Tuesday nights were for Red Skelton on CBS.
Red, one of a few Vaudeville veterans to make it on the small screen, was the mastermind behind many of variety TV's most loved characters, including Klem Kadiddlehopper, San Fernando Red, the Mean Widdle Kid, and my favorites: Gertrude and Heathcliff, talking seagulls who would appear at the end of the show.
I have some of the early episodes on DVD, and they seem a bit corny now. But they were great stuff in the 60's. Klem's little skip in the air to the tune of a bucket being hit with a stick was always good fodder for laughs. And Red's sad clown was a tender highlight of the show.
I've heard that Red was tough to work with, particularly if you were a writer. Such was the case with many TV and movie icons. But I grew up with him on every Tuesday night, and I thought he was the greatest.
Comments (1)
I will never forget the Red Skelton Show. My family would sit in front of the tv and enjoy this show to the fullest. He never let you down. He was a true entertainer. I remember thinking that it almost looked like he was crying when he said good-bye to us at the end of each show. I think his good-byes were truly sincere. What a good person he must have been. It would have been such a pleasure to have known him. No matter how funny he was I always felt that I was laughing with him not at him. Like I was watching a good friend putting on a show just to make me laugh. I know it sounds silly but watching him gave me such a warm feeling inside. It was the kind of show that made you feel good even after it was over, even though it left you wanting more. Another great thing is that it was good clean comedy. It's a shame things have changed so much since then. I am so thankful that I was born in a time of black and white television and the Red Skelton Show. In a time where you actually had to get up out of your chair to change the channel. I can guarantee you we did not change the channel as much, but then again when you had great shows like Red Skelton and you didn't have that many channels to choose from it wasn't all that bad. Life was great.
Posted by Tammy Farmer | November 14, 2006 10:06 PM
Posted on November 14, 2006 22:06