The Sad and Tragic Life and Death Experiences of Red Skelton: A Look Back

Photo bylordheath.com

It’s been twenty-seven years since comedian Red Skelton died of pneumonia, following a complex life of triumphs and tragedies. This is his story.

The Big Picture

He was born Richard Red Skelton on July 18, 1913, in Vincennes, Indiana, the son of a former circus clown turned grocer and a cleaning woman. At age 7, Skelton was introduced to the world of entertainment by Ed Wynn. At 10, he left home to travel with a medicine show through the Midwest. At 15, he joined the vaudeville circuit. At 18, he wed Edna Marie Stilwell, an usher who became his vaudeville partner and later his chief writer and manager.

In 1937, Skelton made his Broadway and radio debut. One year later, he premiered on the big screen.

In 1943, Stilwell divorced Skelton but remained his professional manager. In 1951, she negotiated a seven-year contract for NBC’s The Red Skelton Hour, which eventually became The Red Skelton Show on CBS.

In 1944, he was drafted into the Army after losing his married man’s deferment. That same year, he became engaged to actress Muriel Morris, a.k.a. Muriel Chase, who later left him at the alter

During an army furlough for throat discomfort, Skelton wed actress Georgia Davis on March 9, 1945. They had two children in a marriage, Richard Freeman Skelton and Valentina Marie Skelton.

An Accidental Shooting

In 1966, Georgia Davis accidentally shot herself in the chest and then made a full recovery. In 1971, she and Red divorced, the same year The Red Skelton Show was canceled.

One year later, she suffered a heart attack. On May 10, 1976, a 54-year-old Davis committed suicide with a self-inflicted gunshot to the head in the back yard of her secluded Rando Mirage, California home.

That day was the 18th anniversary of Richard Freeman Skelton’s death.

In 1973, Skelton married his third wife, Lothian Toland Skelton, who he remained married until his own demise.

One Tragedy Too Many

Richard Freeman Skelton was born on May 20, 1948, but died of leukemia only ten years later on May 10. The child’s demise devastated the entire Skelton family, but especially Red.

A lifelong conservative, Red Skelton remained bitter for years after his TV variety show was canceled, believing the network had kowtowed to the anti-establishment, anti-war sentiments pervading the Vietnam War.

The continued professional and personal heartache proved overwhelming for Skelton. On September 17, he died at the Eisenhower Medical Center in Rancho Mirage at age 84. His official cause of death was never revealed, other than he had succumbed to a long, undisclosed illness.