Welcome to The Red Skelton Show Episode Review Blog
When people look for classic Red Skelton Show episodes and find us at TheRedSkeltonShow.com, they ofter wonder exactly what episodes they’ll be encountering. After all, The Red Skelton Show started in the fall of 1951 and chugged its way to 1971 before Red ended the last show with his trademark, “Good night and God Bless.” Hundreds of episodes were taped. Countless guest stars graced the stage. Endless moments in television history came courtesy of The Red Skelton Show. After all, what other television program can claim that The Rolling Stones made their US TV debut on their show? Yep. Only Red’s longest running variety show has such an honor.
This is why blog.theredskeltonshow.com is now up and running. Once a day, blog.TheRedSkeltonShow.com will review a different episode of The Red Skelton Show from the Red Skelton Unreleased collection found on TheRedSkeltonShow.com. There are about 47 individual episodes and shows in all - including the special bonus discs. Each episode review will come with highlights, timeless quotes, classic Red characters as well as guest starts and mentions to the David Rose Orchestra.
And, to give you a little taste of the episode, we’ll post a 30 second clip of the episode.
Please keep checking back. Hopefully, we’ll review your favorite The Red Skelton Show episode!
Episode: Deadeye and the Magician
Original Air Date: 1960/10/18
Guest Stars: Vincent Price, Marie Windsor
Wow, Vincent Price looking, well, middle-aged.
Red retells a joke that he told last week because people wrote in and were confused. So he retold it the same way. Alien lands in Beverly Hills and goes, “You’ve got change for a ‘herne’?”
Political humor again, just before the 1960 election. Red’s daughter was mad after the famous 1960 debate.
“‘Who you mad at? Nixon? Kennedy?’ She says, ‘Both of them. I missed, “Huckleberry Hound.’”
“You’ve got change for a ‘herne’?” - Running Joke time…
Pantomime of a little old man having a testimonial dinner. The storyteller is keeping Red on the edge of his seat.
Dancers having a fight in a saloon. That glass bottle trick never seems to get old.
Deadeye and the Magician Act I
At Cactus Kate’s Saloons. The lady dancers are still dancing. There’s Cactus Kate (Windsor). She introduces Maxwell the Magician (Price). Deadeye stops the show, coming in wearing a saddle.
“Sorry I was late, it was my horse’s day to ride. Rather embarrassing, too. He was riding side-saddle.”
Deadeye is getting hypnotized. He’s crazy. There he goes. NIIICE, lol. Vincent Price doesn’t break character.
The magician pulls out a wallet and goes to pay Deadeye the $5.
“Do you have change for a ‘herne’?”
Deadeye brings in the magician. Deputy uses gunpoint.
They take the magician to jail. The magician uses magic to open the bars to let himself in. Then gets Deadeye to hypnotize himself…here comes the melee.
Deadeye and the Magician Act II
Deadeye brings the rest of the loot in town. “Here’s the rest of the ‘herne.’”
Here comes the Marshall, there goes the magician out the window. Sound effects are slow on the take. J
Red’s taking a minute to get the sheriff’s to crack-up. Nice. Good impromptu. Whoa, Deadeye has picked up a trick or two. He can open the bars with magic.
The magician is heading the hanging party. Deadeye comes in wearing the magician’s cloak and goes to pull something out of the cloak but a prop fell on the floor. Nice catch.
More running jokes.
Final thoughts on Deadeye and the Magician
These are the kind of humorous shokes I like the most. The ones where everything under the sun gets tied in together. The jokes went running on this episode. He works really well with Vincent Price. I love how that even though the prop fell out of the magician’s cloak, Vincent Price never broke character when Red lost it.
Episode: Freddie the Singer
Original Air Date: 1959/06/02
Guest Star: Frank McHugh
Tonight’s show theme: Music and Singing.
“We have great news for music lovers: Elvis Presley has a year to go.” Elvis-in-the-army jokes aplenty.
“Do you realize is the first time in the history of the United States Army that a soldier was in charge of Naval maneuvers.”
Oh dear, Gogan the singing parrot: “I’m warning you. You step on one punchline and 7 days from today you’ll’ve been dead 1 week.”
Wow. Impromptu screams from the crowd when he threatened to let it go. This show is awful lively. I couldn’t imagine Carson or Leno doing this without a trainer.
He can’t get the bird to sing. Niiiice, Red Skelton brought out the words for the parrot.
They close the curtain and you hear a shotgun sound.
Singing n Dancing time in a record store. I love how they sing about how many kinds of songs you can purchase - another retail products.
Freddie the Singer Act I
Freddie’s chillin’ in the street sweeper’s trash can. Mugsy (Frank McHugh) is another bum. Mugsy wants to take him to go listen to music. The catch: pretend to music store patrons and sample the sounds.
Mugsy and Freddie find a new invention: A Tape Recorder. Freddie’s singing and Hugh is playing the nice-looking guitar. Red almost knows how to sing. Frank McHugh is playing some classic chord structures. He’s picking too. I’ve played enough guitar to know Frank knows how to play the song…”Cause you marry 10 pretty girls.”
