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Tie for another dip into the vault, and a show from our first season. Here’s my original show notes;:
Red Skelton, as many other comedians on radio, got started in vaudeville. He was host of the Avalon show just before the war. During the war, he enlisted and served in a Motor Transport unit. This explains his lack of a radio presence during this time. The Red Skelton Radio show started up just after his departure from the Army.
Red’s shows folowed similar formats as other radio comedians. He had an announcer, a band, a lead singer, excellent supporting voice actors and a combination of monologues, music and skits. Compared to other comedians he was able to ad lib to some degree like Fred Allen. He relied on writers for his scripts like Jack Benny. One thing that set Red Skelton apart was the characters he invented. Clem Kadiddlehopper, Dead Eye, Willie Lumplump and of course Junior the mean little kid. Over the years he added a few more and used others less often.
In this episode we get to spend some time learning about fingerprints with Dead Eye as he pursues the bad guy, Bow-legged Bull Roose. Near the end of the skit is a reference to Georgia governors. Apparently there was some recent elections where the outcome for Georgia’s governor was uncertin. Red Skelton had been making jokes during this time about the confusing results in Georgia. Finally, on to a more modern scene with Junior the mean little kid, proving that fingerprinting has more uses than identifying criminals.
Bonus Tracks
- Keith reviews the discrepancies in the original Retrobot remarks. Then introduces the show, and some of the beginnings of Richard Bernard Skelton. Including his early working career at age 7, and his entrance into comedy and theatrical work at age 10. Other milestones are mentioned to bring him through vaudeville, burlesque, and to his first radio gigs.
- The Retrobots share clips from Red Skelton’s first words on his own radio show, Avalon Time.
- Red’s first words on the air.
- Dealing with flus, and interruptions.
- A telegram from Fred Allen.
