~*~*~About Red Skelton~*~*~
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Richard Bernard Skelton was born July 18, 1913, in Vincennes, Indiana, two months after the death of his father, a grocer who had once been a circus clown. His mother, left with four boys, worked as a cleaning woman and elevator operator. But she taught her son an appreciation for art that would lead to a lucrative side business as a painter. She also gave him tickets to vaudeville shows, which would lead to a career, fame and fortune. "(Actor) Ed Wynn was responsible for my start," Skelton told the Los Angeles Times in 1986. "In 1923, he came to Vincennes to do a show. I was 10 and selling newspapers in the street when this man came up and asked me if I wanted to see the show." It turned out to be Wynn himself, and he bought all the youngster's papers and gave him a ticket and took him backstage. "He introduced me to everyone, showed me the footlights," Skelton said. "I looked out through the peep-hole at the audience coming in and fell in love with show business." Skelton left home at 15 to join a medicine show traveling through the South and Midwest. "Mom used to say I didn't run away from home," he said, "my destiny just caught up with me at an early age."
Working at the Gaiety Theater in Kansas City in 1930, he met an usher, Edna Marie Stilwell, and married her a year later. She became his vaudeville partner, writer and manager. She remained his chief writer even after the couple divorced in 1943.
"She brought me up from $50 a week to $7,500 a week," he said. In 1945 he married Georgia Davis. The marriage ended in divorce in 1973, and Skelton married his third wife, Lothian, in 1976. Skelton debuted on radio and on Broadway in 1937, and on film in "Having a Wonderful Time" in 1938. He did 43 films in all, including many MGM comedies in the 1940s and early '50s such as "Merton of the Movies," "Panama Hattie," "A Southern Yankee," "Watch the Birdie," "Whistling in the Dark," "Whistling in Dixie" and "Whistling in Brooklyn," in which he had to pitch against the Brooklyn Dodgers. Skelton was already a leading film comic when he began his TV career on NBC in 1951. He moved to CBS in 1953, placing among the Top 10 shows eight times, then returned to NBC in 1970. His show was canceled for good in 1971. The pain of cancellation was in Skelton's thoughts when he accepted the Governors Award of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences at the Emmy Awards show in 1986. "I want to thank you for sitting down," Skelton told an audience that had given him a standing ovation. "I thought you were pulling a CBS and walking out on me."
Arthur Marx, author of a 1979 biography of Skelton, said he expected to tell a "nice little tale about a comedian who said 'God bless' at the end of his show." Instead, he heard stories of a sad and lonely man who trusted no one and felt he had been cheated by some of his associates. He had two divorces and a son Richard died of leukemia at age nine--and he didn't hang around with other comedians. "When anyone hurts us, my wife and I sit in our Japanese sand garden and drink iced tea," Skelton told The New York Times in 1977. "There are five stones in the garden -- for sky, wind, fire, water and earth. We sit and think of five of the nicest things we can about the person who hurt us. If he hurts us a second time, we do the same thing. The third time, we light a candle, and he is, for us, dead." Clowns remained the Skelton trademark even after his TV days were over. His paintings of clown faces fetched $80,000 and more, and he once estimated that he earned $2.5 million a year from lithographs of clowns. Skelton also kept himself busy as a major supporter of children's charities, including the Shriner's Crippled Children's Hospital and the Red Skelton Foundation in Vincennes, Indiana, which cares for needy children.
"There's plenty of time," Skelton said after receiving the Governor's Award at the Oscars in 1986. "The thing is to apply it." "He appeared in vaudeville, he appeared in nightclubs and everything. He did it all and he did it great. Not only that, he was one of the nicest people. He was like a pussycat."
Skelton's career spanned from the heyday of vaudeville to the golden age of television, where he helped set the standard for comedy for nearly 20 years.
"I don't want to be called 'the greatest' or 'one of the greatest,'" he said once. "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."
His characters included Clem Kadiddlehopper, a slow-witted hayseed; Freddy the Freeloader, a silent tramp; The Mean Widdle Kid, whose favorite expression was "I dood it!"; punch-drunk boxer Cauliflower McPugg; the inebriated Willie Lump-Lump; and the cross-eyed sea gulls Gertrude and Heathcliffe.
~*~*~The Pledge of Allegiance~*~*~
As a school boy, one of Red Skelton's teachers explained the words and meaning of the Pledge of Allegiance to his class. Skelton later wrote down, and eventually recorded, his recollection of this lecture. It is followed by an observation of his own.
I- - Me; an individual; a committee of one.
Pledge - - Dedicate all of my worldly goods to give without self-pity.
Allegiance- - My love and my devotion.
To the Flag - - Our standard; Old Glory ; a symbol of Freedom; wherever she waves there is respect, because your loyalty has given her a dignity that shouts, Freedom is everybody's job.
