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ent001327-009
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University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Libraries

Red Skelton Page 9. Skelton's movie career really went full speed ahead under Borzage's tutelage in "Flight Command" and continued with MGM for many years. When Red signed his long-term contract with that Studio after "Flight Command," he insisted on a clause permitting him to star in television as well as radio. "L. B, Mayer and other MGM executives laughed at this request," Skelton says, "and gave it to me without an argument. Seven years later they argued themselves ?ǣblue when I informed them I was going to make a TV appearance. I reminded them of the clause they had cnnsidered inconsequential enough to forget. Then I laughed." Prior to entering the army in 1943, Skelton starred in 8 pictures for MGM and has appeared in 30 in all. Among the boxoffice successes which headlined Skelton were "Lady Be Good," "Whistling in the Dark," "Ship Ahoy," "Panama Hattie," "DuBarry Was a Lady," "Bathing Beauty," "I Dood It," and "Three Little Words." Prior to his engagement with Uncle Sam, Red appeared in some 3,500 shows before GI audiences. In the service, he moved from field artillery to special services to the trans- portation corps. The number of shows in which he entertained as member of the armed forces defy an accurate count. Suffice more??,,