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Dig A Hole: Larry Harmon, the Architect of Bozo

July 3rd, 2008 by Scott Marks

If you listen carefully, you can almost hear Ringmaster Ned blow his whistle and ask that time honored question, “WHO’S YOUR FAVORITE DEAD CLOWN?”

BOZO!!!

But wait, this isn’t some franchised clown clone sporting the traditional red, white and blue jumpsuit and sugar-cone-tipped orange hair. We’re talking the progenitor, apex and architect of Boz, Larry Harmon.

Well, not really. I mean the clown kicked, but to my surprise Larry Harmon was not Bozo’s creator. That dubious distinction goes to Disney voice artist Pinto “Goofy” Colvig who originated Bozo the Clown when Capitol Records introduced a series of children’s records in 1946. Harmon first met his future alter ego (or was it the other way around?) while answering a casting call to make personal appearances dressed as Bozo T. Clown to help promote the record.

On Thursday, Larry Harmon died at his home in Los Angeles of congestive heart failure. He was 83.

Harmon eventually bought the rights to Bozo, added a few personal touches to the costume and became a clown guru and Boz’s biggest supporter. And you know what they say about a man who wears a size 47EEE shoe!

According to the Associated Press, Harmon’s place in history was challenged in 2004 by Milwaukee’s International Clown Hall of Fame. (Sounds like the vacation destination from hell.) The bastards removed a plaque honoring him as Bozo and formally endorsed Colvig for creating the role. Harmon denied ever misrepresenting Bozo’s history.

He said he was claiming credit only for what he added to the character — “What I sound like, what I look like, what I walk like” — and what he did to popularize Bozo.

“Isn’t it a shame the credit that was given to me for the work I have done, they arbitrarily take it down, like I didn’t do anything for the last 52 years,” he told the AP at the time.

Before John Wayne Gacy delivered a black eye to clowns everywhere, Harmon personally trained over 200 full grown men who wanted to wear a funny costume, hang around small children all day and sing about Bozo’s “pocket rocket.”

What did it take to make a good Bozo? Harmon said, ” “I’m looking for that sparkle in the eyes, that emotion, feeling, directness, warmth. That is so important.” The records, cartoon spin-off, merchandising, character licensing and personal appearances made Harmon a very wealthy man.

He was fiercely covetous of his stolen creation, going so far as trying to have the more derisive connotation of the word “bozo” stricken from the record. And woe unto those who donned a similar costume. Harmon’s crack legal team would be on them like yellow on Frazier Thomas’ sport coat.

Bob Bell

Harmon’s most successful pupil was WGN-TVs Bob Bell who assumed the role of Chicago’s favorite clown between 1960 until he hung up his (artificial) red nose 1984. Bell and Bozo were so popular that there was a ten-year wait for tickets to a live taping of the lunchtime show. I went with my fourth grade class, but sadly the tips, and the tips only, of the magic arrows never landed on me, but I did get a free Bun (by Wayne) candy bar.

If there is a God, funeral services will be held at 2501 W. Bradley Pl. The notable pall bearers, including Oliver O. Oliver, Sandy the Clown, Mr. Ned, Bob Trendler, Cooky the Clown and Golly the Gorilla, will carry Mr. Harmon’s remains to the studio where he will forever be interred in Bucket #6.

Links:
Classic Chicago TV and Radio Memoribilia

Bozo le Clown

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Comments

14 Responses to “Dig A Hole: Larry Harmon, the Architect of Bozo”

  1. Rob on July 3rd, 2008 8:46 pm

    Will Clutch Cargo handle all the readings at the funeral services with his patented “syncho-vox” lips?

  2. Scott Marks on July 3rd, 2008 9:06 pm

    What too you so long? This obit was Rob bait.

  3. john F. Schultz on July 3rd, 2008 9:31 pm

    God, so many jokes, so little time. All right, here’s one for starters:

    It’s going to be a bitch closing that coffin with those 47EEE shoes.

    More later…

  4. Scott Marks on July 3rd, 2008 10:39 pm

    I peaked in the joke department with the image of Golly as a pall bearer. I’m an effing genius!

  5. John F. Schultz on July 4th, 2008 1:13 am

    I like the image of them cremating him and putting him in Bucket #6. That’s some funny sh*t!

  6. Rob on July 4th, 2008 7:45 am

    Directions to and from the funeral home and gravesite will be handled by the Magic Arrows!

  7. Joel Wicklund on July 7th, 2008 11:44 am

    Harmon was also the…ahem..auteur behind this atrocity:

    http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0143096/

    Seen it? My gawd! I couldn’t make it through without hitting fast forward several times. Dig my eyes out with the claws of beasts before making me watch it in its entirety.

  8. Joel Wicklund on July 7th, 2008 5:38 pm

    Lest we forget, Larry was also the “auteur” behind “Laurel & Hardy in For Love or Mummy,” a 1999 train wreck so awful I could not make it through all 85 minutes. I had to fast forward through it. Even so, it’s fearsome lousiness in both premise (”Let’s make a NEW Laurel & Hardy movie! Yeah, I know they are both long dead. Your point?”) and execution haunts my memories.

  9. Scott Marks on July 7th, 2008 6:19 pm

    That’s right. He did have a hand in L&H merchandising. I have a pair of 1960s plastic banks with Harmon’s name carved in the bottoms. He also produced the wretched L&H cartoons that I used to watch every Sunday morning at 7 am when I was a kid. This guy was a notch above Clark Haas. As an animator, he made a wealthy franchise owner.

  10. Joel Wicklund on July 8th, 2008 9:06 am

    Sorry for the double post! Thought the other one didn’t go through. I’m blog challenged, I guess.

  11. George Weinberg-Harter on July 8th, 2008 10:36 am

    Few in America may know that the true original of Bozo the Clown was actually created by the French in the person of Beaux Eaux le Bouffon. In his French avatar he even had a female companion and counterpart (as with Pierrot and Pierrette) known as Belles Eaux. (She was briefly introduced in the USA as Bellzo, but never caught on here under that name.) In England, much the same Beaux Eaux character (though more refined in manner) was known as Fairwaters the Silly Person. And along the same lines in Germany, the character mutated into Schoenwassers der Hanswurst, and in Spain became Bellas Aguas el Bobo.

  12. Scott Marks on July 8th, 2008 1:02 pm

    Yes, but did Beaux Eaux go out drinking with Mr. Ned and Golly after each taping?

  13. Brad on July 9th, 2008 6:31 pm

    Did Beaux Eaux every go drinking with Mr. Ned and Golly before each taping? Watch the tapes and then decide.

    Brad

  14. Scott Marks on July 9th, 2008 10:09 pm

    Golly is still alive and I am not looking for a lawsuit.

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