Freddie the Freeloader's Christmas Dinner (aka Red Skelton's Christmas Dinner) is a TV special that premiered on Home Box Office (HBO) on December 13, 1981.[1] The program stars Red Skelton and was part of HBO's Standing Room Only series of specials. This was one of Skelton's final television performances.[2][3][4][5]
| Freddie the Freeloader's Christmas Dinner | |
|---|---|
 1981 HBO Program Guide artwork for Freddie the Freeloader's Christmas Dinner | |
| Created by | Red Skelton |
| Written by | Red Skelton |
| Directed by | John Trent |
| Starring | Red Skelton Vincent Price Imogene Coca |
| Composers | Red Skelton Ian Bernard |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Production | |
| Producer | Riff Markowitz |
| Running time | 50 minutes |
| Production company | Home Box Office |
| Original release | |
| Network | HBO |
| Release | December 13, 1981 |
Plot
editFreddie the Freeloader prepares to scrape together money and enjoy a Christmas dinner with his equally poverty-stricken friend Professor Humperdo at one of New York's fancy restaurants. When a lost dog appears in his apartment, he is accused of thievery by his wealthy owner. After a meeting with the bag lady Molly, he visits a hospital and entertains some children for Christmas. Freddie busts the professor out of the drunk tank and the two eventually reach the restaurant - and treat themselves to a feast.
The special includes drama, miming, and music, for which Skelton was noted. Songs sung by Skelton in this special include "Christmas Comes But Once a Year" and "I Believe".[6]
Main cast
edit- Red Skelton as Freddie the Freeloader
- Vincent Price as Professor Humperdo
- Imogene Coca as Molly, a bag lady
- Jack Duffy as Santa
- Tudi Wiggins as Mrs. Witherspoon[7]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "8 forgotten Christmas specials of the 1980s". Decades. Retrieved 2022-02-14.
- ^ December 1981 HBO Program Guide ("Kramer vs. Kramer" on cover), page 11
- ^ TCM: Milestones for Red Skelton (Archive)
- ^ "Red Skelton's Christmas Dinner TV Listings (1981)". tvguide.com. Retrieved 2022-02-13.
- ^ "Make 'Em Laugh". Schenectady Gazette. December 12, 1981. p. 12. Retrieved 2022-02-13.
- ^ "Red Skelton's Christmas Dinner (TV)". Paley Center for Media. Retrieved 2022-02-20.
- ^ "Red Skelton's Christmas Dinner". tcm.com. Retrieved 2022-02-13.
External links
edit- Red Skelton's Christmas Dinner at the TCM Movie Database
- Freddie the Freeloader's Christmas Dinner at IMDb
- Freddie the Freeloader's Christmas Dinner at Rotten Tomatoes
- Red Skelton's Christmas Dinner at Red Skelton.info
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