comedian Red Skelton, whose career stretched from the vaudeville era to the golden age of television, died yesterday in a Californian hospital. He was 84.
Born in July 18, 1913 in Vincennes, Indiana, Richard Bernard Skelton was dubbed simply ''Red'' because of his flaming hair. His father, a circus clown, died before he was born, plunging Skelton into deep poverty.
''A clown,'' Skelton once said, ''is a warrior who fights gloom.''
When he was 10, Skelton ran away from home and worked in circuses, vaudeville, and burlesque before breaking into radio and then film in the late 1930s.
It was at MGM that Skelton first made his name as a film comedian, learning from former silent film great Buster Keaton.
In a career that spanned 48 films, he appeared opposite Esther Williams and Eleanor Powell, among others.
His career at MGM culminated in a series of slapstick comedies, including The Fuller Brush Man, A Southern Yankee and The Yellow Cab Man.
In 1951, Skelton turned to television, becoming one of the few radio stars to make a success of the new medium. His show ran for 20 years on NBC and CBS.
Skelton was also a prolific writer and composer, having penned a number of short stories and musical pieces.
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