Bozo: The World's Most Famous Clown, Vol. 1

'Bozo: The World's Most Famous Clown, Vol. 1' (2007) features 30 full-color episodes of the famous children's program which reached the zenith of its popularity during the 50s and 60s, when 'Bozo' was then both a national treasure and a national franchise. Those episodes included here were culled from the Boston show, which featured Frank Avruch as the title character.Depending on the viewer's taste and on which Bozo they experienced in childhood, Avruch either makes an excellent Bozo or merely a serviceable one. Immediately noticeable is the fact that Avruch doesn't play the High Clown role in any appreciable sense: he essentially speaks and behaves just as any average male adult would when dealing with fairly small children in public.This is a failing of the show in several ways, since Avruch is neither particularly poised, charming, nor amusing. He doesn't try to be funny, and isn't. The program's other performers, who hurry on and off the stage with both forced and sincere abandon, are equally awkward and amateurish, even clumsy.Most of the skits, which are completely without wit, appear to have been creatively drummed up moments before their execution, leaving viewers very likely to feel embarrassed for everyone involved.The games are rushed and the hazy rules arbitrarily shouted out to the dazed children, who are rushed from their seats and then rushed back to them; giant beachballs go array, bouncing out of camera range or right into the camera. Younger viewers may wonder how and why this program, or the larger Bozo franchise, ever became successful to any degree.As Bozo, Avruch's clown hair is extremely long, unruly, and curled up around the ends, giving him something of the weird, sinister caste that many adults today attribute to clowns.However, for those watching this DVD set for nostalgic purposes, none of this will really matter, for the program, seen today, actually gains from having been crudely produced in its era, especially since the material presented here hasn't been remastered.The array of bright auditorium colors, the meager puppet animals, the crude vintage cartoons, and slightly grotesque makeup and costumes of Bozo's associates fascinate, especially if the viewer watched the show zealously as a small child and hasn't glimpsed it since.Since most Americans owned only black-and-white television sets during the show's heyday, seeing it in color for the first time will only add to its bizarre glamour.Equally mesmerizing are the relatively enthusiastic and largely well-behaved children who compose the audience, most of who are Caucasian and decked out in their Sunday finest. Baby boomers will appreciatively recall this era, when middle class little girls always wore dresses and bows in their hair, and little boys appeared at social events wearing ties, buttoned collars, and their hair unpleasantly flattened with Brylcreem.

I got this dvd to spot myself and my brother on the set. We were on the show twice. My father worked for Frank Avruch at that time. On our first appearance my brother was picked as Butch and my number was picked to go for the treasure chest. Seemed odd to me that we both were chosen but didn't matter. I recall when my number was called out several 'older' kids, after all I think I was 4, were yelling at me to get up and go see Bozo. As soon as I got next to Bozo I panicked and ran off the set. At the end of the show he came up to me and gave some prizes.For several years after I saw myself in my blue shorts and suspenders run off the set many times I didn't see my TV debut on Vol. 1 so I hoping its on Vol. 2. Good quality DVD. Forgotten how goofy it was..Well worth watching if you were ever on the show. So much for my film career.......

Hello???This set features the BEST Bozo of ALL TIME!!! The one that Larry Harmon chose to be the NATIONALLY SYNDICATED show!!!Sorry CHICAGO...but all the rest of us grew up with Frank Avruch, who was considered (and aparently by releasing this box set...still)the all time best Bozo The Clown, by Mr. Harmon!!!This show was done in Boston, but syndicated everywhere...I grew up in New York and WE grew up with THIS Bozo The Clown...also, FYI...Bozo's sidekicks, Mr. Lion & Kookie The Kangaroo were done by the one and only Carol Spinney, better known in later years as both Big Bird and Oscar The Grouch on Sesame StreetP.S. Larry, if you're reading this,it would be nice to give Frank a cut of this product, being that he did STAR in these shows ;-)

This is a wonderful kids show. I watched Bozo in the 70s and I am not sure if it was Chicago Bozo or not, but my kids love this one and have dreamed of winning Bozo's Treasure Chest. If just starting out with one volume of Bozo, I suggest starting with Volume 2 as it has a "Play all" feature and volume 1 does not.

A bit on the stupid side, but I think kids would like it. I kept falling asleep. My two favorite parts of the shows was the Bozo cartoon and the Bozo treasure chest games. I absolutely couldn't stand Ruth and Professor Tweedlepooper. I was glad when Ruth finally left the show. I didn't grow up watching Bozo Circus, but I do remember watching a few episodes on cable at my folks' house.

30 episodes of Bozo?!?This is amazing!!!As for those who prefer Bob Bell or Joey D' Auria, each were great Bozos but Frank Avruch was the syndicated Bozo for the 60s and most of the 70s. He's the Bozo that I grew up with on NY television.I hope that this box set is a huge success and that the next set gives us episodes from other parts of the country, WGN and beyond.

Takes me back to my childhood when I was watching the Bozo Super Sunday Show. A good way to excape the everyday of adulthood & if you have young kids they will sure enjoy watching also.

I wish Bozo was still on tv! My kids and I would watch it every morning. We loved the show when the kids would play games!