Louis has an accident and gets slipped a doctored drink (meant for Gene Kelly), where he dreams that he’s King Louis XV pursuing the infamous Madame Du Barry (Lucille Ball).

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Texas Carnival (1951) starring Red Skelton, Esther Williams, Howard Keel, Ann Miller, and Keenan Wynn

Texas Carnival [Red Skelton]

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Texas Carnival (1951) starring Red Skelton, Esther Williams, Howard Keel, Ann Miller, and Keenan Wynn

Texas Carnival is an interesting musical, comedy and romance that €™s a little bit different.   It has 4 very different stars €”Red Skelton, Esther Williams, Howard Keel, and Ann Miller. They have four different strengths, and each of them has opportunity to showcase their talents.  

  • Red Skelton has several very funny moments clowning around.
  • Esther Williams has one extended swimming sequence.
  • Howard Keel sings his heart out in several songs.
  • Ann Miller is showcased in two different dancing routines.
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