Red Skelton – America’s Clown Prince – 6 DVD Set
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.).
The negative is that some of the shows are quite grainy, but that’s to be expected, since these date from the 1950’s and 1960’s. Some of these I’d seen before, and some of them were the first time I’d seen them, which made them especially sweet. There’s a wide selection of Red Skelton’s numerous characters, from the well-known hobo Freddie the Freeloader, country bumpkin Clem Kadiddlehopper, con artist San Fernando Red, henpecked George Appleby, punch-drunk boxer Cauliflower McPugg, cowboy Deadeye, the souse Willie Lump-Lump, as well as some lesser-known characters such as Weepy.
The contents of the six DVDs are as follows:
Disc 1 of Red Skelton – America’s Clown Prince
- Clem and the Dalton Girls
- Clem Kadiddlehopper, guest starring Jayne Meadows
- Humphrey School of the Dramatic Arts
- guest starring Gary Moore
- Clean Fighter
- Cauliflower McPugg
- Deadeye and the Alamo
- Sheriff Deadeye and guest star Cesar Romero tell the “true” story of the Alamo
- One Good Intern Deserves Another
- guest star George Gobel
Disc 2 of Red Skelton – America’s Clown Prince
- Clem in Dogpatch
- guest starring Al Capp, author of the Li’l Abner comic strip, where Clem Kadiddlehopper – a personal favorite, where Clem interacts with Li’l Abner and Daisy June – “Would you like hominy grits?” “Hominy? Oh, just one or two, I’m not very hungry.”
- GI Mcpugg
- Cauliflower McPugg in the Army
- Clean Politics
- San Fernando Red in “clean” politics
- Deadeye and the Gunslinger
- guest starring Don Knotts
- The Sultan
- Freddie the Freeloader’s first appearance
Disc 3 of Red Skelton – America’s Clown Prince
- Marooned
- Red marooned on a desert island, with a cute tie-in to the sponsor, Tide
- Fancy Footwork
- Cauliflower McPugg, in a fight against a very young, and muscular Charles Bronson
- San Fernando in Alaska
- guest starring Edie Adams as San Fernando Red’s assistant, Ruby – they’ve been chased out of every other state in the union, so it’s off to bilk Alaska – a very funny episode
- The Stagecoach Robbery
- Where Deadeye and his gang try to hold up a stagecoach, with the pretty young female sheriff inside – if they don’t get scalped first
- The Hobo’s Dilemna
- A funny, and sweet, Freddie the Freeloader episode, where Freddie has to talk a young boy out of running away from home
Disc 4 of Red Skelton – America’s Clown Prince
- Willie and the Burglar
- Willie Lump Lump gets burgled in the middle of the night
- Quiz Show Winner
- Willie Lump Lump wins on a quiz show?
- Whistle Stop
- San Fernando Red
- Lillian Martin
- Jane Russell guest stars
- Freddie’s Romance
- guest star Rhonda Fleming
Disc 5 of Red Skelton – America’s Clown Prince
- Flugelmeyer’s Secret Formula
- guest-starring Ann Southern, Red’s co-star in Lady be Good, Maisie Gets Her Man, Panama Hattie, and Thousands Cheer
- The Railroad Station
- Willie Lump Lump, Clem Kadiddlehopper, first appearance of Cauliflower McPugg
- Indiana
- guest starring Don Knotts and Amanda Blake (Gunsmoke)
- Desert Island
- guest starring Buster Crabbe (Flash Gordon) and Jamie Farr (M*A*S*H)
- Freddie and the Baby
- guest starring the ever-funny Ed Wynn
Disc 6 of Red Skelton – America’s Clown Prince
- Sparks NV Performance
- Red’s Movie Trailers
- The Pledge of Allegiance
- Red Entertains the Troops
- Red at the Reno Rodeo
Editorial review of Red Skelton – America’s Clown Prince – 6 DVD Set, courtesy of Amazon.com
RED SKELTON – AMERICA’S CLOWN PRINCE – 30 HILARIOUS EPISODES – 6 DVD SET! Among America’s great comedians, Red Skelton is certainly the most beloved, along with his gallery of characters, including Clem Kadiddlehopper, San Fernando Red, and of course, Freddie the Freeloader. Red Skelton entertained us with his charm, wit and warmth for decades, on stage, on radio, in the movies and on his hit television program. Movie and television stars lined up to appear on his television show, week after week, year after year, entertaining us and themselves in funny skits with Red. Whether you have been a long-time fan, or are just discovering America’s Clown Prince, this special 6 DVD disc set is a must-have collection of Red Skelton’s unique comedy genius. Watch Clem and the Dalton Girls, Humphrey School of Dramatic Arts, Clean Fighter, Deadeye and the Alamo, One Good Intern Deserves Another, Clem in Dogpatch, GI McPugg, Clean Politics, Deadeye and the Gunslinger, The Sultan, Marooned, Fancy Footwork, San Fernando in Alaska, The Stagecoach Robbery, The Hobo’s Dilemma, Willie and the Burglar, Quiz Show Winner, Whistle Stop, Lillian Martin, Freddie’s Romance, Flugelmeyers’ Secret Formula, The Railroad Station, Indiana, Desert Island, Freddie and the Baby. Red’s famous Pledge of Allegiance and much more!