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Red Skelton

Red Skelton

Actor · Died September 17, 1997, aged 84 · Vincennes, Indiana, USA

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 (1951) premiered on NBC. For two decades, until 1971, his show consistently stayed in the top twenty, both on NBC and CBS. His numerous characters, including Clem Kaddiddlehopper, George Appleby, and the seagulls Gertrude and Heathcliffe delighted audiences for decades. First and foremost, he considered himself a clown, although not the greatest, and his paintings of clowns brought in a fortune after he left television. His home life was not completely happy--two divorces and a son Richard who died of leukemia at age 9--and he did not hang around with other comedians. He continued performing live until illness, and he was a longtime supporter of children's charities. Red Skelton died at age 84 of pneumonia in Rancho Mirage, California, on September 17, 1997. Red is interred at Forest Lawn Cemetery, Glendale, California, in the Great Mausoleum, Sanctuary of Benediction.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
July 18, 1913
Died
September 17, 1997 (aged 84)
From
Vincennes, Indiana, USA
Works as
Actor
Titles
34 on MovieCove · 57 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 36% in 30 days

What are Red Skelton's films like?

Across their 23 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Morality.

Genres

Comedy17 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 52nd percentile
: browse their Comedy movies
Adventure2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 69th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Adventure movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
44%
Morality
23%
Self
19%
Society
4%
Survival
4%
Power
3%
Ideas
3%
Romantic love14 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception9 titles, browse their movies with this themeAmbition7 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds3 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity4 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship2 titles, browse their movies with this themeGrief2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 23 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Light: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their light movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 20 · Serious 2 · Dark 1

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 11 · Stylized 11 · Heightened 1

Gentle: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their gentle movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 15 · Charged 8 · Intense 0

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 15 · Shifting 5 · Whiplash 3

Funny: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their funny movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 0 · Some laughs 9 · Funny 14

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 10 · Even-paced 11 · Relentless 2

Casual: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their casual movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 22 · Engaged 1 · Full focus 0

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 23 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0

Roles they play

23 analyzed roles

Usually the Hero: 13 of 23 analyzed roles.

Hero
13 of 23
Trickster
6 of 23
Shapeshifter
1 of 23
Herald
1 of 23
Ally
1 of 23
Mentor
1 of 23
Show the 23 roles

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Joyful
18
Warm
8
Absurd
6
Romantic
7
Melancholic
4
Other
15

How their films linger

Feel-good19 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun16 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet3 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 1 with a twist

  • Happy21
  • Bittersweet1
  • Tragic1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Red Skelton's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 7 of their 34 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on HBO Max (4).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Red Skelton's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

57 credits, 34 with a MovieCove page; 24 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Pioneers of Primetime (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Actor

  • Red Skelton: America's Greatest Clown (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    as Red Skelton

  • Television: The First Fifty Years (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1999)

    as Buffalo Bob Smith / Howdy Doody (archive footage)

  • That's Dancing!(1985)

    as From 'Bathing Beauty' (archive footage)

    Midcredits score: 82nd percentile of all films

  • Freddie the Freeloader's Christmas Dinner (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    as Freddie the Freeloader

  • The Hollywood Clowns (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1979)

    as (archive footage)

  • Rudolph's Shiny New Year(1976)

    as Father Time / Baby Bear (voice)

    Midcredits score: 60th percentile of all films

  • That's Entertainment, Part II(1976)

    as (archive footage)

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • America on Parade (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1976)

    Writer · as Host

  • That's Entertainment!(1974)

    as (archive footage) (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Clown Alley (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Writer · as Freddie the Freeloader

  • Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours 11 Minutes(1965)

    as The Neanderthal Man

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • The Big Parade of Comedy(1964)

    as Aubrey Filmore in 'A Southern Yankee' (archive footage)

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all films

  • The Lucy–Desi Comedy Hour (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1957)

    Show 1 episode · as Red Skeleton

  • Public Pigeon No. 1(1957)

    as Rusty Morgan

    Midcredits score: 35th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • Around the World in 80 Days(1956)

    as Drunk in Barbary Coast Saloon

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Red Skelton Christmas Classics (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1955)

    as Main

  • Climax! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)

    Show 1 episode · as Rusty Morgan

  • Susan Slept Here(1954)

    as Oswald from North Dakota (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • The Great Diamond Robbery(1954)

    as Ambrose C. Park

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Half a Hero(1953)

    as Ben Dobson

    Midcredits score: 29th percentile of all films

  • The Clown(1953)

    as Dodo Delwyn

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Lovely to Look At(1952)

    as Al Marsh

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Texas Carnival(1951)

    as Cornie Quinell

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • The Red Skelton Hour(1951)

