THE ODD BUT TRUE STORY OF BOBO THE CLOWN!


The infamous Bobo The Clown, caught on a lucky frame of 8mm movie film at an amusement park somewhere along the Eastern seaboard of the United States in the mid-1950s.

Bobo World is an exposé of one of the oddest - and perhaps one of the scariest - clowns ever to have worn big floppy shoes, baggy pants, and a foam rubber nose! I was just a wee lad when I met Bobo, at an amusement park somewhere along the Eastern seaboard of the United States in the 1950s. Bobo was, to say the least, a very unusual clown. Or should I say that he used very unusual props? One of Bobo's favorite props was called the "worm-in-an-apple" trick. This was a red plastic apple which housed a mechanical device that would cause a large rubber worm to pop out rather quickly, thus startling young children. But Bobo, at least in my case, didn't just let the worm pop out and then go back in, just startling me; he somehow prevented the worm's retraction, and held my hand tightly to ensure that I could not get away! Being startled by the worm was bad enough, but to not be able to get away was twice as frightening! An initial examination of the home movie shot by my mother and starring this reporter reveals that the oddly-shaped, larger-than-life worm had a green body and a red tip...

Go to the movie
After you've seen the movie, I invite you to give me your feedback. Do you think that it was proper for Bobo to have used the "worm in an apple" trick with children? How do you think people would react to a clown using this prop today? What was your first reaction to the video? Did you laugh or immediately see the phallic significance of the worm and cringe in horror? If you think that you remember seeing Bobo as a child or parent, or have met him, I would like to hear from you. If you're Bobo... we need to talk. If you knew Bobo, I'd like you to tell me his story, which we'll publish, with your permission, right here on this website, including photos: "The Authorized Biography of Bobo the Clown". It is interesting to note that the "worm in an apple" trick is no longer available in the novelty supply business, except by special order. Alas, Bobo is probably dead by now, having escaped justice, but his sad, pitiful spirit lives on at this web address... awaiting, perhaps... retribution. So do write in... in the guestbook or by e-mail, and let Bobo and the whole wide world know how you feel!

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