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Dick
Dyszel as Bozo with "Snappy Pappy"
at WDXR-TV,
Channel 29 in Paducah, KY.
(Donated
By Skip McCloskey)
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Before
arriving at DC's Channel 20, Dick Dyszel honed the
role
of Bozo in a live one-hour weekday afternoon show on
WDXR-TV,
Channel 29 in Paducah, Kentucky (above).
--
Dick
Dyszel as Bozo, in his
"Official
WDCA-20 Publicity Photo".
(Donated
By Dick Dyszel)
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Bozo's
Circus really took off. WDCA had to double the kid gallery
size
as Bozo drew ratings that bettered some cartoon shows that
followed
it! (An especially amazing feat, as the show
aired
at 2:30pm... when most kids were still in school.)
--
Bozo
greets the cast of the live touring
"Wizard
of Oz" production.
CLICK
IMAGE FOR A LARGER VIEW
(Donated
By Dick Dyszel)
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Bozo
was glad to promote quality live children's
entertainment
as troupes toured the area (above).
-
Bozo's
Circus attracted Brownies
and
Cub Scouts by the dozens.
(Donated
by Dick Dyszel)
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The
studio audience for each show held anywhere from 75
to 150
happy participants who played in-studio games (above)
and
enjoyed an occasional comical skit (below).
--
Skip
McCloskey as "I.M. Sneaky" joins
Dick
Dyszel as Bozo in a lively skit.
(Donated
by Dick Dyszel)
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Even
when the show ended in 1977, there was still a
two-and-a-half
year waiting list for audience tickets!
--
Bozo
congratulates the first person to get
all
six buckets in the Bucket Bonanza contest.
(Donated
by Dick Dyszel)
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On Bozo's
Circus, everyone was encouraged to have fun.
Some
of the games were played with kids and their parents,
(such
as the ever-popular "sit down balloon break").
--
Once
a year, Bozo would fill his audience
with
"older tikes" from American University!
Although
the games tended to be a bit messier,
those
college kids really enjoyed the show.
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Bozo
never forgot less-fortunate youngsters and worked
hard
promoting "Backyard Fairs for Leukemia" (below).
--
As spokesperson
for the Leukemia Society,
Bozo
promoted "Backyard Fairs for Leukemia".
(Donated
by Dick Dyszel)
|
In 1972,
a Bozo "Halloween Special" featured the local
debut
of "M.T. Graves"; (below) a character who had
originated
on WDXR-TV Channel-29 in Paducah.
-
-Dick
Dyszel playing both "M.T. Graves" (left)
and
Bozo (right) in a 1972 Halloween Special.
(Donated
by Dick Dyszel)-
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In
February 1973, "Creature Feature" hit the airwaves and
"M.T.
Graves" was rechristened as "Count Gore de Vol";
a popular
personality still found on the internet!
-
-
"Bozo
Claus"
(Donated
by Dick Dyszel)
|
--
One
holiday season, a special version of "The Night
Before
Christmas" (starring "Bozo Claus") was aired.
-
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Bozo
stands by the
viewer's Art Gallery.
CLICK
IMAGE FOR LARGER VIEW
|
The wall
just beyond Camera 2 (above) held one of the show's top
attractions;
an ongoing display of viewer's artwork. Each drawing that was
submitted
(and not deemed objectionable) was shown on the air.
Originated
in 1972 as the "Bozo Art Gallery", the display later became "Captain
20's
Space Gallery" ...the longest-running feature in Channel 20
history...
continuing until May 1987!
-
(Dick
Dyszel says he still gets mail from folks who say how
much
it meant to them to see their drawings on TV.)
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Behind
the scenes at Bozo's Circus.
(Donated
by Skip McCloskey,
who
is manning "Camera 2".)
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Skip
McCloskey worked for the Bozo show, behind and
(occasionally)
in front of the cameras. Skip recalls:
-
"The
creature Bozo is holding (below) is actually a styrofoam spyder
that
I made. It was originally a white snowman as a Christmas
decoration,
but some spray paint, pipe cleaner legs and paper
glasses
made the transformation. The Purpose? I played the
villian/spy,
I.M. Sneaky and that was my pet 'Spy-Der'."
--
Bozo
interviews "Spy-Der"
(Donated
By Skip McCloskey)
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By the
Fall of '77, Dick Dyszel had really tired of portraying Bozo.
The
job required high energy, and the make-up had begun to be a pain.
But
mostly, while the show was a success, Dick sensed that
the
Bozo's Circus program had reached a creative dead-end.
In an
era when stations were being pressed for commitment
to "quality"
(meaning educational) kid's programs, Dick didn't
feel
that Bozo was the right character for the task. So, after a
long,
winning run, Bozo's Circus was dropped, as Captain 20
got
the nod to debut his first real program.
-
Bozo
speaks with parents in the audience
during
a break. (Donated by Skip McCloskey)
|
Traditionally,
when a member of Bozo's staff left the show,
they
would be hit with one or more cream pies. This ritual...
conducted
off-camera... led to a few unhappy incidents...
including
a technician who went through the wall, literally!
So, for
Bozo's last show, all current and past crew members
were
invited to take an on-camera shot at Bozo himself.
-
Bozo
Is Hit With One of Many Pies On
His
Last Show. (Donated
By Dick Dyszel)
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Then
there's the last goodbye wave...
Friday,
August 19th, 1977.
-
Bozo's
Goodbye Wave on His Last DC Show,
August
19, 1977. (Donated by Dick Dyszel)
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Photos
and Historical Data
Generously
Donated by Dick Dyszel
|
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If you
enjoyed
learning
about
Bozo's
Circus,
you'll
also want
to visit
his scary
distant
relative,
Count
Gore de Vol. |
 |
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Hear
BOZO'S DANCE by Dick Dyszel at Kidshow
Klips!
|
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("Bozo"
TM & © 2004 Larry Harmon Pictures Corp. All Rights Reserved
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All
Shows Originated From Metropolitan Washington, D.C. Studios
|
..
.
|
Outstanding Sites
you'll also want to visit...
|
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|
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Kaptain
Kidshow
Saluting
Vintage TV Kid Shows
Produced
In Washington, DC
|
Page
Revised: 1/14/06
.
.
Complete
List of Shows
.
Complete
List of Hosts
.
Sounds
From The Shows
.
Your
Own Recollections
.
Send
Email To Kappy
|
