Obit: Larry Harmon, longtime Bozo the Clown, dead at 83

[CrankyYankee]

(From the L.A. Times)
Although not the original Bozo, Harmon portrayed the popular frizzy-haired clown in countless appearances and, as an entrepreneur, he licensed the character to others, particularly dozens of TV stations around the country. The stations in turn hired actors to be their local Bozos.
http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-na-bozo4-2008jul04,0,7995452.story

According to www.cartoonbrew.com Harmon also acquired the animation rights to Laurel and Hardy and produced a series of Laurel and Hardy cartoons through Hanna Barbera in 1966, and produced several Popeye cartoons for King Features in 1960.

 

[Stanislav]

(From the L.A. Times)
Although not the original Bozo, Harmon portrayed the popular frizzy-haired clown in countless appearances and, as an entrepreneur, he licensed the character to others, particularly dozens of TV stations around the country. The stations in turn hired actors to be their local Bozos.
http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-na-bozo4-2008jul04,0,7995452.story

According to www.cartoonbrew.com Harmon also acquired the animation rights to Laurel and Hardy and produced a series of Laurel and Hardy cartoons through Hanna Barbera in 1966, and produced several Popeye cartoons for King Features in 1960.

I believe the original Bozo was Pinto Colvig (who was also the voice of Disney's Goofy), but it was Harmon taking over the character and buying the rights to All Things Bozo that turned Bozo from just a clown to...well, an empire. He marketed Bozo in every conceivable medium: TV, cartoons, comics, merchandising, etc. It wasn't hyperbole (though it was a trademarked phrase) for Harmon to call Bozo "The World's Most Famous Clown."

As for the various local Bozos, Harmon was meticulous and very choosy about the men who would play the role, insuring that the basic appearance and personality of the character would not be compromised, while also finding actors who could put their own distinctive stamp on Bozo (to a limited extent, but not overshadowing the inherent "Bozoness"). As a clown, Harmon was good, but as an entrepreneur, he was excellent.

 

[anotherguyTN]

Harmon went too far though when he sued Bozo's Barbecue, a Memphis area restaurant that was in business long before Bozo the clown was created, trying to force them to change their name. I don't remember how the case ended, but either the judge ruled in favor of the restaurant or they settled out of court because the restaurant is still called Bozo's.

 

[firepoint525]

Harmon went too far though when he sued Bozo's Barbecue, a Memphis area restaurant that was in business long before Bozo the clown was created, trying to force them to change their name. I don't remember how the case ended, but either the judge ruled in favor of the restaurant or they settled out of court because the restaurant is still called Bozo's.

Right, if they could prove they had the name before Bozo the Clown ever existed, then they should have prevailed in court. And I'm sure they had paperwork to prove whenever they went into business, were incorporated, etc. Maybe they should have sued (or countersued) him!

Now if they had tried to cash in on the "Bozo" name (with a clown logo, whatever), then that would have been another matter altogether. But I haven't seen any evidence that they ever did that.

 

[Tom Wells]

I run two Larry Harmon Songs on my pt 15 AM.
From a 45 I think was early 60's, which I've had since I was a wee sprout:

"Wowee!" ( Wowee, it's a purty day.) and

"I like to to like People".

That makes 3 just recently, Bo Didley, George Carlin and now Larry Harmon.