Ep 7. Movies to Read By

The Red Skelton Show season 1 episode 7 titled "Movies to Read By" is a comical variety show filled with skits, music, and laughs. The episode opens with Red Skelton performing a stand-up comedy monologue about his recent trip to the cinema with his wife. Throughout the episode, Skelton appears in several different comedic sketches, including one where he portrays a clumsy waiter who continually drops dishes.

One of the highlights of this episode is a parody of popular films that imagines what they would be like if they were books instead of movies. Skelton plays the main character in each of these imagined books, and the skits focus on strange situations and characters that would be found in the literary versions of films like "Casablanca," "Gone With the Wind," and "The Maltese Falcon." Throughout these skits, Skelton and his co-stars make fun of common literary tropes and cliches, as well as poking fun at the melodrama and cheesiness of some classic films.

Another sketch that stands out in this episode features Skelton as a tour guide at a wax museum. The glass case of each wax figure features an audio recording that provides some humorous historical facts about the person being depicted. Skelton has a lot of fun with this sketch, taking advantage of the opportunity to do some silly impressions of historical figures and cracking jokes about their lives and legacies.

In addition to these comedic sketches, the episode also includes several musical performances. This episode features a musical number by Tony Martin, a well-known crooner of the time who performed frequently on television variety shows. Martin sings a romantic ballad, serenading his love interest in front of a painted backdrop of a city skyline.

As always, Skelton's trademark physical comedy and silly voices are on full display throughout the episode. He spends a lot of time interacting with his co-stars, riffing on their performances and ad-libbing jokes and one-liners. Fans of classic comedy will enjoy the slapstick humor and irreverent energy that Skelton brings to each sketch.

Overall, "Movies to Read By" is a fun and lighthearted episode of The Red Skelton Show that showcases the talented comedian's versatility and charm. From his stand-up routine to his zany characters and musical performances, Skelton keeps the laughs coming throughout the episode. The parody of classic films as books is a particularly hilarious bit that demonstrates Skelton's clever writing and comedic timing. This episode is a must-see for fans of classic comedy and anyone looking for some good-natured laughs.