The Magic Clown
Encyclopedia
The Magic Clown was a NBC
TV series which ran from 1949 to 1954. The final NBC broadcast was on June 27, 1954. The show then moved to WABD
where it stayed until 1958. After that, It was renamed "Bonomo, The Magic Clown" and was broadcast on WNTA
from September 29, 1958 to July 24, 1959. The show was sponsored by Bonomo Turkish Taffy
. Josh Norris was the first Magic Clown, and went on to a successful career as a full time magician.
A single episode of the show appears on a DVD box set by Shout! Factory
, and two episodes appear on a DVD by Shokus Video.
The show was created by Tico Bonomo, grandson of the founder of the Bonomo Turkish Taffy
company, specifically as a vehicle to sell candy. As a result, each episode featured constant plugs for the sponsor, and some consider this show to be an early infomercial
.
Development of the show took more than a year; fresh out of Syracuse University
, Bonomo went to work creating "The Magic Clown." In a 1994 interview, Bonomo recalled the hard work that went into the program: "I spent the summer of 1948 with writers and producers and an advertising agency," recalls Bonomo. "Those days I worked a seven-day week. The program was on Sundays so I was at NBC every single Sunday at 8 a.m. and we were on the air at 11:30 a.m."
The first "Magic Clown" was known only by his stage name, Zovella, and he hosted the program from its inception in 1949 until 1952. At that time, a comedian named Richard DuBois took over, serving even after the show was cancelled by NBC and moved to DuMont-owned WABD, until 1958, when the show moved to Newark, NJ based WNTA
.
The WNTA run was hosted by comedian, mimic, cartoonist, and puppeteer Doug Anderson
, with assistance from his wife, former model Gayle Anderson. The couple added new segments to the show, including informational pieces and in-studio interviews as the show expanded from a weekly to a weekday basis. The Andersons, however, choked at the amount of creative control the sponsor had over the show, and the show was cancelled after only one year on WNTA.
A short-lived revival of the program, produced in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
, was created for syndication in 1970. The Magic Clown was performed in this version by now-famous magician James Randi
(a.k.a. "The Amazing Randi.")
called it "Delightful".
Tico Bonomo claimed that the show was responsible for greatly increasing sales of Turkish Taffy. "Introducing our candy on television allowed us to take a product like Turkish Taffy, which was one that you had to fight for distribution, and make it a big success."
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
TV series which ran from 1949 to 1954. The final NBC broadcast was on June 27, 1954. The show then moved to WABD
WNYW
WNYW, virtual channel 5 , is the flagship television station of the News Corporation-owned Fox Broadcasting Company, located in New York City. The station's transmitter is atop the Empire State Building and its studio facilities are located in the Yorkville section of Manhattan...
where it stayed until 1958. After that, It was renamed "Bonomo, The Magic Clown" and was broadcast on WNTA
WNET
WNET, channel 13 is a non-commercial educational public television station licensed to Newark, New Jersey. With its signal covering the New York metropolitan area, WNET is a primary station of the Public Broadcasting Service and a primary provider of PBS programming...
from September 29, 1958 to July 24, 1959. The show was sponsored by Bonomo Turkish Taffy
Turkish Taffy
Turkish Taffy Is a chewy taffy / nougat-like candy, which is currently owned and sold by Bonomo Turkish Taffy LLC. Turkish Taffy was invented in 1912 by Herman Herer in New York ....
. Josh Norris was the first Magic Clown, and went on to a successful career as a full time magician.
A single episode of the show appears on a DVD box set by Shout! Factory
Shout! Factory
Shout! Factory is an entertainment company founded in 2003 that was started by Richard Foos , Bob Emmer and Garson Foos initially as a specialty music label...
, and two episodes appear on a DVD by Shokus Video.
Premise
The show featured a clown, at first referred to only as "The Magic Clown," but later renamed Bonomo after the show's sponsor, performing magic tricks, sometimes with the help of his puppet Laffy.The show was created by Tico Bonomo, grandson of the founder of the Bonomo Turkish Taffy
Turkish Taffy
Turkish Taffy Is a chewy taffy / nougat-like candy, which is currently owned and sold by Bonomo Turkish Taffy LLC. Turkish Taffy was invented in 1912 by Herman Herer in New York ....
company, specifically as a vehicle to sell candy. As a result, each episode featured constant plugs for the sponsor, and some consider this show to be an early infomercial
Infomercial
Infomercials are direct response television commercials which generally include a phone number or website. There are long-form infomercials, which are typically between 15 and 30 minutes in length, and short-form infomercials, which are typically 30 seconds to 120 seconds in length. Infomercials...
