Red Skelton, a legendary comedian, made an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson in 1983. Red and Johnny were exchanging quips, displaying Red’s vintage sense of humour.
Red is introduced by Johnny, who is initially struck by how tall he is. If he is 6’3,” Johnny inquires. Red responds that he has probably shrunk to 6’2 due to ageing!
Red assures Johnny that he isn’t bothered by or constrained by his age. You know how I start the day off, he says? If I don’t see candles or smell flowers when I open my eyes, I get up. The studio crowd laughs heartily at him.
Red
Since Red’s birth name is Richard, Johnny wonders when he began using his middle name. Red claimed that his middle name was revealed to his teacher when she inquired about it one day. Red’s middle name was revealed by the teacher to be a nickname, and she urged him to ask his parents that evening for his actual middle name.
He glanced in the newspaper after being instructed by his mother to make one up and came upon a place called “Bernard’s Clothery.” He revealed to his teacher that Bernard is his middle name. Years later, when he visited Washington, D.C., J. Edgar Hoover greeted him with “Well, Bernard.” ‘Bernard, where’d you get that?’ questioned Red. ‘It’s right here on your dossier,’ Hoover remarked. So you put up a phoney name, and they had it, Johnny exclaims in wonder.
Even though I’m not a terrific cook, Red makes fun of his wife’s cuisine by joking, “You don’t open grapefruit with a can opener!” Red continues, “I’ll say one nice thing about my wife’s cooking,” as everyone chuckles. That dog was stopped from begging at the table by her! Red’s humorous interview was a big hit with Carson and the audience.