Seeing Red : The Skelton in Hollywood's Closet

by Wes D. Gehring

An analytical biography that combines biographical and critical information to estimate Skelton's importance to the fields of film and television comedy.

Genres: Biography

311 pages, Paperback

First published April 10, 2001

Reviews

[Senor Sock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very detailed and positive look back at one of the world's great clowns. This book is very good at breaking down Skelton's films as well as his life outside of entertainment, including the loss of his son in 1958, his nervous breakdown at the end of the war and how much he relied on his first wife Edna, even after they divorced. If anything I wanted to find out more about her after she left Red's TV show in the 1950's and what she did for the next 30 years before her death.
I also would have liked more about Red's move to TV and how the show was constructed, first as a half hour and then later as a 60-minute show, then back to 30 when he went to NBC for his final season.
But its a very positive book. Don't look for dirt or anything shocking here. Instead be prepared to learn more about what appears to be a very nice man and a amazing funnyman.

[C Garrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wes Gehring's "Seeing Red...The Skelton in Hollywood's closet: An Analytical Biography" (Robin Vincent Publishing, 2001): "I find myself always being drawn into Wes' comedic research and storytelling by it's insights into the history, politics and sociology of the period explored. In that context, his gift is not only that of a researcher, but also a 'decoder' of what leads a reader to exclaim, 'oh, so that's how he (the subject) got that way."--Steve Bell, former anchor for ABC News, from his Seeing Red "Forward."