.
Development of the show took more than a year; fresh out of Syracuse University
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
, Bonomo went to work creating "The Magic Clown." In a 1994 interview, Bonomo recalled the hard work that went into the program: "I spent the summer of 1948 with writers and producers and an advertising agency," recalls Bonomo. "Those days I worked a seven-day week. The program was on Sundays so I was at NBC every single Sunday at 8 a.m. and we were on the air at 11:30 a.m."
Cast
The action of the program centered around its eponymous host. Tico Bonomo said that finding a host wasn't easy. "You can't teach clowns to do magic, you have to have a magician and turn him into a clown. And, believe me, it's tough teaching a good magician to put on white face and act like a clown."The first "Magic Clown" was known only by his stage name, Zovella, and he hosted the program from its inception in 1949 until 1952. At that time, a comedian named Richard DuBois took over, serving even after the show was cancelled by NBC and moved to DuMont-owned WABD, until 1958, when the show moved to Newark, NJ based WNTA
WNET
WNET, channel 13 is a non-commercial educational public television station licensed to Newark, New Jersey. With its signal covering the New York metropolitan area, WNET is a primary station of the Public Broadcasting Service and a primary provider of PBS programming...
.
The WNTA run was hosted by comedian, mimic, cartoonist, and puppeteer Doug Anderson
Doug Anderson
Doug Anderson is a columnist and writer for The Sydney Morning Herald, who specialises in film and television. He has served as an adjudicator at the Banff Television Festival.-External links:...
, with assistance from his wife, former model Gayle Anderson. The couple added new segments to the show, including informational pieces and in-studio interviews as the show expanded from a weekly to a weekday basis. The Andersons, however, choked at the amount of creative control the sponsor had over the show, and the show was cancelled after only one year on WNTA.
A short-lived revival of the program, produced in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, was created for syndication in 1970. The Magic Clown was performed in this version by now-famous magician James Randi
James Randi
James Randi is a Canadian-American stage magician and scientific skeptic best known as a challenger of paranormal claims and pseudoscience. Randi is the founder of the James Randi Educational Foundation...
(a.k.a. "The Amazing Randi.")
Reception
The show was well received by young audiences in both New York and New Jersey, although there is no record of how it was received nationally. Most modern reviews have panned the show, with some calling it "Unintentionally Hilarious". However, A reviewer at the Internet ArchiveInternet Archive
The Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
called it "Delightful".
Tico Bonomo claimed that the show was responsible for greatly increasing sales of Turkish Taffy. "Introducing our candy on television allowed us to take a product like Turkish Taffy, which was one that you had to fight for distribution, and make it a big success."
Episode status
As with much of NBC's daytime programming of the 1950s, few episodes exist of "The Magic Clown" today. However, archivist Ira Gallen is known to have several episodes in his collection.See also
- InfomercialInfomercialInfomercials are direct response television commercials which generally include a phone number or website. There are long-form infomercials, which are typically between 15 and 30 minutes in length, and short-form infomercials, which are typically 30 seconds to 120 seconds in length. Infomercials...
- WipingWipingWiping or junking is a colloquial term for action taken by radio and television production and broadcasting companies, in which old audiotapes, videotapes, and telerecordings , are erased, reused, or destroyed after several uses...
- Tales of the Red CabooseTales of the Red CabooseTales of the Red Caboose was a short-lived primetime television series that aired on the American Broadcasting Company television network, premiering 29 October 1948 and running for 2 1/2 months.-Production background:...
- The Roar of the RailsThe Roar of the RailsThe Roar of the Rails is an American children's television series that aired on CBS from October to December 1948, and in October to December 1949. Each episode is 15 minutes long and was essentially a live commercial for the A. C. Gilbert Company...
External links
- Web page on The Magic Clown
- Ira Gallen's page on The Magic Clown
- An episode of The Magic Clown at the Internet ArchiveInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...