VISITS TO BOZO's CIRCUS!

Love these vintage pics taken on the set of WGN-TV Chicago's BOZO'S CIRCUS!  The bottom pic features two of my Michigan City, IN and Facebook pals, Stephen McDonald and Pat McDonald.  8^)

BOZO's CIRCUS!

BOZO's CIRCUS!

Love these "behind-the-scenes" pics of BOZO's CIRCUS!  I grew up watching this show, which was on Chicago's WGN-TV...Monday through Friday...live at 12 Noon.  Here's BOZO (Bob Bell) and COOKY (Roy Brown) posing with a couple of studio audience members, after that day's show.  8^)

CLASSIC WGN-TV CHICAGO CH. 9!

OFFICE/STUDIO CLOSET DOOR!

WHO'S YOUR FAVORITE CLOWN?

AL HALL

AL HALL, the longtime Producer/Director of WGN-TV's BOZO'S CIRCUS in Chicago, has passed away at the age of 82. Al was a huge part of classic Chicago kids TV!

"MR. BOB" TRENDLER DIES AT 99

"Mr. Bob" Trendlar, the bandleader of the Big Top band on WGN-TV's Bozo's Circus during the 1960s and 1970s in Chicago, passed away today at the age of 99. Bob Trendler is shown above, wearing the white band uniform, in a 1968 Bozo's Circus publicity photo. He was part of a truly great era of Chicago TV!

CLASSIC CHICAGO KIDS TV!

Here's a photo for blog readers that grew up in the Chicago area during the 1970s. It's WIZZO and BOZO from WGN-TV's, BOZO's CIRCUS! WIZZO was played by magician, MARSHALL BRODIEN and the legendary BOB BELL was BOZO to millions of Chicagoland children.

ANOTHER BOZO's CIRCUS RARE PHOTO!

Here's a photo taken from the studio audience for WGN-TV's BOZO's CIRCUS. This looks to be about 1981 or 1982. It also appears that this photo was taken during the set-up of the show's Grand Prize Game. That's FRAZIER THOMAS in the light-colored sport coat, and BOB BELL as BOZO in the background.

MORE BOZO's CIRCUS CLASSIC PHOTOS!

Here's a couple of more classic photos from WGN-TV Chicago's BOZO's CIRCUS! Both photos are from the late 1960s and feature BOZO (Bob Bell) and OLIVER O. OLIVER (Ray Rayner).

BOZO's CIRCUS VISIT - 1967

Here's something for blog readers who grew up in the Chicago area during the 1960s and 1970s...just like me. As the studio audience would file out of the studio after seeing BOZO's CIRCUS live at WGN-TV, BOZO and other cast members would pose for photos with kids that were there at the show that day. Here's a great photo of BOZO (Bob Bell in center), OLIVER O. OLIVER (Ray Rayner on left) and SANDY (Don Sandburg on right) with a group of lucky kids! The photo is dated November 1967. What a great era of Chicago kids television!

THE LITTLE THEATRE SCREEN - PRESERVING THE HISTORY OF CHICAGO KIDS' TV!

If you grew up in the Chicago area during the 1960s and 1970s, then you would love this 40-page booklet! Published in 1994, it's the one and only issue of THE LITTLE THEATRE SCREEN - Preserving the History of Chicago Kids' TV. This issue is loaded with photos and features BILL JACKSON and his classic TV shows, CARTOON TOWN, THE BJ & DIRTY DRAGON SHOW and GIGGLESNORT HOTEL. Also included in this issue is a full-page McDONALD's / BOZO's CIRCUS premium photo (shown below)! Chicago Kids' TV Historian and cartoonist, Jim Engel, did a great job putting this issue together! I currently have this listed on eBay and you can go HERE to bid!

Be sure to check out Bill Jackson's site, http://www.dirtydragon.com/ today!

CLASSIC CHICAGO KIDS TV - WGN's BOZO's CIRCUS

Blog readers who grew up in the Chicago area during the 1960s and 1970s will recognize these two characters. It's BOZO (Bob Bell) and OLIVER O. OLIVER (Ray Rayner) from WGN-TV's, BOZO's CIRCUS. This 1971 photo was taken either during the Grand Prize Game or the end-of-the-show's audience participation game. The prize shown is Remco's BOATNIKS. Thanks to fellow classic Chicago kids TV fan and cartoonist, MARK CHRISTIANSEN, for sending this over.

BOZO & GAR

From my blog sidebar, here's BOZO and GARFIELD GOOSE! Perhaps these two pieces will be included in an upcoming book on classic Chicago kids TV shows.

COOKY

If you grew up in the Chicago area during the 1970s, as I did, you will remember COOKY from WGN-TV's, BOZO's CIRCUS. COOKY was played by the great ROY BROWN. What a great time for kids TV in Chicago! I did this COOKY piece for fun. Check my blog sidebar for my GARFIELD GOOSE art!