The Real, Original Bozo The Clown…Pinto Colvig
Picture Parade #6…The Real, Original Bozo The Clown…Pinto Colvig
It’s time to set the record straight! Larry Harmon may be a Bozo, but he’s not the original Bozo, even though he’s claimed otherwise.
If Bozo has a father, that man is Alan Livingston, former president of Capital Records, who created ‘Bozo At The Circus’ in 1946. It was the first read-along record…a milestone in children’s entertainment and sold more than a million copies. Here is the original book, voiced by Pinto Colvig. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qlPhoqRxmEE&ab_channel=Rarevintagefinds
It was so successful, Livingston branched out into TV in 1949. ‘Bozo’s Circus’ debuted on KTTV, Channel 11 in Los Angeles and Pinto Colvig, who provided Bozo’s voice, stepped in front of the camera. Livingston was the writer and producer. Harmon had nothing to do with it.
“Larry Harmon was just an out-of-work actor when I hired him to do some promotional work,” says Livingston. “Years later, when Capitol got out of the children’s entertainment business, we sold the rights to Bozo to Harmon and some partners. But he’s been misleading everyone and taking credit for Pinto’s work.”
Colvig is probably best known as the original voice of Disney’s Goofy and you can certainly understand why when you listen to his voice at the link above. He played the original Bozo The Clown part for a full decade beginning in 1946. He did the KTTV show from ’48 till ’58.
He is also the second known voice of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. Other notable characters he voiced include Practical Pig, the pig who built the “house of bricks” in Disney’s ‘Three Little Pigs’, as well as both Sleepy (who originally was supposed to be voiced by Sterling Holloway) and Grumpy in ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’, and the barks for Pluto the dog. In 1939, Pinto also provided the voice of one of the Munchkins in ‘The Wizard Of Oz’. Now you know. Enjoy and share! -Bobby Ellerbee
[…] delighted to know he frequently reminds us of some classic shows of the era. Specifically, he has Bozo’s hair, Howdy Doody’s fierce independence, and the effortless grace of The Chevy Chase Show, and if […]
Now, if it were Bob Bell, the kids would be going nuts!
KTLA had a Bozo show with Vance Colvig playing Bozo. Related?
Another picture of Pinto Colvig as Bozo. WHBQ Memphis also had a Bozo show before Larry Harmon took over the franchise.
His son Vance also played Bozo.
Speaking of Sterling Holloway (in the story) today is his birthday. Here he is lower right with Sebastian Cabot on Winnie The Pooh. Sterling was the voice of Winnie. Thanks to John Wells for the photo.