Freddie’s Thanksgiving – The Red Skelton Show – Freddie the Freeloader’s sister is doing a surprise visit! Can Edward Everett Horton help?
Freddie’s Thanksgiving – The Red Skelton Show season 7
Monolog
- Red does a caricature of a man with new dentures eating the Thanksgiving meal.
- Two turkeys were talking. One of them says, “Genevieve?” The other says, “What is it Thelma?” “Old Tom over there, he’s been around a long time, hasn’t he?” “Yes, he’s one of the oldest birds on the ranch. He remembers when Pike’s Peak was a pimple. Let’s ask him how he does it.” So they walk over and ask, “Tom, how come they never kill you around Thanksgiving?” He says, “I’m a coward.” “A coward?” “Yes, every Thanksgiving I turn chicken.”
Freddie’s Thanksgiving – Act I
After some very funny shenanigans at Freddie’s shack with Smitty the hobo (Edward Everett Horton), Freddie receives a letter from his sister Maxine. She’s going to surprise him for Thanksgiving! And since she thinks Freddie is wealthy & successful, it’ll be quite a surprise! But Smitty suggests that they “borrow” the Van Horn mansion, since the owner’s on vacation in Florida.
Freddie’s Thanksgiving – Act II
So, the duo enters the mansion through the chimney — “Look out for that loose brick” — and starts exploring. While Smitty’s off, Freddie’s helping himself to a snifter of brandy. But then a cop comes to the door! And even though Smitty’s now dressed as the butler, and supporting Freddie’s story, the cop’s suspicious …
Smitty’s working on the Thanksgiving meal, if Freddie will bring in a turkey …. But it’s a duck instead! After some clowning around, the duck dives into the pool, they find a frozen turkey, and do a funny gag stuffing the turkey. Then, Maxine arrives, with her husband and two children! And then, unexpectedly, the real Mr. Van Horn does!
Routines
- Collapsible chair. Smitty’s brought Freddie a present – a camping-style chair. Where Freddie sits in it, it collapses to the floor. Twice. But when Smitty sits in it, it’s fine. So Freddie asks to try it again — and it collapses!s
- Stuffing the turkey – Freddie is stuffing the Thanksgiving turkey from one end, and Smitty from the other. “There’s something alive in there!”
Cast of characters
- Red Skelton … Self – Host / Freddie the Freeloader
- David Rose and His Orchestra … Themselves
- Art Gilmore … Self – Announcer (voice)
- Edward Everett Horton (Shall We Dance; Springtime in the Rockies) … Smitty – a Hobo
- Ray Kellogg (I Passed for White) … Police Officer
- Addison Richards (The Walking Dead 1936; The Pride of the Yankees) … Mr. Van Horn
- The Skelton Dancers … Themselves