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. 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.Margaret LaPlante, Jacksonville (Charleston, SC: Arcadia Publishing, 2010), p. 119 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

Category:1892 births
Category:1967 deaths
Category:Actors from Oregon
Category:American voice actors
Category:Cancer deaths in Los Angeles
Category:Deaths from lung cancer
Category:Vaudeville performers
Category:Comedians from Oregon
Category:Oregon State University alumni