Paul Lynde was a real entertainment pio-queer. His madcap presence was all over television during the '60s and '70s, bringing a gay sensibility right into America's livingrooms. In those less-enlightened times, many were oblivious that 'wacky Paul' was basically a walking definition of 'bitchy queen' … but we knew—and that was important because for once the gay guy was delivering the jokes, rather than simply being the butt of them.
He was unforgettable in Bye Bye Birdie ( on Broadway as well as in the film ) . He was featured in several '60s screen comedies like The Glass Bottom Boat, Send Me No Flowers, Beach Blanket Bingo, Son of Flubber, and Under the Yum Yum Tree. He lent his unique vocal talents to animated features like Charlotte's Web ( as Templeton the Rat ) , Journey Back to Oz, and several Saturday morning cartoons as well. Most notably, the man was all over television—as a semi regular on Donny and Marie, The Dean Martin Show, The Perry Como Show as well as numerous other variety shows, specials, and TV movies. His always memorable presence enlivened almost every sitcom of the era—The Flying Nun, I Dream of Jeannie, The Munsters, The Patty Duke Show, Green Acres, F Troop, The Beverly Hillbillies, Love American Style, and of course his semi-regular stint as Uncle Arthur on Bewitched. There was even the ill-conceived Paul Lynde Show in which he played a harried father and husband!! However, Lynde's greatest role was as undoubtedly himself—as Paul Lynde, the arch quipster that for years sat front and center on Hollywood Squares.
Tragically, his life was cut short in 1982 when at age 55 Lynde died of cardiac arrest due to extreme substance abuse.
This summer Advocate Books, a division of Alyson Publications, is releasing Center Square: The Paul Lynde Story, which unveils the raucous and real story behind Lynde's successes and failures, loves, addictions, alcoholism, friendships, hardships, career, and more.
Recently I had the opportunity to talk with the co-authors of the bio Steve Wilson and Joe Florenski about the man, the myth, and that campy legend from a decidedly less liberated era.
WCT: Why is Paul Lynde an important figure in gay entertainment history? What legacy does he leave today?
A: He was the first person to get away with being gay on television day in and day out, coming out of the closet about as much as an entertainer safely could back then. Granted, he was a daytime TV star, but he was fairly well known back then so it was a big deal. He wasn't wearing a dress or playing the effete limp wrist like other comedians up to that point—he was making jokes informed by a gay sensibility that mainstream America had had very little exposure to. Most of the Squares viewing audience seem to have been none the wiser for it, they just thought he was 'that wacky Paul Lynde.' So he snuck the queer world into livingrooms all over the nation, and it's just possible that this did a teensy bit to help gays gain greater acceptance, at least on the tube. Will & Grace, Ellen and other shows with a strong gay presence certainly owe a debt to what he did.
The funny thing is that he didn't do this intentionally, he just loosened up on the show and it happened.
WCT: What was his appeal then and how ( if at all ) do you think it's changed over time?
A: Back then he was one of the reigning character actors of the tube. People loved him as the 'funny uncle' type through his sitcom and variety show appearances, on which his nasally voice and explosive rage and general snarkiness made him really memorable. He didn't necessarily seem gay to anyone then, even when it became more and more obvious by the time he did Squares. Nowadays, his persona is still funny and appealing, but now that it's obvious that he's gay, it adds an extra level to the joke, the fact that he got away with it. A good example is the episode of The Simpsons that featured the Lynde-like Scoutmaster—a villain on a send up of the '60s Batman TV series they did within the show. 'Go get 'em boys, use your nails!' The Lynde voice and delivery are still funny, but the winking homoeroticism makes it funnier.
WCT: Even though he has been dead for more than 20 years, how cooperative were his friends and family regarding his personal life?
A: Most were very cooperative and great. His family not so much, but there weren't that many of them left, certainly none who knew him well. His sister, who died just when we started the book, wasn't pleased with the A&E Biography program that we participated in because it addressed his homosexuality. We probably wouldn't have been able to get her participation for that reason even if she'd survived long enough for us to speak with her. There were a few times in the interviews when we ran up against 'but I don't want to go into that' and no amount of coaxing would pry the info out of them—we can only imagine what sorts of crazy stories they weren't willing to tell.
