Frank O. Wiziarde (Whizzo the Clown)

KMBC-TV, vaudeville, White House Easter Egg Hunt

 

 

 

“Who’s always smiling, never sad? It’s Whizzo!
Who makes the boys and girls so glad? Whizzo!
He’s a merry fellow with a big red shiny nose,
dressed in crazy mixed up clothes
from his head down to his toes…”

 

If you were a kid in Kansas City during the 1950s and 60s, you probably still remember that theme song. Maybe you were even lucky enough to have sang it along with Whizzo the Clown as a guest on his show. The clown entertained with an endless array of props and accompanying characters such as Hissy, a goose who enjoyed sneaking up on him. Whizzo and his children’s program on KMBC-TV (Missouri) debuted in 1954 and ran for 15 years as one of the most popular shows on local television.

It’s no surprise, though, that Frank Wiziarde, the man beneath the clown get-up and creator of “Whizzo’s Wonderland,” would create such a successful program. Frank was well voiced in the radio and television industries, having worked in both nearly 10 years prior to his acting stint. However, his entertainment career hadn’t started in either industry.

Mr. Wiziarde was the product of vaudeville acrobat parents, who started their own circus in 1930. Little Frank gained a lifetime of experience in the entertainment biz through his family’s endeavors, joining in backstage as well as on-stage as early six or seven years old.

But the act didn’t last, as technology has a way of overtaking classic entertainment industry. First the radio, then the television – it was only natural that with the death of vaudeville, Frank gravitated towards what he knew. And he knew how to amuse people — of all ages. KMBC-TV asked Wiziarde if he had any ideas for kid’s program in 1953; the following year launched the legacy of Whizzo the Clown.

After KMBC, Whizzo moved to a Topeka station. During Ronald Reagan’s presidential administration, Wiziarde was invited to and attended the annual Easter Egg Hunt at the White House in Washington, D.C.

In September 1987, Frank Wiziarde passed away in Kansas City, just three months following his last appearance as the city’s beloved Whizzo the Clown.