Larry Harmon
| Larry Harmon | |
|---|---|
| Born | Lawrence Weiss January 2, 1925 Toledo, Ohio |
| Died | July 3, 2008 (aged 83) Los Angeles, California |
| Cause of death | Heart attack |
| Known for | Bozo the Clown |
Lawrence Weiss (January 2, 1925 – July 3, 2008), better known by the stage name Larry Harmon and as his alter-ego Bozo the Clown, was a Jewish American entertainer.[1]
[edit] Biography
Harmon was born in Toledo, Ohio and raised in Cleveland. During World War II, he served as a private in the Army. Upon returning, he harbored dreams of becoming a doctor, until he met legendary entertainer Al Jolson. According to Harmon's autobiography, The Man Behind the Nose, Jolson told him, "Being a doctor of medicine is honorable, but you'll touch so many more lives as a doctor of laughter!"[2] Harmon instead attended the University of Southern California, where he majored in theater and performed in the Spirit of Troy marching band.[1]
Harmon was married four times and had four children.[3]
In 1956, Harmon purchased the licensing rights to the Bozo character from Capitol Records. Harmon marketed the Bozo property aggressively. By the late 1960s, Harmon had licensed local Bozo TV shows in nearly every major U.S. market, and across the world in places as far away as Thailand, Greece and Brazil.[4] Harmon also produced a series of Bozo animated cartoons intended to be shown with the live-action show. Harmon's animation studio also produced eighteen Popeye cartoons in 1960 as part of a larger TV syndication package.
On New Year's Day 1996, Harmon dressed as Bozo for the first time in 10 years, appearing in the Rose Parade in Pasadena, California to a deafening reaction from a thrilled crowd.[5]
On July 3, 2008 Harmon died in his home of congestive heart failure in Los Angeles, California.[6]
He is buried in Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery.
Larry Harmon wrote a biography right before his death titled The Man Behind the Nose: Assassins, Astronauts, Cannibals, and Other Stupendous Tales, which was published in 2010 by Igniter Books. One of Harmon's alleged ex-wives disputed the veracity of the memoir.[7]
[edit] References
- ^ a b Dennis McLellan, Larry Harmon, 83; entrepreneur made Bozo the Clown a star, Los Angeles Times, July 4, 2008.
- ^ The Man Behind the Nose Book Description at www.harpercollins.com
- ^ IMDb Biography
- ^ Clown Ministry: The Unusual History of Bozo the Clown
- ^ Associated Press
- ^ "Larry Harmon, Who Popularized Bozo, Dies at 83". Associated Press in The New York Times. July 4, 2008. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/04/arts/television/04bozo.html. Retrieved 2008-07-05. "Larry Harmon, who bought the rights to the character Bozo the Clown and turned him into a show business staple that delighted children for more than a half-century, died Thursday at his home here. He was 83."
- ^ McKay, Hollie (August 25, 2010). "Ex-wife of Bozo the Clown claims lies, infidelity in new book". http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/breaking-news/ex-wife-of-bozo-the-clown-claims-lies-infidelity-in-new-book/story-fn3dxity-1225909652408.
[edit] External links
- Bozo.com
- The Man Behind The Nose: Assassins, Astronauts, Cannibals, and Other Stupendous Tales
- ABC News Investigates Bozo's Origin (2001)
- ABC News: Bozo Finally Unmasked (2004)
- Associated Press: Who's the First Bozo? (2004)
- Larry Harmon at the Internet Movie Database
- The Austin Chronicle: Article on Harmon and his Laurel & Hardy movie (2000)
- Larry Harmon at Find a Grave
