Pinto Colvig
Pinto Colvig | |
|---|---|
 Pinto Colvig in Jacksonville School | |
| Born | Vance DeBar Colvig September 11, 1892 |
| Died | October 3, 1967 (aged 75) |
| Cause of death | Lung cancer |
| Resting place | Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City |
| Alma mater | Oregon State University |
| Occupations |
|
| Years active | 1925–1967 |
| Spouse(s) | Margaret Bourke Slavin (m. 1916–1950; her death) Peggy Bernice Allaire (m. 1952–1967; his death) |
| Children | Vance DeBar Colvig, Jr. (1918-1991) William Mason Colvig (1920–1992) Byington Ford Colvig (1921–1996) Bourke L. Colvig (1922–1985) Courtney X. Colvig (1931–1990) |
| Parent(s) | William Mason Colvig (father) (1845–1936) Adelaide Birdseye Colvig (mother) (1856–1912) |
Vance DeBar "Pinto" Colvig (September 11, 1892 - October 3, 1967) was an American actor, voice actor, newspaper cartoonist, circus performer, vaudeville performer, animator, and writer. He was best known as the original Bozo the Clown. He was the voice of Disney's Goofy. In 1993 he was honored with a Disney Legends award.
Life and career
Colvig was born in 1892 in Jacksonville, Oregon. His parents were Addie and William Colvig. His father was the Jackson County attorney. He was the youngest of seven children. He was nicknamed "Pinto" because of all his freckles. Colvig grew up in Jacksonville and nearby Medford. He spend a good deal of time mimicking the sounds he heard all around him. He could mimic the sound of farm animals, a rusty gate and noises from around the village.
He studied art at Oregon Agricultural College (OAC) (later Oregon State University) in Corvallis, Oregon. in 1916 he married Margaret Slaven. They moved to San Francisco where Colvig worked as a cartoonist for the San Francisco Bulletin and the San Francisco Chronicle.
Silent films
In the 1920s Colvig began working in Hollywood in silent movies. He was a comedy writer and played bit parts for Mack Sennett. He then moved to the Disney studios where he became one of their top artists.
Talking pictures
When movies changed to sound he began doing voices for characters. He is also known for his Disney work as the voice of Goofy from 1932 until his death in 1967. He was the voice of Bluto in Popeye cartoons. He was Grumpy and Sleepy in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. In The Three Little Pigs he was the voice of the Practical Pig. He was also the co-writer of the song "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?" in the same movie.
Sound artist
From the 1920s he provided sound effects on programs such as the Jack Benny Program and Amos 'n' Andy. He invented most of his own sound effects. He was known for making a funny line even funnier. Colvig is a legend among foley sound technicians.
Bozo the clown
As a teenager Colvig ran away to join the circus. He eventually performed as a circus clown. In 1946 he was hired by Capitol Records to work on the world's first read-along book “Bozo at the Circus.” The book and record were a tremendous success and there were demands by children to see Bozo. Drawing on his circus background, Colvig created a clown character to match the books and records. Station KTTV in Los Angeles created a television series for Bozo the clown starring Pinto Colvig. After Bozo, Colvig returned to doing voice work.
Death
Colvig died of lung cancer on October 3, 1967, in Woodland Hills, California. He was 75 years old.
