The International Clown Hall of Fame in Milwaukee this past week honored Vance "Pinto" Colvig, the original Bozo the Clown. But as Wisconsin Public Radio's Brian Bull reports, not everyone was smiling.
In 1946, Capitol Records executive Alan Livingston created Bozo for recordings. Colvig was the first to play the clown on radio and in TV.
In the mid-1950s, entertainer Larry Harmon bought the rights to Bozo; he helped popularize the clown through cartoons and TV appearances. In 1990, he was honored with the Hall of Fame's "Lifetime of Laughter Award" for creating Bozo. The Hall has since rescinded the award, saying Harmon misrepresented his role in creating Bozo.
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