United - - That means that we have all come together.
States- - Individual communities that have united into forty-eight great states. Forty-eight individual communities with pride and dignity and purpose. All divided with imaginary boundaries, yet united to a common purpose, and that is love for country.
And to the Republic - - Republic--a state in which sovereign power is invested in representatives chosen by the people to govern. And government is the people; and it's from the people to the leaders, not from the leaders to the people.
For which it stands
One Nation - - One Nation--meaning, so blessed by God.
Indivisible - - Incapable of being divided.
With Liberty - - Which is Freedom; the right of power to live one's own life, without threats, fear, or some sort of retaliation.
And Justice - - The principle, or qualities, of dealing fairly with others.
For All - - For All--which means, boys and girls, it's as much your country as it is mine.
And now, boys and girls, let me hear you recite the Pledge of Allegiance:
I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic, for which it stands; one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
"Since I was a small boy, two states have been added to our country, and two words have been added to the Pledge of Allegiance: Under God. Wouldn't it be a pity if someone said that is a prayer, and that would be eliminated from schools, too?"
Red Skelton
~*~*~Other Famous Clowns~*~*~
Emmett Kelly
(Born 1898; Died 1979)Emmett Kelly Sr. was born in Sedan, Kansas. His first career was in cartooning. His circus career, which spanned 55 years, began as a trapeze performer with the Howes Great London Circus. He went into clowning (portraying a cartoon character he had in earlier years drawn). He worked with Hagenbeck & Wallace, Sells-Floto, Cole Brothers and the Mill Circus in London. In 1942 he joined Ringling Brothers Barnum and Bailey Circus where he appeared until 1956. While with RBB&B he appeared in the movie, "The Greatest Show on Earth". Following the departure from the circus, he worked in night clubs, indoor circuses, trade shows and resorts. He was a Masonic Lodge member, and belonged to the Scottish Rite and Egypt Shrine temple of Tampa, Florida. He was buried in LaFayette, Indiana in a site near his mother.
Ludwig "Lou" Jacobs His parents were a German vaudeville song and dance team. When he was 7 years old, he made his debut in a German variety hall as the hindquarters of an alligator to his older brother�s forefeet and jaws. Twisted into this awkward position, he soon realized that he was a natural contortionist and comedian. Lou immigrated to the U.S. as an apprenticed acrobat in 1923, entertaining at fairs, outdoor exhibits and in vaudeville. By 1925 he had joined Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. Lou married Jean Rockwell, a former high-fashion model and cover girl, and their daughters, Lou Ann and Dolly, both became circus performers. At Ringling, Lou created one of the most famous clown gags ever...the midget car. It was only two by three feet and Lou was 6�1 and he still managed to drive it around under the big top. In 1948, Lou performed for 37 children who had survived the Nazi concentration camps. He saw the transforming power of humor and comical surprise as a medicine that could work wonders. By 1974, Lou was teaching at the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus Clown College in Venice, Florida.
Otto Griebling (Born 1903, Died 1992) was German born, and came to this country at the age of 14. Otto started his circus career in Baraboo, Wisconsin, with the Hodgini Riding act. He was an excellent bareback comedy rider. He worked for Sells Floto Circus. He toyed with his audiences emotions, sometimes being sassy, crazy and quite eccentric. Routines for which he was famous were juggling metal pie plates and attempts to deliver a block of ice, or a plant, or a package throughout the show. He always performed a silent act. Not only was Otto a featured performer with Ringling Bros. & Barnum and Bailey Circus, but also other shows, including Cole Bros. When in 1970 his larynx was removed, pantomime became a way of life both in and out of make-up. He remained with Ringling Bros. until his death in 1972.
Bob "Bozo" Bell (Born 1922, Died 1997)Bob's career in show business began in the movies where he appeared on location in films such as Clarence Buddington Kelland's "Arizona". Additionally, he helped construct the western city movie set of Old Tucson which was used for many films and became a major tourist attraction in Arizona. Following World War II, Bob went into broadcasting. He worked at radio stations in Flint, Michigan, Indianapolis and South Bend Indiana, and Cincinnati, Ohio. In 1956, he joined the staff at WGN Continental Broadcasting Company in Chicago, IL. He played many different characters for the station. After Larry Harmon purchased the television rights to the Bozo character, he began franchising the program to local stations. Bob Bell was cast as Bozo for the WGN franchise in 1960. An advantage of local franchises over syndication is that youngsters could obtain tickets to each local broadcast. Bob's portrayal of Bozo was so popular that tickets had to be ordered nine years in advance. Bob appeared on the Bozo show until 1984. For fifteen years, one of his sidekicks was Roy "Cooky" Brown, a 1993 ICHOF inductee. His audience increased to 30 million homes nationally when WGN was picked up by many cable companies, turning it into a media giant. Possibly no clown has been seen for a longer period by more people then Bob Bell as WGN's Bozo.Some of my Favorite Red Skelton Poems, Jokes, & Qoutes.
