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Movie poster for the 1947 MGM production Merton of the Movies, starring Red Skelton. Image courtesy LiveAuctioneers.com Archive and The Last Moving Picture Co.

Planned Red Skelton museum gets $1 million boost

Catherine Saunders-Watson
Catherine Saunders-Watson

Movie poster for the 1947 MGM production Merton of the Movies, starring Red Skelton. Image courtesy LiveAuctioneers.com Archive and The Last Moving Picture Co.
Movie poster for the 1947 MGM production Merton of the Movies, starring Red Skelton. Image courtesy LiveAuctioneers.com Archive and The Last Moving Picture Co.
VINCENNES, Ind. (AP) – An Illinois businessman has given $1 million toward building a museum honoring comedian Red Skelton in his southwestern Indiana hometown.

The donation announced Monday puts the Red Skelton Museum Foundation $1.3 million away from its $4 million fundraising goal for building the museum at the Vincennes University performing arts center named for him.

Frank Ladner of nearby Lawrenceville, Ill., said he was proud of the university’s work and that the donation “was the natural thing to do.” The Vincennes Sun-Commercial reports Ladner and his wife also gave $1.5 million for a high-tech training center that the school opened in October.

Plans are for the Skelton museum to feature memorabilia and displays about his influence on early television and comedy. A theater also will show a series of Skelton’s movies.

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Information from: Vincennes Sun-Commercial, http://www.vincennes.com

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AP-CS-11-23-10 1103EST