Red
Skelton, born Richard Bernard Skelton, was an American comedian who was best
known as a top radio and television star from 1937 to 1971. Skelton's show
business career began in his teens as a circus clown and went on to
vaudeville, Broadway, films, radio, TV, night clubs and casinos, all while
pursuing another career as a painter.
On October 7, 1941, Skelton premiered
his own radio show, The Raleigh Cigarette Program, developing a number of
recurring characters including punch-drunk boxer "Cauliflower McPugg,"
inebriated "Willy Lump-Lump" and "'Mean Widdle Kid' Junior," whose favorite
phrase ("I dood it!") soon became part of the American lexicon. That, along
with "He bwoke my widdle arm!" (or other body part) and "He don't know me
vewy well, do he?" all found their way into various Warner Bros. cartoons.
Skelton himself was referenced in a
Popeye cartoon in which the title character enters a haunted house and
encounters a "red skeleton." The Three Stooges also referenced Skelton in
Creeps (1956): Shemp: "Who are you?" Talking Skeleton: "Me? I’m Red." Shemp:
"Oh, Red Skeleton."
Other characters included "Con Man San
Fernando Red," cross-eyed seagulls "Gertrude and Heathcliffe" and the
singing cabdriver "Clem Kadiddlehopper," who was a country bumpkin with a
big heart. Clem had a knack for upstaging city slickers, even if he couldn't
manipulate his cynical father: "When the stork brought you, Clem, I shoulda
shot him on sight!" Skelton would later consider court action against the
apparent usurpation of this character by Bill Scott for the voice of
Bullwinkle.
The comedian helped sell World War II
war bonds on the top-rated show, which featured Ozzie and Harriet Nelson in
the supporting cast, plus the Ozzie Nelson Orchestra and announcer Truman
Bradley. Harriet Nelson was the show's vocalist.