Vance DeBar "Pinto" Colvig, Sr. was an American actor, radio personality, newspaper cartoonist, voice artist, and circus performer. He is best known for his performance as Bozo The Clown, as well as being the original voice of the Disney character Goofy.
Born in Jacksonville, Oregon; one of seven children, he attended but did not graduate from Medford High School. However, Colvig was accepted and attended, sporadically from 1910 to 1913, Oregon Agricultural College, in Corvallis, where he took art classes and played clarinet in the band as well as drawing cartoons for the Oregon Agricultural College Barometer newspaper, and the yearbook.
From 1913 to 1922, Colvig worked as a cartoonist and in various performances outlets including the Al G. Barnes Circus before moving his family to Hollywood. Continuing work as animator and writer for different companies, Colvig eventually obtained an eight-year contract with Walt Disney Productions as a writer and sound effects artist. Between 1937 and 1940, Colvig did not work for the Disney studio, after falling out with Walt Disney and worked with Fleischer Studios such as the 1939 film, Gulliver's Travels before returning to Disney.
He also voiced other characters such as Bluto (Popeye the Sailor), the sounds of Jack Benny's Maxwell on The Jack Benny Program, a Munchkin in the 1939 MGM film, The Wizard of Oz, and Bozo the Clown for Capitol Records in which he played the role for a full decade, which also included portraying the character on television.
A lifelong smoker, Colvig was one of the pioneers in advocating warning labels about cancer risk on cigarette packages. He died of lung cancer in 1967 and was interred at Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City.
Filmography[]
Warner Bros.[]
- Blue Notes (1929) - Bolivar the Talking Ostrich
- The Lone Stranger and Porky (1939) - Villain's Horse
- Dog Gone Modern (1939) - The Two Curious Puppies
- Prest-O Change-O (1939) - The Two Curious Puppies
- Porky and Teabiscuit (1939) - Grandpa, Teabiscuit, Horses
- Hobo Gadget Band (1939) - Lead Hobo
- Snowman's Land (1939) - Little Mountie
- Busy Bakers (1940) - Singer
- Aloha Hooey (1942) - Cecil Crow, Baby Crow
- Conrad the Sailor (1942) - Conrad the Cat
- The Sheepish Wolf (1942) - Sheepdog (one line)
- Ding Dog Daddy (1942) - Goofy Dog, Bulldog
- Hop and Go (1943) - Claude Hopper
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer[]
- The Wizard of Oz (1939) - The Munchkins
Discography[]
- Daffy Duck Meets Yosemite Sam (1950) - Uncle Ulysses