Dave "Tex" O'Brien Movies
A longtime character actor/stuntman/leading man/director, Dave O'Brien (born David Barclay) was born in Big Springs, Texas, and entered movies in the early '30s as a stuntman and occasional character actor -- he is probably best remembered by college students of the late '60s and early '70s for his portrayal of the crazed marijuana smoker in the exploitation film Reefer Madness. During the late '30s and early '40s, O'Brien also played the title role in the serial Captain Midnight, and was the responsible adult in the East Side Kids series, but it was as the lead in MGM's Pete Smith Specialty comedy shorts -- which O'Brien also directed, under his real name David Barclay -- that he was best known to '40s moviegoers. The Pete Smith shorts, which were basically comedic looks at human foibles, took full advantage of O'Brien's background in stunt work, and hold up extremely well today. O'Brien still played occasional lead roles, especially in B-pictures such as The Man Who Walks Alone (1946), an unusual comedy with serious overtones about a veteran returning home from World War II, but by the early '50s had moved into supporting parts, such as that of the stage manager in Kiss Me Kate (1953), directed by his fellow Pete Smith alumnus George Sidney. O'Brien later became a writer for Red Skelton on television. ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi- 1966
Michele Mercier, leading lady of many a quasi-erotic Angelique film, stars in the French Black Sun. This time Mercier plays a young Gallic heiress. She's in Algeria, looking for her long-lost brother. She's not looking for danger, but that's what comes her way from every nook and cranny. Valentina Cortese costars. Before it became an American Late Late Show mainstay, Black Sun was known as Soleil noir. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Starring:
- Michele Mercier, Daniel Gélin, (more)
- 1963
Oscar-winning Japanese actress Miyoshi Umeki is Red Skelton's guest on this episode from January 15, 1963. In the comedy sketch "Have Rickshaw-Will Travel," Clem Kadiddlehopper (Red) can't understand why his pumpkins are making noises-until he opens one up, and out pops an oriental refugee (Miyoshi). In the Silent Spot, Jules Munshin plays a mad scientist, with Skelton as his newly-created monster. As a bonus, Miyoshi Umecki sings "Glocca Morra"-and, thankfully, no one laughs when she pronounces it "Grocca Morra". ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1963
Eve Arden costars with Red Skelton in the comedy sketch "Where There's a Will, There's a Wife." Once again, Red is cast as henpecked George Appleby, while Eve portrays George's witchy wife. When the neighborhood milkman inherits some money, his wife treats him like a king. Impressed by this, George tells Clara that he's fallen heir to a fortune-a little white lie which mushrooms into a major disaster. In the Silent Spot, Red plays a harried business tycoon. This episode aired January 8, 1963. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1963
Red Skelton's guest star on this telecast from January 1, 1963 is Martha Raye, who appears in the appropriately titled comedy sketch "Of Mouth and Men." Capitalizing on the publicity surrounding the yet-to-be-released Elizabeth Taylor version of Cleopatra, the sketch casts Martha as an aggressively amorous Queen of the Nile, who carries a torch for the sublimely indifferent Roman slave Nauseous (Red). Tommy Noonan plays Caesar in this sketch, which is highlighted by an outrageous slave-auction sequence (with a patently obvious dummy standing in for Skelton during one slapstick bit!) After Martha gets to sing a song or two, the show closes with The Silent Spot, wherein Red plays a poor soul suffering from a New Year's Eve hangover. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1963
George Gobel pays another visit to The Red Skelton Show on this telecast from February 5, 1963. In the comedy sketch "Much Ado About Knotting," dumbbell Clem Kadiddlehopper (Skelton) joins a boy scout troop headed by Mr. Winkle (Gobel). Jane Lung is featured as Daisy June, while Frankie Darro appears in drag as the little old lady who doesn't want to cross the street. In the Silent Spot, Red mimes an insomniac. The Modernaires and The Skelton Dancers perform "Little Brown Jug", "Lazy River" and "That's All". ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1963
On this broadcast from January 29, 1963 Red Skelton plays Freddie the Freeloader in the comedy sketch "Witness for the Persecution." When hobo Freddie is arrested for breaking into the library (he merely wanted to take a nap on the stacks), famed attorney Perry Masonjar (Mickey Rooney) comes to his defense. The Red Skelton Discovery Corner features a new singing group, The Paris Sisters. And in a classic "Silent Spot", Red plays sideshow entertainer "Max and Maxine", a half-man/half-woman preparing to go out on a double date. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1963
