The Red Skelton Show
Washing The Elephant
TV Flash files “Washing The Elephant” as hour 56 of 478 in the TV Flash guide — The Red Skelton Show (1951–1971) on NBC/CBS, season 2, episode 33, aired 1953-05-10, 60 min.
From the desk
How this hour is filed
This leaf is S02E33: listed hour 56 of 478 in the The Red Skelton Show guide, hour 17 of 18 in season 2. It aired 1953-05-10 (60 min). The listed hour before it is “Racetrack” (S02E32). Next is “Freddie Becomes a Star-Gazer” (S02E36). Broadcast log — titles and dates, not a plot bible.
Viewer FAQ
Where does Washing The Elephant sit in the The Red Skelton Show guide?
S02E33 is listed hour 56 of 478 — hour 17 of 18 in season 2, season 2 episode 33.
When did The Red Skelton Show S02E33 air?
Washing The Elephant aired 1953-05-10 and is listed at 60 minutes.
Where should I start?
Start with Skelton's recurring clowns — Freddie, Clem — and a pantomime sketch that uses the camera's close-up. The blessing is the door close.
In the series
Why this series still plays
The Red Skelton Show is pantomime pathos on a two-decade variety throne: Clem Kadiddlehopper, Freddie the Freeloader, and a closing blessing America treated like a ritual. Physical comedy that outlasted fashions. In 2026 it is the clown-with-a-tear master class, plus the benediction Good night and may God bless.
Red Skelton did not drop a sketch. He filled a weekly variety hour with recurring characters and wordless pantomime that played to the camera's intimacy — primarily 1951–1971 across NBC and CBS, 478 episodes, 20 seasons, a franchise that moved networks without dropping the blessing. Clem Kadiddlehopper, Freddie the Freeloader, Mean Widdle Kid, David Rose's music, and a closing 'Good night and may God bless' America treated like a ritual. Physical comedy that outlasted fashions. Pantomime pathos on a two-decade…
Filed against
- Red Skelton as Host / various characters
Red Skelton hosted The Red Skelton Show as pantomime pathos on a two-decade variety throne — Clem Kadiddlehopper, Freddie the Freeloader, a closing blessing America treated like a ritual. Physical comedy that outlasted fashions. TV Flash…
- David Rose as Music director
David Rose conducted The Red Skelton Show as pantomime pathos with a downbeat — Clem Kadiddlehopper, Freddie the Freeloader, a two-decade variety throne, a closing blessing America treated like a ritual. Physical comedy that outlasted…