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Send in The clown ... to God. Frank Avruch, TV's original Bozo the Clown, died Tuesday in Boston after a long battle with heart disease ... according to his family. He was 89. The Boston legend created Bozo back in 1959, and played the lovable clown until 1970. Although Frank wore a lot of hats -- as a local host on radio and Wcvb-tv -- he'll most be remembered for wearing that red-orange wig, oversized red shoes and pajamas with the frilly collar.

Gaumont Animation has picked up the exclusive worldwide option to develop and produce an animated 2D series based on the iconic comic duo Laurel & Hardy. The La-based animation unit of the French mini-major acquired the rights from Larry Harmon Pictures Corporation. It is nearly half a century since Larry Harmon Pictures and Hanna-Barbera teamed up to produce the original animated cartoon series. The announcement was made today by Gaumont Animation MD Pierre…...

January 1929 was a very good month for comic strip readers. On the 7th they got to see the arrival of Tarzan and Buck Rogers while ten days later, fans of Thimble Theater met a brand new character named Popeye. The sailor was never intended to take over the strip but his popularity with readers encouraged E.C. Segar to keep him around until he finally shoved the Oyl family from the spotlight.

Burnishing his reputation were the brilliantly execute black and white theatrical shorts produced by Max and Dave Fleischer. After they shuttered operations, others took over the cartoon production, keeping Popeye a mainstay for generations of fans. Many of my generation were treated to the somewhat inferior Associated Artists Productions cartoons which completed their run in 1957. Not to be undone, King Features Syndicate hired Al Brodax to oversee a new round of cartoons aimed for the burgeoning television syndication market.

2010 is the 50th anniversary of Wgn TV Chicago's "Bozo TV" show.

To celebrate, a number of Bozo collaborators will gather in Chicago Tues., Aug. 17, to commemorate the occasion and attend the first book signing @ Borders on Michigan Avenue, for the autobiography of the late Larry Harmon, "The Man Behind The Nose", available from Igniter Books, an imprint of It Books/HarperCollins.

"This beloved children's personality helped cement our city's reputation for being at the forefront of excellence in broadcasting," said Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley.

Bozo was created in 1946 by Alan W. Livingston, who produced a children's storytelling record-album/illustrative read-along book set, titled "Bozo at the Circus" for Capitol Records. Actor Pinto Colvig portrayed the character on this and subsequent Bozo records.

The character became a mascot for the record company and was later nicknamed "Bozo the Capitol Clown."

In 1956, Larry Harmon, one of several actors hired by Livingston...

It was the opening day of the Disney-mgm studios in Orlando. The stars were there with their children. There was an official luncheon at the Brown Derby, modeled after the legendary Hollywood eatery. I was beside myself. I was in a booth sitting next to Jack Brickhouse, the voice of the Chicago Cubs. A man walked over and introduced himself. "Bob Elliott." Oh. My. God. Bob, of Bob and Ray.

For me he was the biggest star in the room. Who, after all, compared to even one half of Bob and Ray, was Tom Hanks? Whoopi Goldberg? Art Linkletter? "Gosh all whillikers, Mr. Science!" I said, "What's that long brown object???" Bob didn't miss a beat: "That's known as a board, Roger."

Another man was steaming toward us through the throng. A middle-aged man, well-dressed, tanned, with a pleasant smile. "Hi, Jack!" he said. "Say, I hear Ernie Banks is invited.

Bozo The Clown star Larry Harmon has died at the age of 83.

Harmon, who first portrayed the beloved children's character in the 1950s, suffered heart failure and passed away at his Los Angeles home on Thursday, according to his publicist Jerry Digney.

Harmon, real name Lawrence Weiss, became famed as Bozo the Clown after buying the licensing rights to the franchise from creator Alan W. Livingston and executives at Capitol Records in 1956.

His entrepreneurship led to the creation of a series of cartoons, which he voiced, and the comic book character was later portrayed by other actors on local TV stations across the U.S.

Paying tribute to the star, his wife of 29 years, Susan Harmon, says, "(He was) the love of my life.

"He was the most optimistic man I ever met. He always saw a bright side; he always had something good to say about everybody."

Harmon is also survived by his son Jeff Harmon, and daughters Lori Harmon, Marci Breth-Carabet and Leslie Breth.