WCT: His close show pals like Charlotte Rae, Cloris Leachman, Karen Valentine, Maggie Smith, Kaye Ballard, etc. were very important to him. When you talked to these women, what did Paul give on a personal level that made up for his frequent bouts of very bad behavior?
A: I've always loved that all these people told us that despite it all, they still loved Paul then and love him now. Some of them went through periods of not speaking to Paul, but they all came back eventually. We got the sense that despite his drinking problem, which he never denied, he was a genuinely nice person and a loyal friend. Think of Jacques Everhart or Jan Forbes, friends from his teens. They never turned away from him. He was also a lot of fun to be around, so I'm sure that helped him win people back over.
WCT: I was amazed that he considered Maggie Smith one of the great loves of his life. Was she available for comment?
A: No, we tried but it never worked out.
WCT: Lynde was also very fond of hustlers. Why do you think he preferred that as opposed to any sort of lover or boyfriend relationship?
A: We do get that sense—less hassle and he got to remain the center of attention. The relationships he had were disasters.
WCT: In reading Center Square I was amazed by how many dozens and dozens of guest star appearances Lynde made on various shows, and even more amazed to find out he only appeared in 10 episodes of Bewitched. Why do you think he was always successful as a 'guest star' and never THE star?
A: As Peter Marshall said, a small bit of Paul went a long way. But as THE star, that manic persona was too much to take in such a large dose.
WCT: If he wanted fame so badly and knew the Hollywood game, why do you think he refused to tone down his flamboyancy?
A: It's the plight of many character actors to be locked into the schtick that gets them famous, so he could never play a wide variety of roles, just always did the same thing by and large. Meanwhile, entertainment in the '70s started loosening up a bit, so he loosened up with it, about his only option since no one was kicking down the door with a 'straight' part for him to play. Also, though he wanted all that fame, he seems to have been fairly comfortable with the level of fame he did achieve ( that is, comfy, not ultimately happy ) , so he may not have been as motivated as he could have been for more.
WCT: Lynde at once seems accepting as well as denying and dismissive of being gay. How do you think he came to terms with it?
A: We've always thought he was mostly accepting of himself from the start, at least he was after his high school sweetheart married. ( We're wary he was THAT into Maggie Smith. ) Of course, as Robert Osbourne pointed out, being a celeb living in the closet on such a public scale can do screwy things to one's head, and there was probably some self-loathing from that. This likely played into his unhealthy relationships with hustlers and all that. But overall we think he accepted being gay, he just couldn't accept what it was doing to his career.
WCT: Reading Center Square it's painful to watch Lynde's self-loathing sabotage his career at so many turns, especially when he was drinking. Do you think he ever understood that he was at the root of most of his undoing?
A: Definitely. He never denied he had a drinking problem or that it caused him so much grief. He passed around a lot of blame, but at the end of the day he was well aware of his faults.
WCT: His bitterness emerged in a number of ugly ways. Do you think his documented racism and anti-Semitism as well as his apparent alcoholism prevent him from being considered a role model or gay hero?
A: It's important to remember that he was something of a hero/role model to gay teens like Frank DeCaro who watched Squares, got the subtext, and knew they weren't alone. But otherwise, the bad behavior has definitely affected Paul's standing. He's certainly a gay icon, but not a gay hero or role model. He's more of a punch line today, almost a symbol for what's perceived to be the self-loathing era of gay men. That's one of the reasons we wanted to write the book, to wipe some of the tarnish off his reputation. We think what he did, going out there every day on Squares being so flamboyant, was heroic, even if it was largely unintentional.
WCT: Despite his success, Paul seemed to hit a wall when it came to leading or serious roles. Do you think that wall is still in place today?
A: It seems like the wall's been broken down a little, but I imagine after the 2004 elections Hollywood is quickly patching it back up. Hopefully that won't last long though
WCT: Let's hope. Thanks so much and all the best with the book.
