Paul Lynde was 'obese and unloved' as a young man struggling with his sexuality and

[TMC]

...agonized over never succeeding as a Hollywood A-list actor, claims new book

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...ecurities.html

• Lynde's close friend Cathy Rudolph said he struggled with his weight and being gay at a time it was not openly accepted
  Rudolph said he often wished he was a bigger star so he would be left alone
  He tried to leave 'Hollywood Squares' for movie roles but none came so he returned to the show
  Lynde hated being upstaged and felt that a new character on 'Bewitched' was getting funnier lines than he was

Despite being a household name in the 1960s and 1970s 'Bewitched' star Paul Lynde struggled with childhood insecurities.

His friend Cathy Rudolph, and author of the book 'Paul Lynde: A Biography - His Life, His Love(s) and His Laughter', told Closer Weekly that the Ohio native did not have much confidence due to his weight and the realization that he was gay at a time when it was not openly accepted.

'He was very lonely and continually pushed people away, though I don't think he realized that or he couldn't understand it,' she said.

'I also think he had issues from when he was a child. He was obese - 250 pounds by the time he graduated high school - and had no love life either way. He was just unhappy.'

Despite the personal demons in life, he was beloved by television viewers. He appeared as a guest actor on several TV shows before getting the recurring role on 'Bewitched' as Uncle Arthur to Elizabeth Montgomery's Samantha from 1965 to 1971.

'He used to say to me: "I was only on the show 11 times; they must have run a lot of reruns because everybody calls me Uncle Arthur when I go on the street",' Rudolph told the magazine. 'The kids especially. And he loved it.'

Despite his storied career on television, on Broadway and in movies, Rudolph said her friend's real dream was to be a Hollywood movie star, which never came to fruition.

Lynde was on the game show 'The Hollywood Squares' for 13 years, which brought him further fame because he was known for his one-liners, but he left for a short time to seek out movie roles. When none came his way, he returned to the show.

She added that sometimes Lynde wished he was a bigger star so he would be left alone, but she says he loved the adoration from fans and never took it for granted.

'That's why he said he would stay after every show two hours just to sign autographs and talk to people,' Rudolph told Closer Weekly.

'He said, "What's more wonderful than hearing 100 people telling you over and over again how great you are?" If he was a movie star, he wouldn't have that, but the reality is that he needed it. He needed his audience. The fact that people loved him was the part of his life that filled the loneliness.'

And because of that, he didn't like being upstaged. When Montgomery, whom he was close friends with, created the character of Serena for 'Bewitched', Samantha's wise-cracking cousin, his insecurities came out again.

'The character of Serena was the same thing because she started getting funnier lines than him. She became her own little character, which Elizabeth invented herself because she didn't want to be the pretty housewife all the time,' Rudolph said,

'She wanted to be a little bit wild with wigs, short skirts and makeup…Serena was a pretty powerful character, which made him insecure.'

Lynde passed away in January 1982 at age 55 from heart disease but his legacy is lasting.

'I still have people writing and telling me how much they loved him, that they think he’s great, and they’re still amazed at what a genius he was with those one-liners that came out of his head on "The Hollywood Squares",' Rudolph said.

[Dr. Thong]

Not a surprise given the era he grew up in.

I feel that Paul Lynde was ahead of his time. Had he been born 20-30 years later, he would have flourished in the late 90s and 2000s, where he could have been open about his homosexuality and cashed in on it.

Watch the Paul Lynde Halloween Special, where he's trying to flirt with Roz Kelly and it's so painfully obvious he's not into her. It's stereotypical variety show banter, but Lynde couldn't pull it off.

[king of comedy]

He would have made it bigger in the late 90s. He reminds me of another comic ahead of his time. Andy Kaufman.

[stevea]

He was hilarious, brilliant, and is missed. "Sammy, I feel a pout coming on."

[Hazel Anyday]

I think Paul Lynde made the show (like Eddie Haskell made Beaver) BUT if you've ever seen Paul Lynde as the star of a show, it's never funny or entertaining. His 2 variety specials (Halloween & Christmas) are almost unwatchable, painfully unfunny and totally cringe worthy whenever Paul either talks to the audience directly or has a dialogue with the guests. He never sounds comfortable or natural. In his own sitcom where he played a father/family man, it's just not funny or natural looking.

Paul Lynde was EXCELLENT as a guest star on Bewitched or as a guest star on Gidget or any number of other sitcoms I've seen him pop up on once in a while. But as the main focus and star of his own program he was a disaster.
The best thing though that he isn't a star in today's victim loving and celebrating liberal "culture". I never thought of Paul Lynde as gay, nor did I think that Charles Nelson Reiley was gay, call me stupid, but I don't think anybody back in those good old days thought of these people as gay, as charaters with funny mannerisms, yes, as gay, no. And this was a good thing, I could care less about any of these "stars" personal sex life.

