Did Red Skelton 'Predict' JFK's Assassination?

[SkepticalX]

I recall reading an obscure story about comedian Red Skelton. In the summer of 1963, Skelton supposedly fell asleep while joke-writing on a beach in California. When he awoke, he was disturbed to find something written in his own hand on his notepad. It said that the president would be killed that November in Dallas. Skelton was quite disturbed by this but no details were provided as to whether he kept the note or tried to warn President Kennedy.

A good friend of mine was a journalist in Dallas in the 1980s. He interviewed Skelton who was in town for a show and he asked the comedian about the story. Skelton was surprised my friend knew about it but confirmed to that it did indeed happen.

Odd thing is, I can now find no reference to this tale on the Internet at all. I originally read it in one of John Keel's books, but it seems to be one of those very rare stories that has slipped through the cracks on the web.

 

[EnolaGaia]

I found a text transcript that cites the Skelton story. The file is archived at:

https://archive.org/stream/nsia-Ass...tionJFK25thAnniversary/25th Anniv 25_djvu.txt

This is one piece of a multi-part text transcription from one of the 25th anniversary TV documentaries broadcast in November 1988 on American networks.

Here's the relevant item ...

Red Skelton: My Bizarre Premonition of JFK Death

Comedian Red Skelton says he received an eerie, inexplicable forewarning of the assassination of John F. Kennedy . . • four months before the tragedy happened!

Recalling his strange experience, the famed funnyman told The ENQUIRER:

“The 1962-63 TV season had been a long, demanding one, and in July 1963 1 took a vacation on the island of In the Hawaiian Islands.

“1 always carry a notebook with me — you never know when a funny line will hit you.

“One afternoon 1 was lying on the beach, neither asleep nor awake but some- where in the middle, with my eyes closed.

*1 was stretched out on my stomach. My head was resting on my left forearm while my right hand, which held a pencil, was resting on the open notebook.

‘Td been lying that way for some time when my left arm fell asleep. So 1 shifted my position, and as I did I happened to glance down at my notebook.

‘To my surprise 1 saw a sentence written there that I couldn’t remember writing — a sentence that said: ‘President Kennedy will be killed in November.*

“The substance of the sentence had never entered my mind — yet there it was

Red Skelton in my own handwriting in pencil!”

And the warning came true on Nov. 22, 1963.

Said Skelton: T*ve still got that page, and every time 1 come across it I wonder about it — because bow it happened, 1 still don’t know.”

— STEVE COZ

 

[EnolaGaia]

One must consider the source of this story ...

Steve Koz was a contributor to, and eventually executive editor for, the National ENQUIRER - the celebrity-focused analogue to the Weekly World News.

I cannot locate any independent corroboration of the story or a record of the story from any other source.

 

[Coastaljames]

And also Keel was involved...now there are few bigger fans of Keel than me...but he have the tendency to be something of a proto-troll. And was never afraid to let the truth get in the way of a good story

 

[SkepticalX]

My friend and I were always somewhat skeptical of some of the tidbits in Keel's books as well. That was why he took the opportunity to ask Skelton himself whether it was true. Skelton assured him that it did, in fact, happen, So, there is (at least for me) some direct corroboration.

 

[Coastaljames]

I love Keel with a passion...and while he often wrote with a very deep, profound and startling vision there also was the side to him of the showman.

Something of the cosmic trickster was old Keel

 

[humanoidlord]

there was a very brief mention of this tale in keel's operation trojan horse

 

[SkepticalX]

Based on the fact that my journalist friend got confirmation from Skelton himself that this was a real event, you really have to ask yourself what the heck happened here? To use Keel's term, why would "ultraterrestrials" choose a gentle comic to impart such a dire prediction? What was their purpose? I've said it before but, if these guys are trying to communicate with us, they really are doing a lousy job of it.

 

[Coastaljames]

Man, who would willingly ever talk to a politician rather than a comic?

 

[mugsy67]

On a similar note, my only Fortean experience... while working nights in 2001 I would occasionally daydream about an approaching twin engine aircraft. After a few weeks the 9/11 attack happened and the daydreaming stopped.

I really hate that this happened, as I really don't believe in this premonition thing at all. As with most of these things, the daydreams didn't connect to anything or make sense until after the event. Nothing like it since, thankfully.

 

[Ogdred Weary]

Just don't daydream about an orange man pushing a button...

 

[humanoidlord]

if these guys are trying to communicate with us, they really are doing a lousy job of it.

thats the point
its meant to be so sloopy that nobody will take it seriously

 

[Coal]

thats the point
its meant to be so sloopy that nobody will take it seriously

It's working.