Harmon was one of several to portray famous children’s favorite

By Matthew B. Zeidman

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Today) 7/4/08 – Though for most Americans, this week is a time to celebrate, fans of Bozo the Clown were disheartened Thursday to learn of the passing of Larry Harmon, one of several actors to portray the classic children’s entertainer. Harmon, 83, died of congestive heart failure at his Los Angeles home, according to the Associated Press. He is survived by his wife, Susan, as well as a son and three daughters.

The Bozo persona, originally created in 1946 by Alan W. Livingston and portrayed by Pinto Colvig, was bought out by Harmon in 1956. Harmon had begun his relationship with Bozo by playing the clown at promotional events, and after purchasing the rights to the character, he acted as franchisor to television stations around the nation, who hired their own actors to fill Bozo’s comically large shoes on locally produced live-action programs.

During his career, Harmon also launched a nationally syndicated show, featuring actor Frank Avruch as Bozo, as well as a cartoon series produced by his own animation studio. Though the character’s popularity peaked in the 1960s, Bozo survived through to the 21^st century, not disappearing from the airwaves completely until 2001, when the last broadcaster, Chicago’s WGN America, ceased production.

Though a stranger to today’s “High School Musical” and “Hannah Montana”-obsessed youngsters, Bozo the Clown was an icon to the baby boomer generation. They grew up watching his humorous performances alongside other well known classics, such as “Howdy Doody” and “The Mickey Mouse Club.”