Larry Harmon

For the soccer coach, see Larry Harmon (soccer coach).
Larry Harmon
Born Lawrence Weiss
(1925-01-02)January 2, 1925
Toledo, Ohio
Died July 3, 2008(2008-07-03) (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 an American entertainer.[1]

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 wanted to become a doctor, until he met 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]

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, as well as in other countries.[3] Harmon also produced a series of Bozo animated cartoons intended to be shown with the live-action show, performing Bozo's voice himself.

Harmon's animation studio also produced eighteen Popeye The Sailor cartoons in 1960 as part of a larger TV syndication package.

In the mid-1960s, Harmon bought the merchandising rights to the likenesses of Laurel and Hardy from the comedians' widows; and promoted a Laurel and Hardy TV cartoon series, the animation work on which was done by Hanna-Barbera Productions. Harmon performed Stan Laurel's voice in the series. In 1999, Harmon co-produced and co-directed a live-action feature, The All New Adventures of Laurel and Hardy: For Love Or Mummy, starring Bronson Pinchot as Laurel and Gailard Sartain as Hardy. Intended as the first of a series, it was released direct to video and no sequels were made.

In 1984 Harmon stood as a write-in candidate in the presidential election with the aim of encouraging people to vote.[4][5] Only Arizona reported the number of votes he received, which for this state was 21.[6] The total number of write-in votes across the United States was 19,315 or 0.02 percent of the vote. There was a 53.27% turnout.

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.[7]

He wrote an autobiography 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.[8]

On July 3, 2008, Harmon died of congestive heart failure in his home in Los Angeles, California.[9] He is buried in Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery in Los Angeles.

Harmon was married four times and had four children: filmmaker Jeff Harmon, and three daughters.

References

  1. 1 2 Dennis McLellan, Larry Harmon, 83; entrepreneur made Bozo the Clown a star, Los Angeles Times, July 4, 2008.
  2. ↑ The Man Behind the Nose Book Description at www.harpercollins.com
  3. ↑ Bozo the Clown: The Unusual History of Bozo the Clown
  4. ↑ Forgotten Newsmakers website
  5. ↑ Kathryn Andrews: Run For President, an exhibition at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago of artworks by Kathryn Andrews inspired by the event.
  6. ↑ Official resultes
  7. ↑ Rogers, John (July 4, 2008). "Larry Harmon, longtime Bozo the Clown, dead at 83". SFGate.com. San Francisco: Hearst Communications. Associated Press. Archived from the original on 2008-09-30. Retrieved 2013-03-03.
  8. ↑ McKay, Hollie (August 25, 2010). "Ex-wife of Bozo the Clown claims lies, infidelity in new book".
  9. ↑ "Larry Harmon, Who Popularized Bozo, Dies at 83". Associated Press in The New York Times. July 4, 2008. 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.

External links

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