Dave O'Brien

The Red Skelton Show is an American variety show that was a television staple for two decades, from 1951 to 1971. It was second to Gunsmoke and third to The Ed Sullivan Show in the ratings during that time. Skelton, who had previously been a radio star, had appeared in several motion pictures as well. Although his television series is largely associated with CBS, where it appeared for more than fifteen years, it actually began and ended on NBC. During its run, the program received three Emmy Awards, for Skelton as best comedian and the program as best comedy show during its initial season, and an award for comedy writing in 1961.

The original concept of the show was to allow the viewer to see the inner workings of a movie studio and featured interviews with MGM stars and explanations of how movies were made. Later, the format changed to show edited versions of MGM films.

A Roman soldier becomes torn between his love for a Christian woman and his loyalty to Emperor Nero.

The singing stoker and the vamp.

A producer puts on what may be his last Broadway show, and at the last moment a chorus girl has to replace the star.

A cowboy helps a pretty young woman and her father in their fight against land-grabbers who are trying to swindle them out of their cattle ranch.

This humorous Pete Smith Specialty short looks around various studios on a film lot.

A short film where viewers are given 10 or 15 seconds to answer questions about the United States and its involvement in World War II.

An amusing short film that looks at human and animal babies.

A socialite masquerades as a notorious femme fatale to win back her straying husband during a costume party aboard a doomed dirigible.

A pair of divorced actors are brought together to participate in a musical version of The Taming of the Shrew. Of course, the couple seem to act a great deal like the characters they play, and they must work together when mistaken identities get them mixed up with the mafia.

Gene Kelly and Fred Astaire present more golden moments from the MGM film library, this time including comedy and drama as well as classic musical numbers.

High-school principal Dr. Alfred Carroll relates to an audience of parents that marijuana can have devastating effects on teens: a drug supplier entices several restless teens, Mary and Jimmy Lane, sister and brother, and Bill, Mary's boyfriend, into frequenting a reefer house. Gradually, Bill and Jimmy are drawn into smoking dope, which affects their family lives.

Will Parker has been destroyed by a local politician and now must steal to feed his family. He steals a steer from the Three Mesquiteers.

Film clips highlight the funniest scenes and brightest comic stars in MGM's history.

In this comedic Pete Smith Specialty short, women battle for bargains in a department store.

This humorous short film shows how carelessness and accidents can harm the war effort, and steps on how to avoid them.

Cowhand Ken Clark is stranded in Chicago, and temporarily takes a job as a sharp-shooter entertainer in a night club, with the intention of getting enough money together to get back to his beloved Arizona. Frank Gordon, while drunk, is about to be rolled by the club bouncer, but Ken interferes and earns Clark's gratitude. Gordon gets a telegram from Kay Burke, the daughter of his partner in Arizona, notifying him that her father, Jim Burke, has been killed by rustlers.The ranch has a U.S. Army contract to furnish horses, but she sees little hope of being able to make good because the stock is being rustled, and she asks Gordon for his help.

The story of corrupt, power-hungry, manipulative Grigori Rasputin's influence on members of the Russian Imperial family and others, and what resulted.

A pretty socialite / pilot runs into gun smugglers when she lands her plane on a Pacific island.