The husband-wife team of Phil Harris and Alice Faye appear with Red Skelton in the comedy sketch "Children Should Be Seen But Not Had." Red plays Junior Cavendish, aka The Mean Widdle Kid, who has driven his father (Phil) to drink and his mother (Alice) halfway to the booby hatch. Typical gags include Junior pouring water in his mother's ears, and tricking her into revealing her "previous life" as a stripper. In the musical segment, Harris sings "Old Man Time" and Faye does a medley of "Let's Go Slumming" (a song she introduced in the 1937 film On the Avenue), "After the Ball is Over" and "Crusing Down the River". And in the Silent Spot, Red introduces his classic pantomime routine about courtship rituals in the 1890s. This episode aired January 22, 1963. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1963
Tonight's guests are actor Sebastian Cabot and singer Jerry Lanning (the son of vocalist Roberta Sherwood). The comedy sketch "The Beverly Haykickers" spoofs what was then the most popular show in America, as real-life mountaineer Clem Kadiddlehopper (Red) replaces ham actor Sir Vivian Oblivion (also Red) on a hillbilly TV series. Best gag: Putting his arms around his sexy leading lady, Clem gushes "Ooooh! A soft boy!" Sebastian Cabot plays producer R.S. Quickie. Musical highlights on this broadcast from March 5, 1963 include a dance rendition of "Big Noise from Winnetka", performed by Red Skelton Hour choreographer Tommy Hansen and his assistant Leona Irwin. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1963
Red Skelton's guest on this broadcast from February 26, 1963 is rotund musical comedy star Stubby Kaye. In a sketch titled "My Friend the Enemy," Freddie the Freeloader (Red) thinks he has it made when his friend and fellow hobo (Stubby) becomes a cop. He doesn't. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1963
In the comedy sketch "Advice to the Loveworn," henpecked George Appleby seeks help from marriage counselor Dr. Joyce Sisters, played by Jayne Mansfield. Virginia Grey once again appears as George's loudmouthed wife Clara. Best bit: when Jayne asks Red where he got his less-than-impressive physique, he explains that he's rented his muscles from Mickey Hargitay (Mansfield's then husband). Musical guests The Lettermen sing "You'll Never Walk Alone" and "The Girl Next Door", while Jayne Mansfield chimes in with "Glory of Love". In the Silent Spot, Red impersonates an artist starving in a garret. This episode aired February 19, 1963. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1963
Red Skelton's guests on this broadcast from February 12, 1963 are Cesar Romero and the German singing duo The Kessler Twins (Alice and Ellen), making their American TV debut. In the comedy sketch "Red Fails in the Sunset," con man San Fernando Red (Skelton) poses as a native fire god on a tropical island, much to the chagrin of the local Witch Doctor (Romero). Vicki Raaf appears as San Fernando's cohort Ruby, while The Kesslers play native girls and perform a song-and-dance version of "Les Girls". In the Silent Spot, Red plays an old man paying a visit to his daughter and son-in-law. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1963
Red Skelton and guest star Janet Blair play George and Clara Appleby in the comedy sketch "The Portrait of Dorian Appleby." While trying to win a photography contest, poor George bites off more than he can chew, as usual. Following the sketch, The Skelton Dancers introduce a new dance sensation, "The Dip". And in the Silent Spot, Red plays the Greek god Pan on the first day of Spring. This program originally aired on April 9, 1963. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1963
Ginger Rogers joins Red Skelton in the comedy sketch "Come to Me My Melon-Headed Baby." To get even with his mother (Ginger) for cutting off his allowance, Junior Cavendish, aka "The Mean Widdle Kid," rents out his mom's room. In the musical segment, Ginger Rogers and Garrett Lewis recreate several of her celebrated movie dance routines, while Ginger sings "Let's Cling" and "La Cumparasita. In the Silent Spot, Red and Robert Strauss ("Animal" in Stalag 17) play a pair of inept burglars. This episode aired April 2, 1963. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1963
Amanda Blake takes time off from her Gunsmoke duties to appear opposite Red Skelton in this broadcast from March 26, 1963. In the comedy sketch "Frontier Coward," ineffectual Sheriff Deadeye (Red) is replaced by square-shooting Widow Jenkins (Amanda). Singer Bobby Rydell plays Billy the Kid, then performs a medley of "Hello Young Lovers", "Ciao Ciao Bambina" and "My Coloring Book". In the Silent Spot, Red and Marie Roe satirize the famous dancing duo Arthur and Katherine Murray. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1963
Marilyn Maxwell and Jackie Coogan join Red Skelton in the comedy sketch "After the Bald Was Over." George Appleby (Red) tries to save his job by creating a hair-restoring formula for his chrome-domed boss Mr. Baldwin (Coogan). Marilyn Maxwell reprises her role as Clara Appleby. In the Silent Spot, an old janitor (Red) pantomimes an entire vaudeville show while working late at night in an empty theater. This episode aired March 12, 1963. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1963
