PAUL LYNDE
Name: Paul Edward Lynde
Born: 13 June 1926 Mount Vernon, Ohio, USA
Died: 10 January 1982 Beverly Hills, California, USA
Paul Edward Lynde (June 13, 1926 - January 10, 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.
Paul Lynde was born in Mount Vernon, Ohio, and studied drama at Northwestern
University in Evanston, 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.
Lynde made his Broadway debut in the hit revue New Faces of 1952 in which he co-starred
opposite fellow newcomers Eartha Kitt, Alice Ghostley, and Carol Lawrence. 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. 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 Samantha'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 ("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 canceled 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.
Name: Paul Edward Lynde
Born: 13 June 1926 Mount Vernon, Ohio, USA
Died: 10 January 1982 Beverly Hills, California, USA
Paul Edward Lynde (June 13, 1926 - January 10, 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.
Paul Lynde was born in Mount Vernon, Ohio, and studied drama at Northwestern
University in Evanston, 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.
Lynde made his Broadway debut in the hit revue New Faces of 1952 in which he co-starred
opposite fellow newcomers Eartha Kitt, Alice Ghostley, and Carol Lawrence. 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. 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 Samantha'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 ("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 canceled 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.