Freddie the Freeloader's Christmas Dinner

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 byRed Skelton
Written byRed Skelton
Directed byJohn Trent
StarringRed Skelton
Vincent Price
Imogene Coca
ComposersRed Skelton
Ian Bernard
Country of originUnited States
Production
ProducerRiff Markowitz
Running time50 minutes
Production companyHome Box Office
Release
Original networkHBO
Original releaseDecember 13, 1981 (1981-12-13)

Plot

Freddie 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

See also

References
  1. "8 forgotten Christmas specials of the 1980s". Decades. Retrieved 2022-02-14.
  2. December 1981 HBO Program Guide ("Kramer vs. Kramer" on cover), page 11
  3. TCM: Milestones for Red Skelton (Archive)
  4. "Red Skelton's Christmas Dinner TV Listings (1981)". tvguide.com. Retrieved 2022-02-13.
  5. "Make 'Em Laugh". Schenectady Gazette. December 12, 1981. p. 12. Retrieved 2022-02-13.
  6. "Red Skelton's Christmas Dinner (TV)". Paley Center for Media. Retrieved 2022-02-20.
  7. "Red Skelton's Christmas Dinner". tcm.com. Retrieved 2022-02-13.


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