Pinto Colvig
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.[1] He was best known as the original Bozo the Clown.[2] He was the voice of Disney's Goofy. In 1993 he was honored with a Disney Legends award.[3]
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 |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, voice actor, newspaper cartoonist, vaudeville performer, circus performer, animator, screenwriter |
| 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) |
Life and career
Colvig was born in 1892 in Jacksonville, Oregon.[1] His parents were Addie and William Colvig. His father was the Jackson County attorney.[4] He was the youngest of seven children. He was nicknamed "Pinto" because of all his freckles.[5] 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.[3]
He studied art at Oregon Agricultural College (OAC) (later Oregon State University) in Corvallis, Oregon.[1] 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.[1]
Silent films
In the 1920s Colvig began working in Hollywood in silent movies.[6] He was a comedy writer and played bit parts for Mack Sennett.[3] He then moved to the Disney studios where he became one of their top artists.[6]
Talking pictures
When movies changed to sound he began doing voices for characters.[1] 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.[1] He was Grumpy and Sleepy in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.[1] In The Three Little Pigs he was the voice of the Practical Pig.[1] He was also the co-writer of the song "Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Wolf?" in the same movie.[5]
Sound artist
From the 1920s he provided sound effects on programs such as the Jack Benny Program and Amos 'n' Andy.[5] 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.[4]
Bozo the clown
As a teenager Colvig ran away to join the circus.[7] 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.”[7] 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.[7] Station KTTV in Los Angeles created a television series for Bozo the clown starring Pinto Colvig.[7] After Bozo, Colvig returned to doing voice work.[7]
Death
Colvig died of lung cancer on October 3, 1967, in Woodland Hills, California.[8] 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
- 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.
- "Pinto Colvig". D23/Disney. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
- Finn J.D. John (13 October 2013). "Voice of Goofy was Oregon's incomparable "Pinto" Colvig". Offbeat Oregon. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
- Eugene Chadbourne. "Pinto Colvig". AllMusic. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
- Margaret LaPlante, Jacksonville (Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2010), p. 119
- "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.