Authors Steve Wilson and Joe Florenski described Lynde as "Liberace without a piano" and that to most 1970s-era viewers, he was "a frustrated bit player and character actor on a daytime game show". Many among those who were able to work with Lynde spoke nothing but kind words about him. [16], In 1972, Lynde starred in a short-lived ABC sitcom, The Paul Lynde Show. He would say to me, ‘There’s nothing worse than me being on stage with kids or a dog or any animal, because they upstage you,’ and he wanted to be the center of attention.”, Paul Lynde, circa 1974. [5][23] In 1977, he was honored by Weight Watchers. Stories circulated suggesting that Lynde had a visitor at the time of his death who fled the scene, but evidence indicated the stories were false. His voice is funny, his mannerisms are funny. The magazine did not include a photograph of Finesmith. When Barresi broke in, the alarm blared, indicating that Lynde had been alone at the time of his death and that he had died in his sleep. [20] In all he appeared in nine Kenley Players productions, more than any other headliner.[21]. [4] As demand for his services declined, he accepted a wider variety of job offers. Lynde was in great demand in the 1960s. That year, he recorded a live album, Recently Released, issued as an LP record. To the homosexual community, his reputation was less than stellar: "In some ways, he came to symbolize what's perceived to be a self-loathing era for gay culture."[4]. Paul Lynde, promoting his guest-starring appearance on the July 17, 1969 episode of the NBC comedy-variety show "Dean Martin Presents the Golddiggers." Lynde was nominated for a Best Actor Golden Globe for the show. In 1978, he appeared as a guest weatherman for WSPD-TV in Toledo, Ohio, to publicize both The Hollywood Squares and a summer stock performance.[24]. Paul E. Lynde, age 3-9/12 years. Directed by Norman Jewison. On The Hollywood Squares, Lynde was best able to showcase his comedic talents with short, salty one-liners, spoken in his signature snickering delivery. He was 55 years old. U.S. Census, April 1, 1930, State of Ohio, County of Knox, enumeration district 9, p. 7A, family 202. He also voiced animated characters for four Hanna-Barbera productions. | Source: Wikimedia Commons, As his career wasn’t going well, Lynde turned to alcohol, which did nothing but worsened things. Lynde was a fixture on the Kenley Players summer stock theatre circuit,[19] appearing in Don't Drink the Water (1970, 1979), The Impossible Years (1969, 1978), Mother is Engaged (1974), My Daughter is Rated X (1973), Plaza Suite (1971), and Stop, Thief, Stop! Despite his spiraling down, he appeared on “The Donny & Marie Show” and “Password.”. Howie Comes Home to Roost Although Paul Lynde never got to have his own popular show, the actor was a familiar face on television and appeared on dozens of the most famous sitcoms, including “F-Troop” and “Bewitched.”. His favorite brother Coradon died in 1944 at the age of 21, at the Battle of the Bulge in World War II. ", Q: "What unusual thing do you do if you have something called 'the gift of tongues'? His distinctive voice remains popular among impressionists.