TV personality known for playing Bozo the Clown dies at 89

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: 6ABC/AP



BOSTON --Longtime Boston television personality and entertainer Frank Avruch, who was the star of the popular children's TV program "Bozo the Clown," has died. He was 89.

Avruch died Tuesday at his Boston home from heart disease, his family said in a statement to WCVB-TV .

Avruch played Bozo the Clown from 1959 to 1970, a clown character particularly popular in the U.S. in the 1960s because of widespread franchising in television. Avruch became the first nationally-syndicated Bozo the Clown.

"He had a heart of gold," manager Stuart Hersh told The Associated Press on Wednesday, "He brought the Bozo the Clown character to life better than anyone else's portrayal of Bozo the Clown."

Read more: http://6abc.com/entertainment/tv-personality-known-for-playing-bozo-the-clown-dies-at-89/3247149/

---

Wow. Didn't realize he was still around after being the syndicated one. R.I.P. and condolences!

[sandensea]

1. Appropriately enough, it happened when Trump is in office.

God speed, Frank Avruch. Thanks for all the talent and laughs.

[BumRushDaShow]

2. I was gonna add that...

but I deleted to defer to others.

[sandensea]

3. Well, great minds think alike.

Or I should say, I think like a great mind once in a great while.

Seriously though, this is sad. Avruch was before my time; but I've always heard what a natural he was. Certainly beats the manic, screeching ruckus that passes for children's entertainment in this day and age.

[BumRushDaShow]

4. I remember when I was little in the '60s

having one of those blow-up Bozo the Clown bopper things because they advertised them so heavily.



But back then, most if not all major cities (like here in Philly) also had their own local children's television shows and beloved hosts in the morning and afternoon (showing cartoons, doing quiz tournaments, holding competitive games with audiences of local kids, etc), so Bozo trickled into my existence mostly via commercials for products.

[dameatball]

7. Yes, the local kids in the audience were great. A big treat back then.

[BumRushDaShow]

13. A shame most of that type of programming doesn't happen any more. nt

[dameatball]

14. Agreed. Where I grew up we even had a local dance show for Jr & Sr highs...very popular

I think it came on either right before or right after "American Bandstand"

[BumRushDaShow]

16. I know the original Bandstand was filmed here in Philly

and then it went to L.A.

I think the local stations found that it was cheaper to go on and boadcast syndicated (network) programming rather than do their own locally, although there is more early morning news programming nowadays before the network stuff comes on.

[dameatball]

18. I never knew that.

[BumRushDaShow]

20. They moved when I was just a couple years old

but my mom would talk about it (although unfortunately, AAs were not allowed to participate in the show then) -

https://philadancehistoryjournal.wordpress.com/tag/american-bandstand/

[sandensea]

10. Sure! I remember seeing those in one or two of my childhood friends' rooms as late as the '80s.

I must admit I never particularly liked clowns. Nothing against them, no phobias or anything like that - they just annoy me a little, that's all.

Once, my grandmother took me to the circus and I accidentally upstaged the clown that had invited me up to the stage (remember when they used to do that?). I forget what I did (I must have been 5 or 6); but he didn't like it.

"Yeah, yeah. Get down, kid," he growled.

Oh, well. Can't please everyone.

[BumRushDaShow]

12. They still sell those things

along with other clown copy-cats boppers.

The whole clown role has generally been disturbing since the times of the court jesters and "fools" (in many countries around the world) because they served a particular purpose and were geared towards adult "entertainment". But in modern times, they were suddenly directed at children as a silly character, who was often beset-upon and the butt of a joke. And then you had the horror movies take advantage of that to focus on their dark side, and that pretty much spoiled it for trying to foist them on kids as something "silly".

[sandensea]

15. Is that right? Well, certainly better that than violent video games.

I noticed a couple of years ago that Target still sells a lot of old-fashioned painted wooden toys. Good for them.

[BumRushDaShow]

17. But then there was this

[sandensea]

19. Ha!

I remember those days. The kids - boys mostly, but a few girls too - furiously smashing their Transformers and GIJoes against one another, with vocal "poosh," "die, Cobra Commander!" and "arrghs" providing the sound effects.

My father tried to teach me table football at the time; but I never had a knack for those things - or toys in general, really. I doodled a lot (still do, from time to time).

[BumRushDaShow]

21. One of my (very young) nephews

who is 4, does that with his "super heroes" action figures (all the Marvel and D.C. comics characters). lol It's been so long and I get a kick out of watching him play. Those were the days!

My sisters and I (all females) had our Barbie dolls (which are 12" ) but we would get our 6" other type of doll and use those in the Barbie House and car instead because they fit better. The kitchen sink would become a giant swimming pool.

[sandensea]

22. Here's to imagination.

May we never lose touch with our inner child.

Look where it got Cheeto, after all!

[BumRushDaShow]

23. All for it!!!!!

[cloudbase]

5. Maybe he'll get a eulogy like Chuckles did. n/t

[Mr.Bill]

6. How sad.

I think in full makeup and character he could have had a prominent position in the Trump administration.

[WiseElder]

8. I thought Bozo was our current president.

.

[Achilleaze]

9. R.I.P. Original Bozo

[DFW]

11. It's amazing how that one show took a common Serbian first name and made it into a clown

An old friend of mine, who passed away 2 years ago, was an immigrant from Novi Sad in Serbia, and his name was Božo (pronounced BAW-zho). In Serbia, Božo is as common as a first name as Billy or Joe is in the USA. Far from being a clown, he was a simple, gifted builder of musical instruments. His 12 string guitars will remain, to those of us that play, as legendary as the violins of Stradivari.

[BigmanPigman]

24. My Bozo punching bag will be grieving today

so I won't punch it when I hear news about the fucking moron which is what I bought it for. Thank you Bozo!

[denbot]

25. Oh No! R.I.P. Bozo

I remember his show growing up in the Los Angeles area. A rumor swept the playground, that some kid on the Bozo Show was asked to do something, and the kid replied “ cram it clownie”.

It was said that that kid was never heard from again..

[generalbetrayus]

26. Washington, D.C.'s Bozo the clown

when I was little still lives.

[Kablooie]

27. The original Bozo was Pinto Colvig who was also the voice of Goofy.

He died in 1967.

[Willie Pep]

28. R.I.P

In Chicago our Bozo was played by Bob Bell and then Joey D'Auria. I did know of Frank Avruch, however since I am a big fan of the Bozo character in all of his incarnations. I might be one of the few people I know who actually likes clowns!

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

29. *** Honk! ***