[Dr. Thong]

Originally Posted by Hazel Anyday

I think Paul Lynde made the show (like Eddie Haskell made Beaver) BUT if you've ever seen Paul Lynde as the star of a show, it's never funny or entertaining. His 2 variety specials (Halloween & Christmas) are almost unwatchable, painfully unfunny and totally cringe worthy whenever Paul either talks to the audience directly or has a dialogue with the guests. He never sounds comfortable or natural. In his own sitcom where he played a father/family man, it's just not funny or natural looking.

Paul Lynde was EXCELLENT as a guest star on Bewitched or as a guest star on Gidget or any number of other sitcoms I've seen him pop up on once in a while. But as the main focus and star of his own program he was a disaster.

Agree 100%. His real niche was being a side or supporting character. I think he was in his element as a regular on Hollywood Squares. I used to watch that as a 10 year old and now realize I missed a lot of what he was saying or implying.

The innuendos and double entendres went right over my head. Watching them now, I gain a new appreciation for what he was doing. Without directly coming out, he was telling the audience just that with a wink and a nod. A genius.

[stevea]

Originally Posted by Hazel Anyday

I think Paul Lynde made the show (like Eddie Haskell made Beaver) BUT if you've ever seen Paul Lynde as the star of a show, it's never funny or entertaining. His 2 variety specials (Halloween & Christmas) are almost unwatchable, painfully unfunny and totally cringe worthy whenever Paul either talks to the audience directly or has a dialogue with the guests. He never sounds comfortable or natural. In his own sitcom where he played a father/family man, it's just not funny or natural looking.

Paul Lynde was EXCELLENT as a guest star on Bewitched or as a guest star on Gidget or any number of other sitcoms I've seen him pop up on once in a while. But as the main focus and star of his own program he was a disaster.
The best thing though that he isn't a star in today's victim loving and celebrating liberal "culture". I never thought of Paul Lynde as gay, nor did I think that Charles Nelson Reiley was gay, call me stupid, but I don't think anybody back in those good old days thought of these people as gay, as charaters with funny mannerisms, yes, as gay, no. And this was a good thing, I could care less about any of these "stars" personal sex life.

Great post. Wish I'd said all of this!

[KatieAnn]

Paul Lynde wasn't in very many episodes (much to my surprise) but I always felt he had a special chemistry with Elizabeth Montgomery. You can see how much she enjoys his humor.

I'm now surprised to read that he felt threatened in any way by the "Serena" character. I think he has great chemistry with every character he acts with on "Bewitched."

[Babalu]

Although it's hard to believe, I have read in several different places that Hollywood Square's writers wrote all of Paul Lynde's quips on the show, even though he made them seem like ad libs.

[stevea]

I read that too. I think they had writers for all the gag answers.

[PracTz]

Originally Posted by KatieAnn

Paul Lynde wasn't in very many episodes (much to my surprise) but I always felt he had a special chemistry with Elizabeth Montgomery. You can see how much she enjoys his humor.

I'm now surprised to read that he felt threatened in any way by the "Serena" character. I think he has great chemistry with every character he acts with on "Bewitched."

I agree. Although the premise of their one duet episode 'Samantha's Power Failure' was a bit lame- Arthur and Serena looked as though they truly were having fun making a mess with the chocolate sauce in that concession stand!

[hifijohn]

Originally Posted by Hazel Anyday

I think Paul Lynde made the show (like Eddie Haskell made Beaver) BUT if you've ever seen Paul Lynde as the star of a show, it's never funny or entertaining. His 2 variety specials (Halloween & Christmas) are almost unwatchable, painfully unfunny and totally cringe worthy whenever Paul either talks to the audience directly or has a dialogue with the guests. He never sounds comfortable or natural. In his own sitcom where he played a father/family man, it's just not funny or natural looking.

Paul Lynde was EXCELLENT as a guest star on Bewitched or as a guest star on Gidget or any number of other sitcoms I've seen him pop up on once in a while. But as the main focus and star of his own program he was a disaster.
The best thing though that he isn't a star in today's victim loving and celebrating liberal "culture". I never thought of Paul Lynde as gay, nor did I think that Charles Nelson Reiley was gay, call me stupid, but I don't think anybody back in those good old days thought of these people as gay, as charaters with funny mannerisms, yes, as gay, no. And this was a good thing, I could care less about any of these "stars" personal sex life.

You can see his variety special on YouTube Flo Henderson Margaret Hamilton and KISS, what a combo.It was bad but pretty typical of variety shows back then.