Larry Harmon, 83; Actor Made Bozo the Clown a Household Name

Larry Harmon was not the original Bozo but played him in many appearances. He bought the rights to the character and embellished the look. (1996 Photo By Nick Ut -- Associated Press)

He said he was claiming credit only for what he added to the character -- "What I sound like, what I look like, what I walk like" -- and what he did to popularize Bozo.

"Isn't it a shame the credit that was given to me for the work I have done, they arbitrarily take it down, like I didn't do anything for the last 52 years," he told the Associated Press at the time.

Mr. Harmon protected Bozo's reputation with a vengeance and embraced those who poked good-natured fun at the clown.

As Bozo's influence spread through popular culture, his name became synonymous with clownish behavior.

"It takes a lot of effort and energy to keep a character that old fresh so kids today still know about him and want to buy the products," Karen Raugust, executive editor of the Licensing Letter, a New York-based trade publication, said in 1996.

A normal character runs its course in three to five years, Raugust said. "Harmon's is a classic character. It's been around 50 years."

Mr. Harmon was born in Toledo and became interested in theater while studying at the University of Southern California.

Survivors include his wife of 29 years, Susan Harmon, and four children.

Associated Press writers Polly Anderson in New York and Robert Jablon in Los Angeles contributed to this report.