The manager kicks them out before they can listen to it. Here comes the playback.
The song becomes a top hit. Mugsy n Freddie aren’t aware. Tired of poker swindling each other, they turn on the radio and hear their song, agin. They don’t know who’s song it is.
Mugsy just realized it is their song.
Freddie the Singer Act II
Freddie has a bunch of gold records and a butler in his shack. Freddie’s business manager says he has to live this way because this is what his fans expect.
Here comes Mugsy, dressed to the hill in a tuxedo.
“It seems like only 6 months ago I was on a garbage dump and now I’m on top of the heap.”
The record company is selling Freddie the Freeloader suits.
Mugsy gets a luxury bedroom sitting off of Freddie’s shack. Nice.
Fans have come wearing Mugsy tuxedos. They want to interview Freddie for a school paper.
Freddie is coming out a new album about his New York vacation, “Sing Sing Freddie.”
Freddie will be the guest to their high school play tonight.
Uh-oh, the PTA has come to protest.
Jokes are flying in this episode. You can tell Red Skelton loves the Freddie the Freeloader character.
Freddie’s now depressed because of the image he’s setting for Freddie.
Mugsy can’t go back to being a bum. Or maybe he can.
Final Thoughts on Freddie the Singer
This is one of those episodes that came out firing. I enjoyed the zingers. What they don’t say is what happened to the money Freddie already made. What gives? It does come up with a nice stereotype of hour the retail music industry works.
Episode: Appleby the Weatherman
Original Air Date: 1959/11/17
Guest Stars: Peter Lorre, Mercedes McCambridge
Aww, Red started off by thanking everyone for an award he just one. A “Who’s Who…,” and showed the plaque.
“I don’t like anybody saying you’re the best at anything. I’m just part of a wonderful, great industry and I’m grateful that you folks like it. That’s about all I can say. Really.” - Red Skelton
Pantomime sketch about people on those “new” jets. Good stuff. I flew next to the scared guy a couple months ago…I almost forgot you could smoke on planes for awhile. Even cigars…wow.
Now I remember why that made air sickness bag
Time for the dancers. Theme: landing on the moon, “We beat the Russians in coming here / the consequences may be severe.” Who knew the writers of The Red Skelton Show could accurately predict the lunar landing nearly a decade in advance…isn’t it always about real estate in the end? The advantages of living on the moon? No Smog.
Appleby the WeathermanAct I
It starts off with the US launching a super rocket. Why is the flight delayed? Appleby’s weather prediction.
“Whoever heard of snow in Florida?”…”Appleby’s right again.” Wow, George can call it down to the second. Man, now he’s getting all the elements.
“It’s raining cats and dogs. You can step into a poodle in a minute.”
Appleby can predict the weather to a second but can’t server his wife’s (Mc Cambridge)dinner properly. The gig is up!
“Your predictions? If it weren’t for my lumbago and my rheumatism you couldn’t predict a thing.”
“Yes. God bless your little aches n pains.”
Classic physical comedy going on.
Appleby’s telling Canaveral they can launch based on how his wife’s stomach felt today.
Oh no. Yugabanian mobsters (Peter Lorre) are kidnapping George and making him the official weatherman of Yugabania
Appleby the Weatherman Act II
“The weather? It’s getting warmer too.”
George confesses to the Yugabanains that he gets his predictions from his wife’s aches and pains.
The other terrorist is Jamie Farr. NIIICE. I just noticed.
“You cost me a lot of money…I could have brought you both over, flown over on a family plan.”
Both captured, the Yugabanians tell them they have to predict the weather or die. George remove’s his wife’s gag, “I hate to get rid of this. That’s the best gag we’ve had so far.”
His wife isn’t feeling any pain because of the Yugabanian pain. George steps on her toe. She hits him with a beaker.
George has her feet in ice water with an electric fan blowing on her. Now George is going to have her sit on a block of ice. It’s a real block of ice and it’s messing George up.
George n his wife give them false predictions and try to sneak out. Come to find out the rocket is right outside the door…
Red’s doing the final bit of the show with the ice in his hand. It’s fun watching him try to hold on to it while he calls the guests out. He gives the ice to Peter Lorre n walks off stage. Nice
Final thoughts on Appleby the Weatherman
It was a nice episode. Not as aggressive or spontaneous. For a moment, Red’s joke about the gag summed up the episode. I think that’s where he got his inspiration. Ehh, whatareyagonnado? Not every one’s a winner.
Episode: San Fernando Loses the Dixie Queen
Original Air Date: 1959/03/10
Guest Star: Cesar Romero
Wow…Red used the same Texas couple joke as he used in The Many Skeltons in Las Vegas.
“I’m dying for a new fur coat.”
“You want a new fur coat? Don’t shave for about a month. See what develops.”
Like the joke about, “Shootin 5,000.”
Pantomime skit about a little old man passing an orphanage during the bombing of a city. Narrated by Art Gilmore. Aww, it was a heartwarming skit. Waited for the joke that never came. Well done, well done.
