Background
In the role his father Pinto Colvig first portrayed on Capitol Records in 1946 and KTTV-television in Los Angeles in 1949, Vance portrayed the whiteface clown Bozo on KTLA-television in Los Angeles from 1959 to 1964.
In the role his father Pinto Colvig first portrayed on Capitol Records in 1946 and KTTV-television in Los Angeles in 1949, Vance portrayed the whiteface clown Bozo on KTLA-television in Los Angeles from 1959 to 1964.
Colvig began his career as a page at National Broadcasting Company. In the 1940s, he became a writer for such radio shows as Breakfast in Hollywood, Command Performance and Bride and Groom. On January 5, 1959, Vance Colvig Junior. became the first to portray Bozo the Clown on a franchised Bozo program licensed by Larry Harmon. Colvig worked chiefly as a popular character actor in numerous performances spanning the 1980s.
Many roles subtly express his clowning talent.
He made guest appearances on The Golden Girls, Hill Street Blues, Saint Elsewhere and other television shows. In one of his last film roles, Colvig can be seen as a bum opposite "Weird First Rate (at Lloyd's)" Yankovic in several humorous scenes in the 1989 comedy Ultra high frequency. Vance also appeared on a 1990 episode of the television series Night Court playing a bum.
He enjoyed playing several characters at Knott"s Berry Farm amusement park and at trade shows. Colvig appeared in commercials and music videos.
His cameo appearances in music videos include David Lee Roth"s 1985 cover of "Just a Gigolo" as a female producer, and Gregg Allman"s 1987 "I"m Number Angel" as a gas station attendant.
Colvig died March 3, 1991, of cancer at his Hollywood Hills home.