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Paul Lynde

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Paul Lynde
File:Uncle arthur.jpg
Scene from Bewitched
with Paul Lynde as Uncle Arthur
Born
Paul Edward Lynde
Resting placeAmity Cemetery, Knox County, Ohio, USA

Paul Edward Lynde (June 13, 1926 — January 11, 1982) was an American comedian and actor. A noted character actor, Lynde was well known for his roles as Uncle Arthur on Bewitched and Harry McAfee, the befuddled father in Bye Bye Birdie. He was also the regular "center square" guest on the classic game show, Hollywood Squares, from 1968 to 1981.

Biography

Early life

Paul Lynde was born in Mount Vernon, Ohio and studied drama at Northwestern University in Chicago, where his classmates included Cloris Leachman, Charlotte Rae, Patricia Neal, and Claude Akins. He graduated in 1948 and moved to New York City, where he initially worked as a stand-up comic.[1]

Career

Lynde made his Broadway debut in the hit revue New Faces of 1952 which he co-starred in opposite fellow newcomers Eartha Kitt, Alice Ghostley, and Carol Lawrence.[2] In one now-famous monologue, the "Trip of the Month Club," Lynde portrayed a man on crutches recounting his misadventures on the African safari he took with his late wife.[3] The show was filmed and released as a movie in 1954.

After the revue's run, Lynde co-starred in the short-lived sitcom Stanley opposite Buddy Hackett and Carol Burnett, both of whom were also starting out their careers in show business. In 1960, Lynde returned to Broadway when he was cast as the father in Bye Bye Birdie. He reprised the role in the play's film adaptation, which was released in 1963 and co-starred Dick van Dyke and Ann-Margret.

Over the years, Lynde made regular appearances on sitcoms such as The Phil Silvers Show, The Munsters, and I Dream of Jeannie, and variety shows such as The Perry Como Show and The Dean Martin Show. He was a frequent guest on the Donny and Marie Osmond Show. Lynde first appeared in episode 26 of Bewitched, "Driving is the Only Way to Fly," as Elizabeth's driving instructor Harold Harold, before taking on the recurring role of "Uncle Arthur".

Lynde also did extensive voice work on animated cartoons, particularly those of Hanna-Barbera Productions. His most notable roles included Sylvester Sneakly (a.k.a. "The Hooded Claw") in The Perils of Penelope Pitstop and Pertwee from Where's Huddles?. He also voiced the role of Templeton the gluttonous rat in the animated feature Charlotte's Web. Lynde's sardonic inflections added a dimension to such lines as the sly, drawn-out whine, "What's in it for meeee?"

In 1972, Lynde starred in the short-lived ABC sitcom, The Paul Lynde Show, playing an uptight attorney and father at odds with his liberal-minded son-in-law. The series was cancelled after only one season. The network then "transferred" Lynde to another comedy series that had debuted in 1972, Temperature's Rising, for the 1973 season, but his presence in the cast did not help flagging ratings and this series, too, was not renewed. The series’ failure reportedly exacerbated Lynde’s pre-existing drinking problem, which led to numerous run-ins with the law and frequent arrests for public intoxication.[1]

"Hollywood Squares" run

In 1966, Lynde debuted on the fledgling game show Hollywood Squares. Eventually he assumed a permanent spot as the "center square," a move which ensured that he would be called upon by contestants at least once in almost every round. It was here that Lynde was best able to showcase his comedic talents with short, salty one-liners.[1] Many of these gags were thinly-veiled allusions to his homosexual lifestyle. Others relied on double entendre, an alleged fondness for deviant behaviors, or dealt with "touchy" subject matter for television. Even the more generic punchlines were often punched up by Lynde's trademark snickering delivery.

