Vance Colvig; Roles Included ‘Bozo the Clown’

Vance Colvig, son of one of the original Bozo the Clowns who followed in his father’s tradition portraying that character on KTLA for six years in the mid-1960s, has died at his Hollywood Hills home.

John Harlan, a longtime friend, said Colvig--also known as a film and television actor--was 72 when he died March 4 of cancer.

Colvig came to Hollywood in the early 1930s when his father Vance (Pinto) Colvig Sr. entered the film industry as the original voice of Walt Disney’s cartoon character Goofy. The senior Colvig later became the first Bozo on Capitol records.

The younger Colvig entered the entertainment industry as a page at NBC and then wrote for such radio shows as “Breakfast in Hollywood,” “Command Performance” and “Bride and Groom.”

He also acted on radio and in the early days of television. In addition to Bozo he was “Buck Sureshot” and “Nutsy the Clown” on other children’s TV shows. He was a frequent guest artist on “The Golden Girls,” “Hill Street Blues,” “Punky Brewster,” “St. Elsewhere” and many more TV shows.

He made television commercials, music videos, was seen and heard on commercials and played a series of characters at Knott’s Berry Farm, Marineland and sports and adventure trade shows.

His survivors include his wife, Gini, son Vance III and two brothers. Contributions in his memory are asked for the Motion Picture and Television Fund.