The Red Skelton Show
The Great White Hunter (with John Wayne)
TV Flash files “The Great White Hunter (with John Wayne)” as hour 69 of 478 in the TV Flash guide — The Red Skelton Show (1951–1971) on NBC/CBS, season 3, episode 14, aired 1953-12-29, 60 min.
From the desk
How this hour is filed
This leaf is S03E14: listed hour 69 of 478 in the The Red Skelton Show guide, hour 12 of 32 in season 3. It aired 1953-12-29 (60 min). The listed hour before it is “Skeltons at Christmas (with Georgia, Valentina and Richard Skelton)” (S03E13). Next is “Accidents Will Happen (with Jackie Gleason)” (S03E15). Broadcast log — titles and dates, not a plot bible.
Viewer FAQ
Where does The Great White Hunter (with John Wayne) sit in the The Red Skelton Show guide?
S03E14 is listed hour 69 of 478 — hour 12 of 32 in season 3, season 3 episode 14.
When did The Red Skelton Show S03E14 air?
The Great White Hunter (with John Wayne) aired 1953-12-29 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…