Red Skelton is the sole guest on this episode as he participates in a ninety minute interview by Merv Griffin. Red discusses his childhood in his home town of Vincennnes, Indiana. He said he decided to become a comic at age 7, and made his debut in a medicine show at age ten. He converses about his career in burlesque, vaudeville, the Broadway stage, radio, movies, and TV.
Red's 1937 MGM contract contained, at his insistence, a then unheard of TV clause, which he exercised to appear on the Milton Berle TV show. Today, Red says he is a painter, writer, and composer. During this show, Red leads Mort Lindsey's Orchestra in his own composition of the Red, White and Blue March, which has been recorded by the US Marine Corp Band.
Red, who had a comedy series on TV from 1950 to 1971, will undergo an informal 90-minute interview with Merv. The 62-year-old comic, sometimes referred to as "the last of the great clowns," will talk about his childhood in Vincennes,Ind. He decided to become a comic at age 7 and made his debut in a Medicine Show at 10. He discusses as well his years in burlesque, vaudeville, on the Broadway stage, in radio, movies and television. He discusses his MGM contract, which in 1937 included, at Red's insistence, an unheard of "television clause." In 1949, Skelton made use of the clause and appeared on "The Milton Berle Show." He then left the movies, giving up a $150,000 pension, for what would become 20 consecutive years on the tube. Today, Red is a painter (his portraits of clowns sell for as much as $12,500), a writer (children's stories) and a composer. During tonight's show, he leads Mort Lindsey's orchestra in one of his numbers, "The Red, White and Blue March", which has been recorded by the U.S. Marine Band.