Filmography
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1925 | Hey Fever Time | ||
| After a Reputation | |||
| Buster be Good | |||
| Oh! Buster! | The Butler | ||
| Buster's Nightmare | |||
| 1928 | The Cockeyed Family | Orange Farmer | (uncredited) |
| 1930 | Spooks | Hippo | (voice, uncredited) |
| Henpecked | Oswald the Lucky Rabbit | (voice, uncredited) | |
| The Chain Gang | Hounds | (voice, uncredited) | |
| Snappy Salesman | Oswald the Lucky Rabbit | (voice, uncredited) | |
| Cold Feet | Oswald the Lucky Rabbit | (voice, uncredited) | |
| The Navy | Oswald the Lucky Rabbit | (voice, uncredited) | |
| Africa | Oswald the Lucky Rabbit | (voice, uncredited) | |
| Alaska | Oswald the Lucky Rabbit | (voice, uncredited) | |
| 1931 | What a Doctor | Oswald the Lucky Rabbit | (voice, uncredited) |
| The Moose Hunt | Pluto | (voice) | |
| Mickey Steps Out | Pluto | (voice) | |
| Mickey's Orphans | Pluto | (voice, uncredited) | |
| 1932 | The Duck Hunt | Pluto | (voice, uncredited) |
| The Mad Dog | Pluto | (voice, uncredited) | |
| Barnyard Olympics | Pluto | (voice, uncredited) | |
| Mickey's Revue | Dippy Dog, Pluto | (voice, uncredited) | |
| Just Dogs | Pluto | (voice, uncredited) | |
| Mickey's Nightmare | Pluto | (voice) | |
| Trader Mickey | Pluto | (voice, uncredited) | |
| The Whoopee Party | Goofy | (voice, uncredited) | |
| Touchdown Mickey | Goofy | (voice, uncredited) | |
| 1933 | Building a Building | Pegleg Pete | (voice, uncredited) |
| The Mad Doctor | Pluto | (voice, uncredited) | |
| Mickey's Pal Pluto | Pluto | (voice, uncredited) | |
| Mickey's Mellerdrammer | Goofy | (voice, uncredited) | |
| Ye Olden Days | Goofy | (voice, uncredited) | |
| The Three Little Pigs | Practical Pig | (voice, uncredited) | |
| I Like Mountain Music | Yodeler, various | (voice, uncredited) | |
| The Steeplechase | Colonel | (voice, uncredited) | |
| 1934 | The Grasshopper and the Ants | Grasshopper | (voice, uncredited) |
| Playful Pluto | Pluto | (voice, uncredited) | |
| Big Bad Wolf | Practical Pig | (voice, uncredited) | |
| The Wise Little Hen | Peter Pig | (voice, uncredited) | |
| Orphan's Benefit | Goofy | (voice, uncredited) | |
| Servants' Entrance | Mustard Pot | (uncredited) | |
| 1935 | Mickey's Service Station | Goofy | (voice, uncredited) |
| The Cookie Carnival | Cookie Boy | (voice, uncredited) | |
| Mickey's Garden | Pluto, Grasshopper | (voice, uncredited) | |
| Mickey's Fire Brigade | Goofy | (voice, uncredited) | |
| Pluto's Judgement Day | Pluto | (voice, uncredited) | |
| On Ice | Goofy, Pluto | (voice, uncredited) | |
| Broken Toys | W.C. Fields Doll, Various | (voice, uncredited) | |
| 1936 | Mickey's Grand Opera | Goofy | (voice, uncredited) |
| Three Little Wolves | Practical Pig | (voice, uncredited) | |
| Moving Day | Goofy | (voice, uncredited) | |
| Mickey's Rival | Mortimer Mouse | (voice) | |
| Alpine Climbers | Pluto | (voice, uncredited) | |
| Donald and Pluto | Pluto | (voice, uncredited) | |
| Three Blind Musketeers | Tall thin mouseketeer | (voice, uncredited) | |
| Donald and Pluto | Pluto | (voice, uncredited) | |
| Mother Pluto | Pluto | (voice, uncredited) | |
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Dawna Curler. "Vance DeBar (Pinto) Colvig (1892-1967)". Portland State University and the Oregon Historical Society. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
- ↑ Buck Wolf. "Battling Bozos". ABC News. Retrieved 1 October 2015.
- 1 2 3 "Pinto Colvig". D23/Disney. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
- 1 2 Finn J.D. John (13 October 2013). "Voice of Goofy was Oregon's incomparable "Pinto" Colvig". Offbeat Oregon. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
- 1 2 3 Eugene Chadbourne. "Pinto Colvig". AllMusic. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
- 1 2 Margaret LaPlante, Jacksonville (Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2010), p. 119
- 1 2 3 4 5 "Biography of Pinto Colvig – the original Bozo the Clown". Bozo the Clown. 25 October 2013. Archived from the original on 19 January 2016. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
- ↑ "Pinto Colvig, 75, Voice Of Cartoon Characters". The New York Times. October 6, 1967.