I will concede that Skelton was a comic genius. I have a true story about him that puts a different twist on his personal standards vs. what he represented to the public. In 1952 I was the youngest newspaper carrier that had ever worked for the Las Vegas Review Journal. About August of that year they had a special event for all newspaper boys and girls at the original Flamingo Hotel. We were gathered up in the main showroom and shown an abbreviated presentation of the evening floor show. It featured all the usual Las Vegas big show acts with the star being Red Skelton. In those days the early show had the "Show Girls" with bras on and in the late show they were topless. They were dressed with bras for the newspaper carrier show. After Red Skelton finished his very funny and entertaining act I needed to go to the restroom. I asked an Usher where the closest restroom was and he pointed to the side curtain and said go thru there. I did so and turned the wrong way in a corridor the entertainers used to get to the stage. I wound up behind the stage. In a dimly lit alcove Red Skelton had one of the show girls pushed up against the wall with both hands up under her show bra. It was obvious to me that she was not enjoying this action, but was standing there and enduring it. Red became aware of me and turned to me. He gave me a cussing out like I had never heard before, among other things telling me to get the 'F' out of here right now. I ran back the way I came and eventually found the Restroom. I then went outside to the bus I came in and sat there waiting for everyone else.
I have never watched any presentation by Red Skelton since. I will walk out of the room, turn off the TV and refuse to hear anything by him on radio. IMHO, he was a dirty old man with too much power over the little people that worked under him. ............
