In 1974, Paul Lynde was voted America's favorite comedian.
But his work in the entertainment industry far exceeded just the realm of comedy.
He was also a gifted voice artist, game show panelist, and could shine in both comedic
and dramatic roles as an actor.
He was best known for being a character actor with a distinct snarky and campy persona who
would often poke fun at his homosexuality.
While he remained in the closet for the majority of his life, we all knew the status of his
sexuality.
As such, he would become a gay icon of sorts.
Lynde was well known for his roles as the bumbling father Harry MacAfee in Bye Bye Birdie
and for being a regular center square panelist on the hit game show Hollywood Squares.
But the role he is most often associated with is that of Uncle Arthur on Bewitched.
Paul not only was voted as America's top comic in that previously mentioned poll, but he
was also deeply admired and celebrated by his peers throughout his career.
Mel Brooks, for one, once said that Lynde could get a laugh out of people just by reading
the phone book or even a seed catalog.
But even though he was known as a Hollywood funnyman, he once stated that he would have
rather been recognized as a serious actor.
Even so, he felt that what he was able to provide through his comedy was a significant
contribution, as what the world needs most is laughter.
No one was laughing, however, on January 10, 1982 when Lynde was found dead in his Beverly
Hills home by his friend Paul Barresi after he failed to attend a birthday party and couldn't
be reached by phone.
He was only 55 years old when he passed away.
There was some speculation after his death that Lynde had a visitor shortly before his
death, but the body of evidence currently available doesn't lend any credence to this
notion.
We'll cover that in a bit more detail in just a moment, so make sure you stick around.
Anyway, the coroner's report officially ruled Lynde's death as caused by a heart attack,
but recent revelations have shed a bit more light on that.
Join us as we take a look at what might have brought about his death while highlighting
some of Lynde's career contributions.
From A Small Midwestern Town To Hollywood
Paul Lynde came into this world in 1926.
He was born in the relatively small town of Mount Vernon, Ohio, and was one of six children.
His father was a local cop and the sheriff of the town jail for two years, while his
mother was your typical homemaker.
Lynde became inspired to pursue a career in show business when he was just four years
old after his mother took him to a screening of the original silent film Ben-Hur: A Tale
of the Christ.
After graduating from High School, he enrolled at Northwestern University before relocating
to the Big Apple.
It was in New York City that he landed his first big break as a stand-up comic at the
Number One Fifth Avenue nightclub.
After that, he appeared in a Broadway show called 'New Faces of 1952'.
A few years prior, Lynde had a two-year run on television on Perry Como's Kraft Music
Hall.
He would later perform in both the Broadway and Film adaptations of Bye Bye Birdie.
Broadway would always be dear to Lynde's heart, and throughout his life, he would appear in
numerous Broadway productions such as The Impossible Years, Plaza Suite, and Don't Drink
the Water.
Among his many film credits include 1964s Send Me No Flowers and 1978s Rabbit Test.
His most iconic role, however, was playing the recurring character Uncle Arthur on Bewitched.
He would also appear in shows like Donny Marie and The Dean Martin Show.
Aside from Bewitched, Lynde's most notable television credit was for being a panelist
on Hollywood Squares.
He became a fan favorite on that program thanks to his witty one-liners and his unique comedic
delivery.
While those shows certainly helped Lynde find success in Hollywood, he desperately wanted
to be taken seriously for his own efforts.
Late in his life, he produced two television shows of his own, The Paul Lynde Show, which
debuted in 1972, and The New Temperatures Rising Show, which also hit the air that same
year.
Unfortunately, both shows failed to develop a following, sunk in the ratings, and were
promptly canceled.
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Alcoholism, Trouble With The Law, And Lynde's Final Years
Even though he was viewed in a relatively positive, if not glowing, light throughout
his career, it was the failure of Lynde's two television series that evidently exacerbated
his problems with alcohol.
Ultimately, his drinking would lead to several run-ins with the long arm of the law and numerous
arrests for public intoxication.
It was also reported that Lynde would regularly verbally berate his friends whenever he would
get drunk.
