Richard “Red” Skelton, reigned as the virtual King of TV Variety Show Comedy throughout the 1950s and 1960s. Airing for a total of of 20 seasons, from 1951 through 1971, Red’s hilarious facial contortions and colorful cast of boneheaded personas – including indept Sheriff Deadeye, inebriated boxer Cauliflower McPugg, hillbilly Clem Kadiddlehopper, and hobo Freddie the Freeloader – kept a whole generation of Americans in stitches during the earliest decades of television. Memorable guest stars included John Wayne, Phyllis Diller, Mickey Rooney, Audrey Meadows, Michael Landon, and many more.