Dancing number time. Riverboat themed…
San Fernando Loses the Dixie Queen Act I (Mississippi River 1870)
San Fernando is the captain of the Dixie Queen. Known to be dishonest.
“He remembers when the Mississippi used to be a dew drop.” - San says of a co-worker on the take.
Classic poker-cheating humor - 5 aces at the table. In comes San’s daughter - easy on the eyes.
Uh-oh, here comes Clayton (Romero). He’s trying to pick up the daughter. I wish I had the courage to just give a girl a kiss.
“I gotta work fast, honey. I’m a wanted man.”
“By whom are you wanted?”
“Practically gal I know.”
Clayton’s gonna try to hustle San Fernando. The poker cheating jokes are just beginning.
The gig is up.
“Honest man? Sir, that’s an insult!!,” - San.
Clayton wants to start a partnership with San.
Clayton finds San’s daughter, Mary Lou, out along the railing of the Dixie Queen…
“For 30 years I’ve been sailing up this river. This is the first time I’ve ever been up the creek.”
San Fernando Loses the Dixie Queen Act II
San’s gonna work to win his boat back…wow a long, rambling speech about the South Rising…
“What’s that got to do with this boat?”
“Nothing.”
Clayton makes San a partner so San doesn’t turn him into the cops, then knocks him out and steals his clothes.
Clayton is dressed as San n tricks the cops.
Clayton’s trying to prove to Mary Lou that he’s innocent.
Clayton n San run into each other - mirror joke coming.
Uh, oh, the Sherriff sees 2 San Fernando Red’s.
San Fernando Red takes the fall for at his daughter’s request n walks the sheriff off the gang plank. Of course, there’s no gang plank.
Final Thoughts on San Fernando Red Loses the Dixie Queen
A classic Red Skelton Show episode. Poker jokes seem to never get old. Old vaudeville-styled skit with more physical comedy than zingers that seems to be timeless. Red puts just enough of a twist to them that he’ll still catch you off guard even when you know what’s coming.
Episode: The Many Skeltons in Las Vegas
Original Air Date; 1962/01/30
Guest Stars: George Appleby, Freedie the Freeloader, Clem Kaddidlehopper, and Willie Lump Lump
The Red Skelton Show from Las Vegas, Nevada.
Nice, all four Red Skelton characters are getting off the plane in Vegas at different times. And, of course, Freddie came out through the luggage compartment.
Oooh, at the Sands. And the dancers are starting, but of course the regular dancers are only singing off screen while Vegas show girls promenade. Aww, go fig, the guy dancers come out to sing with the show girls. Classic Vegas sound. A lot of smoke in the spotlights. Times a’changed.
Now I’m confused. Maybe it was the blonde wigs - if they’re wigs…. Not sure if the girls are the regulars…oh well.
The song is parodied from -”Grey skies are gonna clear up /put on a happy face…”
“It got so cold here last night that the girls had to put on their long beads,” I miss the temperature spikes and dips of the Las Vegas Valley. Classic Vegas jokes including pantomime skits…
“I made $20 last night; I rented my room.”
Classic Red Skelton joke. I’ve seen others use this joke:
“We’ve got a nudger down here. You know what a nudger is? I tell a joke, she explains it to him and he goes, ‘yeaaaaaah!!’.”
George Appleby’s turn in the casino.
Freddie the Freeloader’s turn
Here comes Freddie, sneaking in on the back of a golf cart.
Going in mime.
Ahh, 3 card monty Here comes the law.
Whoa, how’d he do the horizontal dance over the water?
Clem’s Turn as a busboy.
“About the mess at your table? She’s not bad. Not good, but not bad.”
Only Clem could make it so entertaining.
Whoa, Willie Lump Lump showed up in the back during Red’s act.
Willie n Red are going back n forth. Willie paid for a seat up front but can’t stay on his feat…there he goes. Classic drunk humor… (the laugh track is disproportionate the audience’s reaction, oh well).
Red’s got nothing after Willie’s appearance, “Good night.”
Red Skelton thanks the crowd for real this time. That smoke is thick in the crowd. And I’ll make sure I watch Dennis the Menace Sunday night, Red.
Final Thoughts on The Many Skeltons in Las Vegas
This episode is truly entertaining. I especially enjoyed the interaction between Willie n Red at the end. It was kind of unique to see Red play the straight man to himself. And, having worked in the gaming industry a few years, Red’s jokes brought back many personal memories for me.
In the first few episodes I saw how Red kept everyone laughing: crowd, cast, crew, himself… Lately, I’m starting to see how he kept the shows fresh. Sometimes the jokes are based on one-liners, zingers and the like. Other times, like in The Many Skeltons in Las Vegas, Red uses visual, physical comedy to stir laughs. By appealing to the different senses, he keeps his entertainment fresh. No one got burned out hearing him too much because he could be physically funny, but then no one got tired of the slapstick because of the one-liners and classic humor.
