Bozo the Clown Turns 50-- well, sort of

This was one of the cornier assignments I ever got. Larry Harmon was the man behind Bozo the Clown and had sent out a press release announcing that Bozo was turning 50. ABC News had an overnight news program that was probably viewed mainly by insomniacs and prison inmates and the show liked to do oddball stuff. So, off I went to interview Harmon about Bozo turning 50 who made producing the story immeasurably easier by handing me a full box of video tapes that contained "best of Bozo" footage through the years. Also in the box was a Bozo history and when I read it after I returned to my office after the interview I realized that in fact Bozo wasn't turning 50 at all. So, I called Harmon and said, "Larry, according to your own timeline Bozo is only 48 this year." There was a pause on the other side of the phone and then a one word response, "So?"... I didn't question the discrepancy any further.

[@booberry349]

Politicians are the real clowns today

[@hoborock007]

Grew up with BOZO ...lived in Buffalo Grove Illinois Loved the Grand Prize Game.... tickets were a hot commodity ... you'd have to wait 3 birthdays before you could see the show live....

[@erickrosales2590]

No it's 8 to 10 years.....

[@tomshiba51]

Well, this explains how I saw Bozo on Toledo television, and, if the antenna allowed it, also on Detroit television back in the sixties. I never realized that Bozo was a franchise. I've always known that Ronald McDonald (RM) was a franchise. Oh, and there is a Bozo no-no, but RM has no no-no. And now you know, no?

[@pawfan]

Larry Harmon did what many wished they could in television.

[@charliepastrami2813]

Did he say "when I was born I was very young" ????

[@original.dwornboy]

Yes it was a joke. Dry humour that Americans don't often get.

[@cousinjohncarstuff4568]

Yes! Only a Bozo would say that!

[@Cam-SB]

He wanted to be a gyno; but instead became a clown.

[@Ronclown]

Larry Harmon recreated Bozo and made him the world's most famous clown. Too bad he is no longer with us. Bozo is gone as well. I miss Bozo. It was good to see a small clip from Harmon's "Pinky Talks Back". Wished there was a way you could see the whole show. I think Bozo could still be with us at least in VHS or DVD anyway.

[@horridgoober6386]

There are too many episodes to have a complete collection imagine an episode a day for 50 years in dozens of states in dozens of countries tens of thousands of episodes i guess you could just chuck a couple dozen on dvd

[@PuppyLuvU2]

Bozo: I wanted to be a doctor, but I ended up being a joke. Rip me

[@Legolas2]

he looks like old jimmy page

[@Kiwimasterpiece4]

The first clown to clone clowns and make other clones XD

[@Leavemealone1670]

Wait am I clone too? If yes there can only be one

[@josuevasquez122]

Steven King ruined clowns

[@horridgoober6386]

@Brandon Gothic Soul it’s one character against a whole profession though well yknow one character expanding into dozens of inspired ones

[@kevinhenderson5520]

John Wayne Gacy did.

[@PeterImber]

Hi Al, and you are right Bob Bell was the first Bozo. Larry Harmon never liked having to hear that.

[@josephhebel6981]

No he wasn't!

[@louisborselio8608]

@JADEN JAYA You forgot Willard Scott who did a Bozo show in Washington DC from 1959 - 1962.

[@LanceEhlers]

Harmon owned the franchise, but Bob Bell WAS Bozo. There's no way the character would have endured without Bob Bell. And by all accounts, Harmon was a total dick to Bell and Roy Brown.

[@porky162yearsago9]

My favorite clown not scary he is so funny to

[@johnbesky188]

iback in the 80s i was pressure washing house fences driveways i was in Florida i did his driveway in the driveway was a stain that i told him it would need to have acid put on stain would cost more than what i offered him to do his driveway he said he would agree with the 35dollars we both agreed on he left i did driveway and explained that no acid the stain would be there after it got done welll i did driveway and he came home he saw the stian and said he wasnt going to pay me i know its bozo cause he showed me bozo costume and wigs well to end he screwed me out of 35 dollars i was living with girlfriend and her child in a motel working out of my cars in my eyes really dont care for him

[@Navigatorbythestars]

I was Larry Harmon's Make up artist for his Bozo character on his "Bozo for President" Tour . We went on a U.S Tour in the early 1980's Larry was a interesting guy. His Personal assistant / Girlfriend was a girl named Susan and he had a PA named Earl ( a really nice person ) an African American that he treated like his personal slave, and he hired 2 Psycho's for body guards ( one was a Cleveland Police officer that was out on a fake disability claim while he worked for Larry at that same time ) and that Cop had a friend that was crazy as shit ( something right out of "One flew over the Coo Coos Nest ") that he brought on for his side kick to act like Secret service agents. We started in Los Angles ( The Westholm Towers and we ended in New York ) All along the way the craziest shit went on all the time. At one point , after a night of having a prostitute brought on the tour bus in Atlanta, GA that the Cleveland cop (That was married at that time ) picked up at a night club named The Limelight" . I decided I had enough. So I told Larry that "I think I've had enough of his bullshit and I'm leaving the tour. He then asked his 2 goons to rough me up just enough to scare me into staying till the end of the tour in New York. I was smart enough to insist on having Harmon supply me a round trip ticket provided to me prior to leaving Los Angeles. It was bad enough to have to deal with Larry , but his crooked cop and wanna be cop knucklehead friend made the tour a real crappy experience for me . Can you imagine the headlines "BOZO HIRES MUSCLE TO TUNE UP YOUNG MAKE UP ARTIST! " The Enquirer would have loved getting that story !

[@sannimcable]

Scary clowns 🤡

[@robshane6634]

RIP bozo