Show 1
Cauliflower McPugg has an idea to make a million.
Willie Lump Lump in "Smokeless Sunday".
The Taylor Maids sing "That's The Man For Me".
"The Execution" & "The American Dance" sketches.
Show2
Kadiddlehopper selling real estate on TV.
The Pepperettes sing "Didn't Know The Gun Was Loaded".
"Artist And Model" sketch.
Willie Lump Lump and The Burglar.
18
of 18 people found the following review helpful
5.0
out of 5 stars ALL NEW TO DVD episodes in chronological order!, October
19, 2014
By
This review is from: The Red Skelton Show:
The Early Years - 1951 - 1955 (DVD)
For
the first time in quite a while, we get ALL NEW TO DVD episodes in
chronological order from the first few years of Red Skelton's TV career.
This is a real treat for Red Skelton Fans. A real MUST-HAVE!
The Red Skelton Show: The Early Years 1951-1955 Episode List
DISC 1
(Season 1 - NBC)
10/21/51- Smokeless Sunday
11/04/51- Willie and the Burglar
11/11/51- Café Paree
11/18/51- G.I. McPugg
11/25/51- Clem and Married Life (with special guest Bob Hope)
12/09/51- The Big Trial
12/16/51- Clean Politics
12/23/51- The Skeltons at Home (with special guests Georgia, Valentina, and
Richard Skelton)
12/30/51- Learn to Dance in Ten Easy Lessons or One Hard One
DISC 2
01/06/52- The Bouncer (with special guest Milton Berle)
01/13/52- McPugg The Babysitter (with special guest Nana Gollner)
01/20/52- The Clean Fighter
01/27/52- Rock-A-Bye-Baby
02/10/52- The Transcontinental
02/17/52- The Disc Jockey (with special guest David Rose)
02/24/52- How To Make A Salad
03/02/52- Pasquale's Hotel
03/23/52- How To Eat Corn On The Cob
DISC 3
03/30/52- Willie The Barber
04/06/52- Clem's Travel Club
05/04/52- It Takes All Kinds (Live in San Francisco with Benny Rubin and Kam
Tong)
05/11/52- Let's Talk About Mother
05/18/52- Telephone Trouble
05/25/52- The Railroad Station
06/01/52- Tornado Deadeye
06/08/52- Folding Boy
06/15/52- Let's Talk About Father
DISC 4
(Season 2 - NBC)
09/28/52- Willie Comes Home (with special guest Benny Rubin)
10/05/52- Willie Paints A Room
10/12/52- The Stagecoach Robbery
10/26/52- Lt. Muscle
11/02/52- Whistle Stop
11/16/52- Help Wanted (with special guest Billy Barty)
11/19/52- Clem Kadiddlehopper's Graduation
11/23/52- Weepy Talks Turkey
12/07/52- Fancy Footwork (with special guest Charles [Bronson] Buchinsky)
DISC 5
12/14/52- The Sultan
03/22/53- The Ambulance Driver
03/29/53- Quiz Show Winner (with special guest Andy Russell)
04/05/53- The Eyes have It (with special guests Allen & Ashton)
04/19/53- Baby's First Birthday (with special guests Park and Clifford)
05/03/53- Racetrack
05/10/53- Washing The Elephant
05/31/53- Freddie Becomes A Star-Gazer
(Season 3 - CBS)
09/22/53- McPugg's Last Fight
DISC 6
10/13/53- The Nervous Tenor's Audition
10/20/53- The Hobo's Dilemma
10/27/53- Appleby The Dreamer
11/03/53- Freddie's Masquerade
11/10/53- The Marriage Broker
11/17/53- How to be Happily Married
12/01/53- Flugelmeyer's Secret Formula (with special guest Ann Southern)
12/08/53- Dr. Schlepper
12/15/53- It Happened At The Station House
DISC 7
12/22/53- The Skeltons at Christmas (with special guests Georgia, Valentina,
and Richard Skelton)
12/29/53- The Great White Hunter (with special guest John Wayne)
01/05/54- Accidents Will Happen (with special guest Jackie Gleason)
01/12/54- Voyage To Paris
01/19/54- What Fathers Should Know
01/26/54-Clem the Campus Soda Jerk
02/02/54- The Train Trip
02/09/54- Deadeye at The Golden Nugget (with special guests Ed Sullivan)
02/16/54- Captain Hook
DISC 8
02/23/54- Cave-Man Marriage
03/09/54- Uncle Sam Wants You
03/16/54- Sherlock Holmes (with special guest Melville Cooper)
03/30/54- King Putt (with special guest Sheree North)
04/20/54- Clem in the South Pacific
05/04/54- The Referee
05/11/54- Prince Valiant (with special guest Johnny Carson)
05/18/54- The Artist's Dilemma (with special guest Tom Harmon)
05/25/54- Clem Goes to Mexico (with special guest Lola Montes)
DISC 9
06/01/54- Mississippi Showboat
06/08/54- Freddie Goes To The Cleaners
06/15/54- Dial 'B' For Brush (with special guests Bela Lugosi, Lon Chaney, Jr.