    Show 672 episodes · Producer · Writer · as Host

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all shows

  • Excuse My Dust (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1951)

    as Joe Belden

  • Watch the Birdie(1950)

    as Rusty Cammeron / Pop Cammeron / Grandpop Cammeron

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • The Jack Benny Program (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Show 1 episode · as Red Skelton

  • The Fuller Brush Girl(1950)

    as Red Skelton - Fuller Brush Man (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Three Little Words(1950)

    as Harry Ruby

    Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all films

  • The Bob Hope Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1950)

    Show 1 episode · Writer · as Self

  • The Yellow Cab Man(1950)

    as Augustus 'Red' Pirdy

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • Neptune's Daughter(1949)

    as Jack Spratt

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • A Southern Yankee(1948)

    as Aubrey Filmore

    Midcredits score: 66th percentile of all films

  • The Milton Berle Show(1948)

    Show 5 episodes · as Clem Kadiddlehopper

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all shows

  • The Fuller Brush Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1948)

    as Red Jones

  • Merton of the Movies (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1947)

    as Merton Gill aka Clifford Armytage

  • The Show-Off (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1946)

    as J. Aubrey Piper

  • Ziegfeld Follies(1945)

    as J. Newton Numbskull (segment "When Television Comes")

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Bathing Beauty(1944)

    as Steve Elliott

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Twenty Years After (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1944)

    as (archive footage)

  • Whistling in Brooklyn(1943)

    as Wally 'The Fox' Benton

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Thousands Cheer(1943)

    as Red Skelton

    Midcredits score: 49th percentile of all films

  • I Dood It (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1943)

    as Joseph 'Joe' Rivington Renolds

  • Du Barry Was a Lady(1943)

    as Louis Blore / King Louis

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Whistling in Dixie (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1942)

    as Wally Benton

  • Panama Hattie(1942)

    as Red

    Midcredits score: 40th percentile of all films

  • Maisie Gets Her Man(1942)

    as Herbert P. 'Hap' Hixby

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Ship Ahoy(1942)

    as Merton K. Kibble

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Lady Be Good(1941)

    as Joe 'Red' Willet

    Midcredits score: 55th percentile of all films

  • Dr. Kildare's Wedding Day(1941)

    as Vernon Briggs

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Whistling in the Dark(1941)

    as Wally Benton

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • The People Vs. Dr. Kildare (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1941)

    as Vernon Briggs

  • Flight Command(1940)

    as Lieut. 'Mugger' Martin

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Seeing Red (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Red / Doorman / Coatroom Attendant / Waiter / Emcee

  • The Broadway Buckaroo (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1939)

    as Red

  • Having Wonderful Time (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1938)

    as Itchy

Career shape

Star power in the 89th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 57 titles from 1938 to 2005; peak year 1976.

Highest rated

Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 Hours 11 Minutes (1965)

Midcredits 80th

Film career

19382005

Peak 1976 · their film career is on the way up. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

  • 1944Screen debut· Bathing Beauty
  • 1944First top-billed film· Bathing Beauty
  • 1976Career best· Rudolph's Shiny New Year

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting56 of 57: 53 only acting, 3 with another role · typical Midcredits score57thWriting4 of 57: 1 only writing, 3 with another roleProducing1 of 57: 0 only producing, 1 with another role

57 titles, 3 with more than one role — acting and writing overlap on 3 of them.

By decade

1930s3 · acting1940s22 · acting1950s19 · 18 acting · 2 crew1960s3 · 3 acting · 1 crew1970s5 · 5 acting · 1 crew1980s2 · acting1990s1 · acting2000s2 · acting

Billing

usually 2nd · top billed in 33% of 6 roles

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.

How do Red Skelton's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 57th percentile, the median of all 32; across their 23 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 56th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

56thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 23

Approval · how many liked their films

49thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 23

Reach · how many have seen their films

36thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 23

Midcredits score across 34 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up6
  • 50th to 74th18
  • 25th to 49th10

Shape of the crowd

22 of their 34 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Crowd Pleaser22
  • Broadly Agreed5
  • Mixed6

Most divisive · actor

The Big Parade of Comedy (1964)

74th percentile spread · 35% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

That's Entertainment! (1974)

Midcredits 92nd · 80% liked

Reviewers score the acting 65/100 in their films, across 22 reviewed titles; fans 71, detractors 45. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Red Skelton work with?

People who share at least 2 of Red Skelton's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; George Stoll shares the most, 5.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Composers and cinematographers

Producers