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Born: June 13, 1926, Mount Vernon, Ohio.
Died: January 10, 1982, Beverly Hills, Los Angeles, California, heart attack.
Attended Northwestern University (Evanston, IL).I."Born in Mount Vernon, Ohio, Paul Lynde's sarcastic wit always seemed more suited to a big city boy than someone from Ohio. After graduating from Northwestern University in 1948, Lynde began a stage career becoming one of the new faces in the hit Broadway show New Faces of 1952-- among the others were Eartha Kitt and Alice Ghostley. When the show was made into the film New Faces in 1954, Lynde had his first screen role. It was not the last show that Lynde would appear in both on stage and screen, and later Lynde played 'Harry McAfee' in Bye Bye Birdie, both on Broadway and in the film version. He is probably best remembered as the snide 'Uncle Arthur' on the 1960s TV sitcom Bewitched. In 1972, he was given a star turn in The Paul Lynde Show, but the series was canceled after only one season. Late 1970s TV viewers will remember him as the 'center square' on the TV game show The Hollywood Squares. (The horribly unfunny Whoopi Goldberg has redone the show and given herself the center square spot.) His final screen appearance was as the fittingly named 'Nervous Elk' in the film The Villain. While his list of credits is not as long as some, he was always memorable. He died of a (heart attack) in 1982, at the age of 55." --from a fan site. Who is Paul Lynde, to me? I think every outcast child who wasn't one of those sports kids that all the daddies wanted wished for a funny dad like the one Paul Lynde was in Bye Bye Birdie. Man, it would sure be cool, if Paul Lynde had been my dad (no offense meant to my real life dad, Conrad Bain), plus he'd have died when I was only 11, leaving me free and clear of responsibility and grades. II. Who is Paul Lynde, to me? I was a child of television. Sure was. I make no bones about it. And I don't declare whether it was wrong or right. Here I am now, happy (well...), healthy (actually there's this small bump on the skin of my...). Anyway, here I am. I guess my memory stretches back to childhood. I blacked out a lot of it, though. You know, the beatings (kidding), the beratings (not kidding). The lectures that went on for EVER about how I wasn't doing good enough. But alas, the lectures couldn't go on forever, Dad -- but TV would. I remember watching the Hollywood Squares and hoping that people would pick Paul in the center square, and when they didn't I found it maddening. I mean, he was the funniest. But I guess the contestants were trying to win a hundred bucks or whatever so, Shirley Hemphill for the block it would have to be. Anyway, that was where I knew, and met, and loved Paul Lynde. He was one of the major comic influences in my early life. That was a time-- the early 80s-- of old Saturday Night Lives, Peter Sellers, Richard Mulligan on Soap. Strange, separate bits that I took hold of in my brain and reorganized and reused in my own comedy workshop. Anyway one day, (Jan 10, 1982 as it turns out), Paul Lynde died. Mom came back from shopping and told me that she heard it on the the radio they were playing in McCaulou's department store. I think. It was a long time ago. Paul was dead. And I was still alive. With another hour and a half lecture from my dad waiting in the wings. (My progress report had just come, C- in Science. God, I hated Science.) Anyway, all seemed lost. III. But then the VCR came into being. I think everyone's life changed dramatically when that golden box of love and joy was invented. Anyway, one day, it had come up that Bye Bye Birdie was a possible rental. I was on the fence, until my mom told me that she thought Paul Lynde was in it. But I looked at the box and it said only Dick Van Dyke, Janet Leigh, Ann-Margret, etc. It did not mention or show Paul Lynde. So I was doubtful. But, of course, it was rented. And Paul was there. In the opening credits even. And he was hilarious. Easily the best thing about the movie. And Ann-Margret was good; and Jesse Pearson was funny; and some of the songs were good. But everything Paul did was genius. It's true. Paul didn't really do enough stuff, to merit streets being renamed for him. He was no Cesar Chavez or DMLKJ or even Bob Hope. Although I like him more than those other guys, and sure as damn hell he was funnier than them. Especially Chavez. That dude had no sense of humor. Anyway, this essay is still incomplete, but I am putting it out there now, in case I die tomorrow, some tribute to The Man Lynde will be out there, however unfinished it may be. A final note: I will always remember Paul sitting in the center square yucking it up with Gobel and Fannie Flagg. Leaned way over, with that outrageously colored shirt of the 70s and one of those silly scarves tied around his neck. Funny guy. To paraphrase his line from Bye Bye Birdie, about Ed Sullivan, "I love you, Paul." Actor Filmography
Notable TV Appearances
Notable TV guest appearances
Lynde links:
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