and Vampira)
(Season 4 - CBS)
09/21/54- Clem the Rookie (with special guests Leo Durocher, Diahann Carroll)
10/05/54- What Goes Down, Must Come Up (with special guest Ella Logan)
10/19/54- Romeo and Juliet (with special guest Anna Maria Alberghetti)
10/26/54- The Andrews Sisters (with special guest Laverne and Maxine Andrews)
11/09/54- Clem Goes To College
11/23/54- A USO Thanksgiving (with special guests Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis)
DISC 10
11/30/54- Chicago Red in Las Vegas (with special guest Lillian Roth)
12/07/54- The Art Show (with special guests Abbe Lane and Sig Arno)
12/21/54- The Unwanted Christmas Tree (with special guest Georgia, Valentina,
and Richard Skelton)
01/04/55- Skelton Clears The Smog (with special guest George Raft)
01/11/55- Skelton Goes Back To School (with special guest Diana Lynn)
01/18/55- The Honeymooners (with special guest Peter Lorre)
01/25/55- Love Thy Neighbor (with special guest Mary McCarty)
02/01/55- Queen of Mars (with special guest Ruth Roman)
02/08/55- Red Goes To Barber College (with special guest Charles Coburn)
Disc 11 - Bonus Features:
America's Clown: An Intimate Biography of Red Skelton - A special look at the
life and career of one of the most popular comedians of his time
Dress Rehearsal and Special Bonus Episode: Deadeye From Mars - This practice
performance presents a freewheeling and uproarious insider's look at Red's
rehearsal process on a classic episode, followed by the final broadcast
version.
Bonus Episode: The Look Magazine Movie Awards - In this rare and atypical
installment of The Red Skelton Show, Red hosts an award show honoring several
of Hollywood's all-time greats. Walt Disney, Judy Garland, and Bing Crosby are
just some of the legends on display in this unique episode.
7
of 8 people found the following review helpful
5.0
out of 5 stars His comic genius and warmth made him a favorite on TV
for 20 years, October 23, 2014
By
This review is from: The Red Skelton Show:
The Early Years - 1951 - 1955 (DVD)
Long
overdue!
Red Skelton was an American institution. After 10 successful years on radio Red
came to television where he was able to be a visual comic as well ... and he
flourished. The humor was often silly and broad but lurking behind a Skelton
performance was always the ability to be touching and profound as well. He was
a performer that was devoted to his audience ... he felt his abilities were
meant to be shared and he always gave 100%. His comic genius and warmth made
him a favorite on TV for 20 years. We don't seem to grow entertainers of his
caliber or longevity anymore and he should not be forgotten. This set should do
a lot to keep his laughter and art alive. Thanks Shout for putting this out.
1
of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0
out of 5 stars Thanks to the estate for releasing this great
collection...., December 1, 2014
By
This review is from: The Red Skelton Show:
The Early Years - 1951 - 1955 (DVD)
This
set is very welcome, not just for its entertainment value but as comedy
archaeology. The ups and downs of the Skelton show make for a story quite
unlike anything else in the history of the medium.
Speaking of ups and downs, the viewer should be prepared for great variation in
quality over the years represented here. The Skelton show was an immense hit
its first year, garnering rave reviews, two Emmys and a fourth place finish in
the ratings. Unfortunately, the work took its toll and an exhausted Skelton
decided to switch to film in the second year after doing the first year live
(or almost live-- the series appears to have used one filmed insert every week,
presumably to facilitate set and costume changes). Red was quoted as saying
that his sponsor "can either have a live comedian on a filmed show or a
dead comedian on a live show."
Suddenly, the show had a canned, airless feel to it-- besides which the
"mistakes", ad-libs and breakups that were a big part of Skelton's
stock in trade looked much more contrived in this pre-recorded context. Then,
too, some scenes were greeted with what sounds like genuine audience laughter
while others are clearly heavily "sweetened".... Critics reacted with
negative comments and viewers reacted by demoting the show to twenty-eighth
place. (The loss of Jack Douglas as a writer probably didn't help either.)
