Bob Bell (actor)

Bob Bell
Bob Bell on the Bozo's Circus set at WGN-TV before getting into character, circa 1960s.
Born	Robert Lewis Bell (1922-01-18)January 18, 1922 Flint, Michigan
Died	December 8, 1997(1997-12-08) (aged 75) Lake San Marcos, California
Occupation	actor and announcer
Known for	Bozo the Clown Andy Starr

Robert Lewis Bell (January 18, 1922 – December 8, 1997), better known as Bob Bell, was an American actor famous for his alter-ego, Bozo the Clown. He was the original portrayer of the character for Chicago superstation WGN-TV.

Bell was born in Flint, Michigan to a General Motors factory worker. He spent his life after high school doing odd jobs until he enlisted first in the United States Marine Corps and later the United States Navy during World War II, though he did not see any combat action due to the loss of vision in his right eye. Bell was able to pass the induction examination for the Marines by memorizing eye charts. He had a medical discharge from the Marines less than a year after joining in 1941. Bell then went to the Navy where he served in the Pacific Theater until 1946. Before the Marines, Bell worked in movies, taking minor roles and in set construction. Bell was also a baseball player during his Flint high school years, but was limited due to his vision loss. Bell's father, George M. Bell, played minor league baseball in the early part of the 20th century.

He broke into broadcasting in Flint as an announcer at local station WMRP (now WWCK), then left for South Bend, Indiana station WHOT (now WDND). He met his future wife Carolyn while working there. He moved into television with Indianapolis station WFBM-TV (now WRTV) in 1950.

Bell moved on to Cincinnati, Ohio and WLW Radio and WLWT-TV in 1953. He joined the cast of the Wally Phillips Show and proved to have a gift for comedy, playing numerous characters. After WLW and WLWT's executive vice president took a position with Chicago broadcast giants WGN Radio and WGN-TV in 1956, Bell, Phillips and the show's writer/director/producer Don Sandburg came along, producing their own variety series, which included "The Wally Phillips Show" and "Midnight Ticker."