Hollywood Squares quips by Lynde

Q: You're the world's most popular fruit. What are you?
Lynde: Humble.
Q: What is said to be wasted on the young?
Lynde: A whipping.
Q: What is the most abused and neglected part of the body?
Lynde: Well, mine may be abused but it certainly isn't neglected.
Q: What is a "dual purpose cow?"
Lynde: It gives milk and cookies. But I wouldn't recommend the cookies.
Q: It is considered in bad taste to discuss two subjects at nudist camps. One is politics. What is the other?
Lynde: Tape measures.
Q: Why do the Hells Angels wear leather?
Lynde: Because chiffon wrinkles so easily.
Q: Who stays pregnant for a longer period of time, your wife or your elephant?
Lynde: Who told you about my elephant?
Q: When you pat a dog on its head he will usually wag his tail. What will a goose do?
Lynde: Make him bark.
Q: In Alice in Wonderland, who kept crying, "I'm late, I'm late"?
Lynde: Alice. And her mother is sick about it.
Q: Which is better looking, a pixie or a fairy?
Lynde: I'll go for the fairy.
Q: In The Wizard of Oz, the Lion wanted courage and the Tin Man wanted a heart. What did the Scarecrow want??
Lynde: He wanted the Tin Man to notice him.
Q: Who are more likely to be romantically responsive. Women under thirty or women over thirty?
Lynde: I don't have a third choice?
Q: Paul, how many men on a hockey team?
Lynde: Oh, about half.
Q: What would the Lone Ranger always leave behind with the damsel in distress he'd saved?
Lynde: A masked baby!
Q: Why was Nathan Hale hung?
Lynde: Heredity.
Q: Is it normal for Norwegians to talk to trees?
Lynde: As long as that's as far as it goes.
Q: Why do sheep sleep huddled up?
Lynde: Because Little Boy Blue is a weirdo!
Q: Paul, what profession is the most common for prostitutes after they retire?
Lynde: Smuggling.
Q: Does Mark Spitz believe swimming in the nude helps you go faster?
Lynde: Well, it's easier to steer.
Q: Paul, why are forest rangers in remote locations ordering goats as standard equipment?
Lynde: Because the sheep are wising up.
Q: True or false: in the recent world kissing contest in England, two contestants were disqualified when they got too passionate.
Lynde: Yes, but they went on to win in three other categories.
Q: True or false: Paul Revere had sixteen children.
Lynde: From one midnight ride?
Q: You’re equipped with a pick, a sieve, and a shallow pan. What are you about to do?
Lynde: Joan Crawford's eyebrows.
Q: Prehistoric man had two uses for sheep. One was for food. What was the other?
Lynde: Conversation.
Q: What two things should you never do in bed?
Lynde: Point and laugh.
Q: True or false: Women are sexier after having a baby.
Lynde: Right after?
Q: Can you get an elephant drunk?
Lynde: Yes, but she still won't go up to your apartment.
Q: Do female frogs croak?
Lynde: If you hold their little heads under water long enough.

Lynde left the show in 1979 after thirteen seasons, but returned for the 1980-81 season.

Personal life

Within Hollywood, Lynde was widely known[citation needed] to be gay. But despite his stereotypically flamboyant mannerisms and sometimes rather overt double entendres on Hollywood Squares, he never publicly acknowledged his orientation[citation needed]. In fact, Lynde was affectionately nicknamed "America's Most Eligible Bachelor" by the public, perhaps[citation needed] in seeking a logical reason for his lack of a female spouse.

In 1965, Lynde was involved in an accident where a young actor fell to his death from the window of Lynde's hotel room in San Francisco. The two had been drinking for hours before 24-year old Jim Davidson either jumped or fell eight stories. Davidson's death haunted the actor for years[citation needed], even though the scandal did not ruin his career. This incident did offer insight into the precarious life of drinking and partying that Lynde enjoyed.[4]

Death

Lynde was found dead in his Beverly Hills home by friend Paul Barresi on Monday, January 11, 1982. The coroner ruled the death a heart attack. It has been suggested that he might have been dead for 2 days. His premature death may actually have been caused by his longtime alcoholism and drug abuse.[5] In fact, the coroner said that Lynde's heart resembled that of a man about 80 years old.

Lynde is interred next to his brother Johnny at Amity Cemetery in Knox County, Ohio, some eight miles northeast of Paul's hometown.

TV Work

Filmography

References

  1. ^ a b c Paul Lynde Biography at Biography.com
  2. ^ Paul Lynde at What A Character!
  3. ^ Vincent Canby, "A Lost Theatrical Form Returns With a Smile", New York Times, June 21, 1998.
  4. ^ [1] at Bewitched Beography
  5. ^ [2] at What A Character!
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