"Algae saw a bear, The bear saw Algae. The bear was boulgy, the boulge was Algae."
There was a fly, & a flea, in a flue. They were in prison so what could they do? Said the fly let us flea, said the flea let us fly, so they flew through a flaw in the flue."
"Anybody want a Good Humor I hear'em come'n?"
"Sam no wires, next week no Sam."
"Oh the Flamingo's are flying over again."
"A.. nothing like good rehearsal."
"Haven't you heard about Tide?"
"Are they on the list?"
"Start talk'n, I'll find ya, where ya at?"
"I like'em better when you don't rehearse'em!"
"Thank You Newy, Thank You?"
"I'm hotter than a Fireman's destination tonight!"
"Oh No! Maybe I outta go to Washington I can't get my feet on the ground neither!"
"The Poem is intitideled, intitled."
"Smell's like Trouble, Look's like Trouble, Tis Trouble!"
"Too soon, too soon!"
"Hey Shrimp Boat."
"Another Writer bit the dust."
"We're gonna miss you around here boy."
"Give us a Kiss."
"You know you gotta be nuts to do this."
"Somebody's got a line ain't they?"
A joke about Red Skelton's little boy Richard
"You mess with me boy, you mess with me & I'll lock myself in the room all week & then Sunday what a dull program you gonna have."
Man speaking:"What are you knitting?"
Red:"Huh?
Man speaking:"What are you knitting?
Red:"A new line for that boy that was just at the door.
Man speaking: "Did the bear like him?"
Red:"He must of he ate all of him."
"Love her, hate him."
Red:"You with us?
Man speaking:"I have to be I gotta line come'n up.
"Ya Know."
"It's a Beautiful city if ya ever get it finished."
"It's a lotta fun being here of course at my age it's a lotta fun to be anywhere."
"You know when you come from Ireland they wont let ya bring Irish Whiskey in, see I wanted a little bottle as a souvenir. So they were go'n through and he said "What's this a bottle?" I said "Holy Water". He takes off the cork & he smells it he says "Irish Whiskey." I said "Good Heavens another Miracle!"
Red:You gonna have a Drink Father?"
Precher:"Oh No! To close to the main office!"
"Here come's the Plane Boss."
"Don't call me Silly, My name is Willie. It's spelled with a Wroubleyou not a C!."
"You know how you tell when you're getting old is when your broad mind changes places with your narrow waist."
"They say the moon is bigger than the Earth, if the moon is bigger than the Earth how come it doesn't keep the rain off?"
"I got a frog in my throat."
"Bar Street? Dun & Bar Street? I'm not suppose to hear that but I'm not gonna let that one go by!"
"This is something I bought down on Dun & Bar Street."
"Hey Bar Street, I'll race ya to the MaCumble."
"My amount of Time as expired. I got that off my insurance policy."
"I found a great way to start the day, you go back to bed."
"Good Heavens!"
"Great Wisdom come's with age, Great Wisdom. This little guy 85 years old he said to his friend "Im get'n married." He said "Yeah?, Who you gonna marry?" He said "That little waitress down the streeet, she's only 20." He said "You're 85 you're gonna marry a girl 20? Boy that could be sudden death." He said "If she dies she dies!"
"If you know any of these jokes just join in."
"Next is an idoit put'n his coat on."
"You ever have things bother ya, & you can't get'em off your mind? It just came to me now, People in Hell where do they tell people to go?"
"There was a big flood in Louisiana & this guy standing in water up to his knees. And they came by in a row boat & says "Get in." & he said "Oh No The Lord will take care of me." A little bit later he's up on the porch & the water's up to his waist, another row boat comes by & says "Get in." He said "Oh No The Lord will take care of me." Now he's on the roof with water up to his neck & a helicopter comes by & he said "No, No The Lord will take care of me." Well he drown see. He gets up to Heaven & he meets The Lord. He said "The Lord what happened?" He said "I don't know what happeded, I sent two row boats & a helicopter for you."
"Two little Italians are talk'n. One of them said "You know whats a wrong with us? We Drink a too much wine." He said "Okay we don't drink any more." He said "No, now wait a minuet what we should do take one little bottel, put it up on the shelf incase somebody gets sick" He said "That's a good idea." A couple of days later his Friend comes over & says "I don't feel too good." He said "You're too late I was sick all day yesterday."
"I know what's wrong with the water heater I didn't fix it."
"We all have to go sooner or later."
"Sam no wires, next week no Sam."
"Oh the Flamingo's are flying over again."