Sponsor and network dropped the show but thankfully CBS picked it up and stuck
with it through a few very difficult years. There was a return to live
telecasts but nothing was fixed overnight-- reportedly, the program once sank
to as low as number eighty-six in the ratings, remarkable for a show that later
ranked as high as number two. One turning point (1955) was the arrival of a new
writing staff, headed by Sherwood Schwartz, who stayed with the show for eight
years. I dearly hope that a future release will bring us more of those
episodes....
The accompanying documentary is quite interesting, and incorporates a great
deal of fascinating home movie footage. Its accuracy, however, is at times
questionable: E.g., it now seems very unlikely that Skelton's father was a
circus clown (at least for any length of time), and the childhood story he
tells about Ed Wynn is doubtful (not to mention the fact that Red told the same
story at least once with Raymond Hitchcock as the hero!).
For more on the mysteries of Red's origins, the interested reader should
consult RED SKELTON: THE MASK BEHIND THE MASK, by Prof. Wes D. Gehring. (Other
worthwhile volumes are the same author's SEEING RED, and Wesley Hyatt's
fascinating A CRITICAL HISTORY OF TELEVISION'S THE RED SKELTON SHOW, 1951-1971.
You may also wish to go on over to bookfinder and look up LOOTVILLE, a 1957
novel by Nancy and Benedict Freedman; B. Freedman was a writer for the Skelton
show in its first two years and the book is a fictionalization of his
experiences.)
1
of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0
out of 5 stars So far this is one of the best Red Skelton collections
that have come out, November 26, 2014
By
This review is from: The Red Skelton Show:
The Early Years - 1951 - 1955 (DVD)
So
far this is one of the best Red Skelton collections that have come out. One of
the other collections I have enjoyed is Red Skelton Unreleased. Many of the
shows on these collections were never released before. The main thing going for
the Early Years is the number of shows per disc and they're in slim disc boxes
so it takes up less space on the shelf. I haven't watched it yet but the bonus
disc contains a documentary about Red Skelton and a taping of a rehearsal of a
show and the actual show. I'm hoping someday they will release a collection of
his later 60's hour long shows.
1
of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0
out of 5 stars Early Red and it's really funny. He's prime for
rediscovery and this collection is ..., December 7, 2014
By
This review is from: The Red Skelton Show:
The Early Years - 1951 - 1955 (DVD)
Early
Red and it's really funny. He's prime for rediscovery and this collection is a
great start. Check it out. My favorites are his pantomimes. Nobody did them
better.
5.0
out of 5 stars the best show for all ages, December 16, 2014
By
This review is from: The Red Skelton Show:
The Early Years - 1951 - 1955 (DVD)
I
have never heard of Red Skelton until my mother introduced me to this
magnificent man. His joke are hilarious and clean. My daughter loves watching
him and I enjoy allowing her to do so. You can tell the difference between then
and now. If you were not raised from that era, you learn a lot of things about
history that schools no longer teach children. Another plus to this show is
that he invludes many of his poems and includes the Lord in his shows. I fully
recommend this to anyone looking for an entertaining night and want to include
the children. My favorite ending to any show, "Good night and my God
bless."
-Kati
5.0
out of 5 stars It's great to see this master at work, January
3, 2015
By
This review is from: The Red Skelton Show:
The Early Years - 1951 - 1955 (DVD)
This
set was a gift from my wife for Christmas. I've watched several of the shows;
trying to watch in sequence. It's great to see this master at work. Highly
recommend for any comedy or old TV buff.
5.0
out of 5 stars ABSOLUTELY WHAT I WANTED AND RECEIVED IT WITHIN A FEW
..., January 1, 2015
By
This review is from: The Red Skelton Show:
The Early Years - 1951 - 1955 (DVD)
ABSOLUTELY
WHAT I WANTED AND RECEIVED IT WITHIN A FEW DAYS. I WAS SHOCKED AT HOW SOON IT
ARRIVED AND WE HAVE BEEN WATCHING THE CDS EVER SINCE.
5.0
out of 5 stars love thisguy., December 2, 2014
By
This review is from: The Red Skelton Show:
The Early Years - 1951 - 1955 (DVD)
this
is truly a classic . love thisguy ..never swears ..like other comideans