But even though he was prone to getting belligerent whenever he would hit the bottle, Lynde's
enduring popularity led him to being signed by ABC to host several specials in the mid
to late 70s including The Paul Lynde Comedy Hour and The Paul Lynde Halloween Special
which hit the airwaves in 1975 and 1976 respectively.
In addition to his drinking issues, Lynde also struggled to keep his weight in check.
And in 1977, his beloved dog, Harry MacAfee, passed on.
Lynde couldn't leave his house without his canine companion, so losing him was a bit
of a low blow.
A year later, he purchased a new home and proceeded to spend a great deal of money renovating
it.
In 1978, Lynde guest-starred as a weatherman for a local Toledo, Ohio station.
That same year while he was making an appearance on the Donny and Marie Show in Salt Lake City,
Utah, he was arrested outside of a gay bar for harassing a police officer investigating
a car break-in.
The case was later dropped, but he ended up losing his guest-starring spot on The Donny
and Marie Show in the process.
After the final programs he appeared on, 1978s Paul Lynde at the Movies and 1979s Paul Lynde
Goes M-A-A-A-AD, aired on ABC, Lynde found himself disenchanted by the entertainment
industry and hated how he had felt 'boxed in' – pun intended – by his recurring
appearances on Hollywood Squares.
After leaving the game show, acting gigs became few and far between for him.
While he claimed this was because of homophobia, it's also likely that his substance abuse
issues and erratic behavior played a part in his decline.
On one occasion, he was pulled over for drunk driving.
While being arrested, he was quite irate.
He later made a series of rude and racist comments publicly about various people he
didn't like.
All of these factors led to him developing a reputation for being hard to work with.
Lynde did end up getting sober in early 1980, but at this point, Hollywood Squares was already
experiencing a ratings-free fall, and Lynde had little desire to return to the program
in decline.
But reportedly, they made him an offer that he couldn't refuse, and he ended up returning
to the series later that spring.
He would remain with the program until its cancellation in February of 1981.
Sex And Drugs Ended Up Doing Him In
Lynde had a dark childhood that scarred him for life and left him with many insecurities.
One of these insecurities, arguably his most significant, was related to his sexuality.
Lynde was gay at a time in history when society frowned upon homosexuality.
As such, he did his best to hide his sexual orientation for as long as he could, fearing
that if the public knew he was gay, his career would be over.
Even though he was afraid to come out, his sexuality just might have been the secret
to his success.
He often was cast in gay roles, and actually being gay made it a whole lot easier for him
to give a convincing performance.
His most prominent role as a gay individual was on Bewitched playing Samantha's homosexual
uncle Arthur.
The series aired from 1962 to 1972, with Lynde appearing in eleven of its 254 episodes.
But years later, when he found himself struggling to find meaningful roles, Lynde turned to
a life of sex, drugs, and alcohol to ease his troubled mind.
So, it shouldn't come as a surprise that following his death, traces of a heart drug frequently
used as a sexual stimulant were found in his bloodstream.
The Daily News of LA reported in 1982 that traces of butyl nitrate, an unregulated drug
that is known to cause elevated heart rate, were found in his system.
It remains unclear if this drug contributed to his heart attack, but it hasn't been totally
ruled out.
Since he already had heart problems from his years of partying and heavy drinking, it's
not unreasonable to assume that the drug could have exacerbated his health issues leading
to the heart attack that ultimately killed him.
In addition to the drug being found in his system, two bottles of butyl nitrate were
found on a nightstand next to his bed when his body was found.
One was open, and one was full.
And as far as that supposed visitor that Lynde reportedly had shortly before his death, it's
unlikely that anyone was with him before or after his death other than Paul Barresi, his
friend who discovered his body because when Barresi entered his house through a side entrance,
he tripped the home's security alarm.
If anyone else had entered the residence previously, they would have likely set off this alarm
as well.
It's always tragic to hear about a star's death, but it's particularly unsettling to
learn of a celebrity passing shortly after their career began to fall apart.
In the end, Paul Lynde died alone and humiliated.
What worse way could there be to leave this world?
Do you think that the drugs found in Lynde's system contributed to his heart attack, or
do you doubt that there was enough in his system to do any serious harm?
Let us know in the comments section down below.
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