If it weren’t for his wife, Edna …
If it weren’t for his wife, Edna, he would be a bum – says Red Skelton Originally published August 17, 1941, in The Telegraph-Herald – by… Read More »If it weren’t for his wife, Edna …
Red Skelton
Panama Hattie
Panama Hattie (1942) starring Red Skelton, Ann Sothern, Rags Ragland, Virginia O’Brien Synopsis In Panama Hattie, the brassy but gold-hearted proprietress of a Canal Zone hotel, where… Read More »Panama Hattie
Red Skelton’s eye exam
Red Skelton‘s eye exam – From Red’s opening monologue on “The Red Skelton Show” (January 25, 1971) – Red talks about a visit to his eye doctor.
This doctor starts examining my eyes, now you’ve got to hear some of the conversation that went on. I said, “The eye’s making me dizzy.”
He said, “Well, let’s not blame it on the eye.”Read More »Red Skelton’s eye exam
Flight Command
Flight Command (1940) starring Rod Taylor, Walter Pidgeon, Ruth Hussey, Red Skelton
I originally watched Flight Command because it was one of Red Skelton‘s earliest movie roles — which is technically true; Red’s in the film as part of the Hellcats squadron, acting as the class clown, but he’s definitely a secondary character. Flight Command is primarily about a brash young pilot, Alan Drake (played by Robert Taylor) who’s recruited straight out of college to join the premier squad of Navy Hellcats.
Red Skelton photo gallery
A photo gallery of Red Skelton as himself as well as some of his most famous characters, such as Freddie the Freeloader, Clem Kadiddlehopper, etc.
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Half a Hero (1953)
Synopsis of Half a Hero, starring Red Skelton, Jean Hagen
Red Skelton stars as Ben Dobson, a freelance writer who no sooner starts working full-time as a rewrite man at a magazine than his wife (Jean Hagen) decides that they should have their first child. Afterward, she pushes him into moving from New York City to the suburbs. Here he is nickel and dimed to the verge of bankruptcy. Until his boss gives him his first chance at writing his own article for this national magazine. An article talking about the “slums of tomorrow” — the suburbs
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Christmas with Red Skelton – DVD
Christmas with Red Skelton, featuring The Cop and the Anthem and Freddie and the Yuletide Doll featuring Freddie the Freeloader
The title, “Christmas with Red Skelton,” could perhaps have been “Christmas with Freddie the Freeloader.” On this DVD are two Christmas episodes of The Red Skelton Show, both featuring Red Skelton’s hobo character, Freddie the Freeloader. Both are absolute classics.
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Merton of the Movies
Movie review of Merton of the Movies (1947), starring Red Skelton, Virginia O’Brien
Merton of the Movies is set in the silent movie era of Hollywood. Red Skelton plays the part of Gil Merton, a naive, movie-struck young man. He’s given a chance to be a star …. But he doesn’t realize it. A very funny, and sweet, Red Skelton movie co-starring Virginia O’Brien.
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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 Fuller Brush Man
The Fuller Brush Man (1948), starring Red Skelton, Janet Blair
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