"A.. nothing like good rehearsal."
"Haven't you heard about Tide?"
"Are they on the list?"
"Start talk'n, I'll find ya, where ya at?"
"I like'em better when you don't rehearse'em!"
"Thank You Newy, Thank You?"
"I'm hotter than a Fireman's destination tonight!"
"Oh No! Maybe I outta go to Washington I can't get my feet on the ground neither!"
"The Poem is intitideled, intitled."
"Smell's like Trouble, Look's like Trouble, Tis Trouble!"
"Too soon, too soon!"
"Hey Shrimp Boat."
"Another Writer bit the dust."
"We're gonna miss you around here boy."
"Give us a Kiss."
"You know you gotta be nuts to do this."
"Somebody's got a line ain't they?"
A joke about Red Skelton's little boy Richard
"You mess with me boy, you mess with me & I'll lock myself in the room all week & then Sunday what a dull program you gonna have."
Man speaking:"What are you knitting?"
Red:"Huh?
Man speaking:"What are you knitting?
Red:"A new line for that boy that was just at the door.
Man speaking: "Did the bear like him?"
Red:"He must of he ate all of him."
"Love her, hate him."
Red:"You with us?
Man speaking:"I have to be I gotta line come'n up.
"Ya Know."
"It's a Beautiful city if ya ever get it finished."
"It's a lotta fun being here of course at my age it's a lotta fun to be anywhere."
"You know when you come from Ireland they wont let ya bring Irish Whiskey in, see I wanted a little bottle as a souvenir. So they were go'n through and he said "What's this a bottle?" I said "Holy Water". He takes off the cork & he smells it he says "Irish Whiskey." I said "Good Heavens another Miracle!"
Red:You gonna have a Drink Father?"
Precher:"Oh No! To close to the main office!"
"Here come's the Plane Boss."
"Don't call me Silly, My name is Willie. It's spelled with a Wroubleyou not a C!."
"You know how you tell when you're getting old is when your broad mind changes places with your narrow waist."
"They say the moon is bigger than the Earth, if the moon is bigger than the Earth how come it doesn't keep the rain off?"
"I got a frog in my throat."
"Bar Street? Dun & Bar Street? I'm not suppose to hear that but I'm not gonna let that one go by!"
"This is something I bought down on Dun & Bar Street."
"Hey Bar Street, I'll race ya to the MaCumble."
"My amount of Time as expired. I got that off my insurance policy."
"I found a great way to start the day, you go back to bed."
"Good Heavens!"
"Great Wisdom come's with age, Great Wisdom. This little guy 85 years old he said to his friend "Im get'n married." He said "Yeah?, Who you gonna marry?" He said "That little waitress down the streeet, she's only 20." He said "You're 85 you're gonna marry a girl 20? Boy that could be sudden death." He said "If she dies she dies!"
"If you know any of these jokes just join in."
"Next is an idoit put'n his coat on."
"You ever have things bother ya, & you can't get'em off your mind? It just came to me now, People in Hell where do they tell people to go?"
"There was a big flood in Louisiana & this guy standing in water up to his knees. And they came by in a row boat & says "Get in." & he said "Oh No The Lord will take care of me." A little bit later he's up on the porch & the water's up to his waist, another row boat comes by & says "Get in." He said "Oh No The Lord will take care of me." Now he's on the roof with water up to his neck & a helicopter comes by & he said "No, No The Lord will take care of me." Well he drown see. He gets up to Heaven & he meets The Lord. He said "The Lord what happened?" He said "I don't know what happeded, I sent two row boats & a helicopter for you."
"Two little Italians are talk'n. One of them said "You know whats a wrong with us? We Drink a too much wine." He said "Okay we don't drink any more." He said "No, now wait a minuet what we should do take one little bottel, put it up on the shelf incase somebody gets sick" He said "That's a good idea." A couple of days later his Friend comes over & says "I don't feel too good." He said "You're too late I was sick all day yesterday."
"I know what's wrong with the water heater I didn't fix it."
"We all have to go sooner or later."
~*~*~"Good Night & May God Bless."~*~*~
"The time has come to say goodnight, My how time does fly. We've had a laugh, perhaps a tear, and now we hear goodbye. I really hate to say goodnight, for times like these are few. I wish you love and happiness, in everything you do. The time has come to say goodnight, I hope I've made a friend. And so we'll say "May God Bless you, until we meet again."
"If some day you're not feeling well, and you should remember some little thing I have said or done and if it brings a smile to your face or a chuckle to your heart, then my purpose as a clown as been fulfilled."
Red Skelton.
Red Skelton's Grave at Forest Lawn in Glendale, California.
This Web Page is Dedicated to the memory of Red Skelton and everything that he loved.
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Last updated 3*23*06
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