From Carnival to Fast Food The Story of Ronald McDonald's First Portrayal

Turns out weather superstar Willard Scott was the original Ronald McDonald. The man was an expert on two fronts: weather and fast food advertising. Ronald McDonald was first introduced to audiences in 1963, when actor Willard Scott (who played the immensely popular Bozo the Clown at the time) ... In the category of 'What were they thinking?' —Here is the original Ronald McDonald from 1963, played by comedian and clown Willard Scott, ... Or, in McDonald's case, making good enough burgers very cheaply sells burgers. The other McDonald's characters: Grimace, The Hamburgaler, et al, ... Here's Willard Scott as the first Ronald McDonald who appeared locally in the Washington, DC area from 1963-1965. After that, he rallied support from Leonard Tose, owner of the Philadelphia Eagles, Jim Murray, the Eagles' general manager, and Ed Rensi, the McDonald's ... He also played Bozo the Clown. ... Like McDonald's, Bozo the Clown is a franchise. Pinto Colvig was the first fellow to play the character, ... This is how Ronald McDonald, the Hamburger-Happy Clown came to be. He made his debut in 1963 as the creation of actor and comedian Willard Scott ... The clown was first played by Willard Scott in an ad in the Washington D.C. market. The character magically pulled hamburgers out of his belt ... Famous for being a long-term weather person on NBC's “Today Show” and for being McDonalds original Ronald McDonald clown, Willard Scott, at age 87, passed away.