Songstress Keely Smith performs "One for the Road", "Where Is Love", "At Long Last Love" and "The End of a Love Affair", and joins Red Skelton in the comedy sketch "A Midsummer Nut's Dream." The premise: hillbilly Clem Kadiddlehopper (Red) becomes a singing sensation, while his sweetheart Daisy June (Keely) pines away back on the farm. In the Silent Spot, Red performs a "Willie Lump Lump" routine with Doris Singleton as his wife; he's cold sober when she's in the room, drunk as a skunk when she isn't. This episode aired May 7, 1963. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1963
Pat Carroll and Forrest Tucker are Red Skelton's guests on this telecast from April 30, 1963. In the comedy sketch "Ah, Sweet Mystery of Hate," the bickering Applebys, George (Red) and Clara (Pat), visit a marriage counselor (Tucker). In the course of the sketch, Skelton tosses off several jokes about Pat Carroll's costar status on the TV sitcom The Danny Thomas Show-jokes which, of course, would be lost on audiences of the 21st century. In the Silent Spot, Red plays the long-suffering valet to swinging bachelor Tucker. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1963
Wagon Train star Robert Horton shows off his flair for comedy and his musical talents in the April 16, 1963 edition of The Red Skelton Hour. In the comedy sketch "How Green Was My Money," hobo Freddie the Freeloader is investigated by zealous IRS agent Gouger (Horton), who wants to create a "mooch tax." In the musical segment, Horton sings a vast array of Broadway standards, including "Show Me", "This Can't Be Love", "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face", "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World" and "There is Nothing Like a Dame." And in the Silent Spot, Red plays a dentist, with diminutive 1930s movie favorite Frankie Darro as his unlucky patient. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1963
Red Skelton's guests on this episode from May 21, 1963 are actress Rhonda Fleming and nightclub comic (and Frank Sinatra crony) Hank Henry. In the comedy sketch "Captains Outrageous," tavernkeeper Forsooth (Red) comes to the rescue when Captain Hook (Hank) kidnaps a red-headed princess (Rhonda). Best bits: A row of beer steins "accidentally" falls to the floor; hiding under a bed, Red gets the worst of it when Rhonda throws a tantrum. In the musical segment, Fleming performs a Gershwin medley: "The Man I Love", "But Not For Me", "Embraceable You" and "I've Got a Crush on You". In the Silent Spot, Red plays a rookie baseball pitcher. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1963
Comedian Don Knotts and singer Helen O'Connell appear in Red Skelton's final first-run telecast of the 1962-63 season. In the comedy sketch "Jerk and the Beanstalk", physical fitness guru Horaces Hercules (Don) vows to build up the muscles of meek George Appleby (Red). In addition to playing George's wife Clara, Helen O'Connell sings "I Left My Heart in San Francisco", "Witchcraft" and "The Sweetest Sounds". In the Silent Spot, Red plays an old street sweeper, cleaning up after a carnival. This episode was orginally telecast May 28, 1963. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1962
Tonight's comedy sketch is "Freddie and the Daily Freeloader." It all begins when hoboes Freddie the Freeloader and Muggsy decide to go into the newspaper business. When the boys decide to use their rag to attack the current political administration, Boss O'Bigg (guest star Mickey Rooney) tries to buy Freddie off. This episode was first shown on June 12, 1962. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1962
Sebastian Cabot joins Red Skelton in the comedy sketch "This Goon for Hire. Cabot plays Dr. Pomerantz, the inventor of a computer which can match any person to the right profession. But Pomerantz had reckoned without the insurmountable ineptitude of his first client: Hayseed Clem Kadiddlehopper (Skelton). This episode aired on May 29, 1962. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1962
Dick Foran is Red Skelton's guest on this episode from May 22, 1962. In the comedy sketch "Best Man Blues", self-made millionaire Howard Snyder (Dick Foran) prepares to marry a dizzy socialite named Goo Goo. But the wedding may well be sabotaged by Howard's choice for Best Man: his old hobo pal Freddie the Freeloader (Red). ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1962
Pat Carroll returns to the role of Clara Appleby in the comedy sketch "Go Van Gogh." Clara has taken up painting under the patronage of wealthy Mrs. Wellington (Barbara Morrison). On the eve of the unveiling of Clara's latest masterpiece, the canvas is accidentally wrecked by her cloddish husband George (Red Skelton). This episode aired on May 15, 1962. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- 1962
On this episode from May 8, 1962, singer Helen O'Connell performs "Who Cares" and appears in a comedy sketch with Red Skelton. In "Rock on the Wild Side," the US government combs the country in search of a rare artifact: Mary Todd Lincoln's rocking chair. They finally locate the chair in the barn of dimwitted Clem Kadiddlehopper (Skelton), who is off his rocker in more ways than one. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
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