Paul Lynde the great character actor who had impeccable comedic timing
On my way to Columbus, Ohio, I stopped at Amity Cemetery near Mount Vernon, Ohio to visit the grave of the great television and stage actor, Paul Edward Lynde.
Paul, who described his youth as unhappy, struggled with his weight and grew up the son of a local butcher in Mount Vernon. While attending Northwestern University (Illinois) where he majored in speech and drama—and was a classmate of actress, Cloris Leachman—he became a standout in theatrical productions, writing and performing witty monologues. He had found his calling.
Buried in the plot beside Paul’s are his parents and his favourite brother, Coradon, who died in 1944 at the age of 21, in the Battle of the Bulge in World War II.
When Paul told his father he wanted to act, he reportedly “hit the roof,” especially when he announced his intention to move to New York City. There, Paul sharpened his skills as a stand-up comedian in supper clubs before landing his big Broadway break in 1960’s Bye Bye Birdie.
Paul Lynde was a regular performer on The Perry Como Show (Kraft Music Hall) along with Don Adams (Get Smart) and Canadian actor and game show participant, Captain Jack Duffy in Party Game.
For many, myself included, Paul Lynde became a comedic legend of 1960s television, guest-starring on hits like The Munsters and I Dream of Jeannie. He soon became a sitcom star on Bewitched, playing the hilariously disruptive Uncle Arthur. In 1966, he joined Hollywood Squares, where he would occupy the permanent “center square” for eleven years.
Living in a sexually oppressive era, Lynde never came out publicly as a gay man, a reality that likely contributed to his lifelong struggles with loneliness and alcoholism. Sadly, this immensely talented actor lived and died alone, passing away on January 10, 1982, at the age of 55.
1926-1982
Paul Lynde with host, Peter Marshall, Hollywood Squares (1966-1981).
Paul was deeply devoted to his dog, named Harry MacAfee (after his character in Bye Bye Birdie). The dog’s death in 1977 was so devastating to Lynde that he could no longer stay in the house they shared and subsequently moved.
