Robert Smigel parody of WGN’s BOZO’S CIRCUS
June 19th, 2009 by Scott Marks
On last night’s WGN News at 9, EC’s old pal Dean Richards interviewed Robert Smigel and ran a clip from an unaired Fox pilot that featured a devastating parody of Bozo’s Circus.
I made a note to scour YouTube and when I awoke this morning my work had been done for me. In my Facebook inbox a letter began, “I wanted to send you these links to a pilot my friends created for Fox that not surprisingly got shot down.” It was from my old friend Larry Kapson who is still at Columbia College in Chicago.
Columbia College? Slowly I turned…I remember Columbia College. Isn’t that the film school where the Department Chair once showed a pan-and-scan print of “The Graduate” and praised cuts that were inserted by some geek seated at an editing console and where a certain History of Cinema teacher was browbeaten for not renting an anamorphic print of “Citizen Kane?” But I digress…
Robert Smigel’s TV Funhouse is the funniest thing to play SNL since Bill Murray left the show. (Or am I forgetting “More cowbell?”) The trip to the Disney Vaults is a spot-on satire with enough buried in-jokes to please even the most demanding viewer.
Prozo’s Circus is a pitch-perfect assault on Bob Bell’s Chesterfield’s-throated incarnation of Boz and it’s is the sharpest impersonation of a beloved childhood favorite since Dave Thomas’ Bob Hope or Billy West’s Gen. Larry Fine. Smigel doesn’t miss a beat: Bell’s extreme poses, the slurred boredom in his voice, the “grownups only” stage whispers. There’s even been a third tip added to Prozo’s celebrated candy apple red headdress. Bent over he looks like Bozo the Kremlin.
Continue reading Robert Smigel parody of WGN’s BOZO’S CIRCUS
Tags: Bob Bell, Bozo the Clown, Bozo's Circus, Chicago, Chicago Memories, Clowns, Frazier Thomas, grand prize game, kids show hosts, kids tv, kids tv shows, prozo, prozo the clown, robert smigel, robert smigel bozo, tv funhouse, Video, WGNFiled Under Rants, Uncategorized
115 Treasured Memories About Growing Up In Chicago
June 26th, 2008 by Scott Marks
In no particular order:
1. Santa’s Village (East Dundee) - The first franchised theme park. No matter how hot it got, there was always that thermodynamic marvel, the outdoor slab of ice that never thawed. 2. Hollywood Kiddieland (Devon & McCormick) - A great thrill for any child was a ride to a birthday party on the Kiddieland Firetruck. 3. Adventureland (Addison) - Bring this ad for one free box of popcorn. 4. Linn Burton for certain for Bert Weinman Ford - Blinding white hair and the fastest pronunciation of the words “full delivered price” on record. 5. Cellozzi-Ettleson, where you always save more money! 6. Ed Roberts for Beren’s Automotive and the Beren’s Bear Rocking Chairs. 7. Baby Huey’s Bar (Sheridan N. of Devon) - Huge likeness of the Harvey-Toons heavyweight sat in his nest atop the entrance-way. 8. Kroch’s and Brentano’s on Wabash - Spent days in their basement. 9. Oak Street Bookstore (Next to the Esquire Theater) - Owned by a classy old dame who chain smoked. 10. Chandler’s in Evanston - After Kroch’s folded, my literary basement of choice. 11. Michael Alan Clothes Store (Touhy W. of California) - Shopped here as a kid. Run by Mr. & Mrs. Silverman. He always had a butt dangling from his mouth when he took measurements. The store stocked the finest in “Husky” clothes. 12. Chernin’s Shoes on Roosevelt Road - Not that I’m a shoe hound, I just have fond memories of going there with my folks. It was an orthodox shoe store: women on the right, men on the left.
13. Red Goose Shoes - Loved when the goose crapped out the Golden Egg filled with cheap plastic trinkets. Also gave away incredibly gay Buster Brown Comics, but did reward me with a special edition Three Stooges comic book (which I still have!) 14. Neumode Hosiery and the way the drummer on the Bozo Band would hit the wood block three times when Mr. Ned said “no bind top.” 15. Shopper’s World later became Community (Devon & McCormick) - A place we could walk to when bored. 16. Winsberg’s (Clark & Granville) - Decent neighborhood clothing store that Bob Leff worked at! 17. Crawford’s - The only department store on Devon Ave. Great brown and yellow logo and outdoor sign. 18. E. J. Korvette’s (Dempster & Waukegan) - Named after 8 Jewish Korean Veterans.
Credit: TouringCyclist @ Flickr.com
19. Superdawg (Devon/Milwaukee/Nagel) From the bottom of its pure beef heart the best hot dog and crinkle-cut fries on the planet. Continue reading 115 Treasured Memories About Growing Up In Chicago
Tags: Chicago, Chicago Landmarks, Chicago Memories, Chicago Movie Theaters, Chicago Movie Theatrers, Chicago RestaurantsFiled Under Rants