Red Skelton Biography

Fast Facts

• Served in the U․S․ Army during World War II, first as a field artillery soldier and later in the entertainment unit
• Once worked for a stock company, but lost the job because he kept making the audience laugh instead of taking his lines seriously
• Began working as a newspaper delivery boy at the age of 7 to support his family
• Performed on the vaudeville circuit as a teenager as well as on Captain Happy's showboat "The Cotton Blossom," which sailed the Ohio and Missouri Rivers
• Quote: "I'd rather have people say, 'Boy, he's hokey, isn't he?' rather than, 'Who was the guy who told all those dirty jokes?' ․․․ I don't think anybody should have to pay money at the box office to hear what they can read on restroom walls․"
• Quote: "I don't want to be called 'the greatest' ․․․ let other guys claim to be the best․ I just want to be known as a clown, because to me that's the height of my profession․ It means you can do everything - sing, dance and above all, make people laugh․"
• Also appeared in a number of films during his career, including "Whistling in the Dark," "Thousands Cheer" and "I Dood It․"
• Had a number of recurring characters, including Clem Kaddiddlehopper, the Mean Widdle Kid, Freddie the Freeloader and Willie Lump-Lump
• Best known as a radio and television entertainer who hosted "The Red Skelton Show․"
• Because he was so easily moved to laughter, he rarely attended funerals, with the memorable exception of the much-hated Columbia Pictures president Harry Cohn, where he said, "Give the public something they want to see and they'll come out for it․"
• Concluded every one of his shows with his trademark phrase "Good night, and God bless․"