Bozo the clown has died

[Lolly Plop]

I raise a seltzer bottle in his honor.

Larry Harmon, longtime Bozo the Clown, dead at 83
July 03, 2008 4:57 PM EDT
LOS ANGELES - Larry Harmon, who turned the character Bozo the Clown into a show business staple that delighted children for more than a half-century, died Thursday of congestive heart failure. He was 83.

His publicist, Jerry Digney, told The Associated Press he died at his home.

Although not the original Bozo, Harmon portrayed the popular frizzy-haired clown in countless appearances and, as an entrepreneur, he licensed the character to others, particularly dozens of TV stations around the country. The stations in turn hired actors to be their local Bozos.

"You might say, in a way, I was cloning BTC (Bozo the Clown) before anybody else out there got around to cloning DNA," Harmon told the AP in a 1996 interview.

"Bozo is a combination of the wonderful wisdom of the adult and the childlike ways in all of us," Harmon said.

Pinto Colvig, who also provided the voice for Walt Disney's Goofy, originated Bozo the Clown when Capitol Records introduced a series of children's records in 1946. Harmon would later meet his alter ego while answering a casting call to make personal appearances as a clown to promote the records.

He got that job and eventually bought the rights to Bozo. Along the way, he embellished Bozo's distinctive look: the orange-tufted hair, the bulbous nose, the outlandish red, white and blue costume.

"I felt if I could plant my size 83AAA shoes on this planet, (people) would never be able to forget those footprints," he said.

The business - combining animation, licensing of the character, and personal appearances - made millions, as Harmon trained more than 200 Bozos over the years to represent him in local markets.

"I'm looking for that sparkle in the eyes, that emotion, feeling, directness, warmth. That is so important," he said of his criteria for becoming a Bozo.

[tim]

I don't raise anything but a glass of my urine in Larry Harmon's honor.

Larry Harmon was not a venerable Bozo. He was a self centered business man. This guy for the longest time insisted that he was the original Bozo, knowing full well that the honor really belonged to someone else (Pinto Colvig.) Yet he accepted the grace of initial recognition for such from the Clown Hall of Fame (which later revoked this award.) He wouldn't even allow Bob Bell (who is one of the most noted men to play Bozo) to wear the venerable costume upon his own induction into the Clown HOF.

Larry Harmon was a shrewd and selfish business man..... plain and simple. One who did quite well and got his rewards in this life. He made a brand out of Bozo. Not that there is anything wrong with that. But he wasn't exactly a humble servant of the character or a memorable clown, himself. Yet he sure had an ego and enjoyed accolades for something he never deserved.

When the last Bozo show in Chicago ended production a few years back, I always thought that it would have been appropriate to invite Harmon to sit center ring/front row. Give him the seat of honor. Then, to end the program, let the man have his "just desserts." Pie him repeatedly. Just whack the hell out of the scoundrel. If he liked taking bows so much, then let him take the true reward. Of course, they'd have to clean him up some. With seltzer. And more seltzer. And more seltzer. Until he was practically drowning in seltzer. All just to prepare to toss him in an oversized pie made especially for the "innovator of Bozo." I couldn't think of any better way to finish off the show but than to put Larry Harmon in his rightful place.

Perhaps by now St. Peter has given him the big red nose he always wanted to take credit for unearned.

[Jolly Well]

I grew up watching Bob Bell, so he was Bozo to me.

While I wish no ill will on anyone, I remember Larry Harmon not allowing Bob Bell to enter the Hall of Fame in Bozo Attire and some of his other franchise decisions that weren't as "kindly" as the media would have us remember today.

I know Larry Harmon as a businessman, who probably did do some good for clowning by franchising Bozo. Maybe not - I don't know...

Either way. I wish the Harmon family well, and pray Larry Harmon had his ducks in a row before he passed.

My memories of Bozo and Cooky and cast are fond ones, and I can't make myself replace Bob Bell with Harmon in my mind's eye....

I guess the best thing about Bozo being a franchise rather than a man is that the clown gets to live on...

Long live Bozo oh how I wish they would release the Bozo show on DvD

[axedaclown]

No... Really... Tell us what you really think Tim! hehehe
I try to keep up with the history of our greatest clowns. My info on Bozo was lacking other than knowing Bob Bell used to be a Bozo. Well, that and watching the show all those years ago...

[tim]

Originally Posted by Jolly Well

Long live Bozo oh how I wish they would release the Bozo show on DvD

Talk to Larry Harmon about the licensing rights.

Actually, episodes of the Boston Bozo show are now out on DVD. Not Bob Bell, but another variation on the character, nonetheless. Sadly, few of the old WGN episodes from Bell's day have been preserved. There are some limited ones available for viewing at the Museum of Broadcast Communications in Chicago.

The Museum of Broadcast Communications

But, remember, this is from the era where they just recorded over everything repeatedly, so not much lasted, except in people's memories.

I wonder what might be on youtube.

[tim]

Originally Posted by axedaclown

My info on Bozo was lacking other than knowing Bob Bell used to be a Bozo. Well, that and watching the show all those years ago...

When I saw the title of the thread, I was worried that Joey D'Auria (who took Bob Bell's place) had unexpectedly passed.

[Jolly Well]

I just watched the news about this on FoxNews (I know, shame on me! CNN is just so bad... Okay! FoxNews is too, but what can you do? I wanted to see the updates on a few headlines)...

Anyway, I dislike the Headlines about Bozo dying rather than Larry Harmon. I get that he had the license to the name and character, but still....

I actually never saw Harmon as Bozo - businessman and personalisty aside - how is he as the clown?

[Lolly Plop]

I also didn't know the history of the Bozo charecter. I didn't watch the show growing up. My memories of Bozo were of the Bozo punching bag I had, which I enjoyed bopping and or karate kicking. I think we need to find Tim a Bozo punching bag for his very own.

[Sir Toony Van Dukes]

Growing up in Chicago, Bob Bell was definitely the one and only Bozo that I knew. I didn't know the history of the franchise.

[tim]

Originally Posted by Lolly Plop

I also didn't know the history of the Bozo charecter. I didn't watch the show growing up. My memories of Bozo were of the Bozo punching bag I had, which I enjoyed bopping and or karate kicking. I think we need to find Tim a Bozo punching bag for his very own.

I liked the Bozo buckets.

But I wouldn't punch Bozo. A Larry Harmon head, perhaps.