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It seems that there are several biographies coming out every other year about certain stars, each one claiming to have more revelations than the last about someone like Elizabeth Taylor or Barbara Streisand. But there is only one on Paul Lynde ("Center Square") and it is a good one. I'm more fascinated by character actors of past and present than most of the A-list types and to have so much information on someone like Lynde is a treat. What I found most interesting was reading about Lynde's desire to go outside his comedic range and do more dramatic work like his other actor friends were doing at the time. In todays entertainment industry comedic actors like Jim Carrey and are allowed to go outside their usual wacky selves. Doing something different would've pleased the critics who grew tired of Lyndes humor which they loved at one point. The one project he wished could've come to fruition, a comedy pilot about a bumbling Sherlock Holmes type detective,was dashed amongst a scandal that happened at the time where a young man he was traveling with fell to his death. To him it was the one chance he had to star in a show on his own terms and not thrown into lesser sitcoms as a result of the numbers and polls the network executives followed religiously in regrard to the audiences view of Lynde. Paul Lynde was, as the book points out, the classic example of the sad clown who made everyone happy but himself. He had insecurities about his looks (battling a weight problem since childhood) and his inability to have a true emotional connection with anyone (most relationships were paid escorts and he had estranged bonds with most of his family) aside from his dogs. He also had a tendency (drunk or sober) to say very mean and vicious things about other people in regards to their talent, looks, race or religion. It would've been interesting to see, had Lynde lived on longer than he did, what his reaction would've been to things like the more edgy humour replacing the variety show schitck, the rise of more developed gay characters on TV, and the behavior of young stars today that would send him into a rendition of his signature song "kids". In this day when stars give more revealing interviews about themselves would he have given one to finally confirm his homosexuality to the world? One can only imagine. I could definitely see Lynde's story done as a movie in the vein of the Bob Crane film "Auto Focus" that came out some years ago. It would take quite the actor to portray the man as more than the snarling impression people do of him today.Read full review
As a child watching Bewitched, and then as a teen watching Hollywood Squares, it was blatantly obvious that Paul Lynde was gay, but his sexuality was never discussed--openly or otherwise. Who knows why--obviously now, because even he didn't acknowledge it himself. Also, it was a surprise to me that while I wondered where he went after Squares, I didn't realize he was at the end of his career, while I was at the beginning of my youth. I found the book to be a very telling biography and it left me wanting to know more ... unfortunately, there isn't too much more to be found. It is a good read, very easy to get through quickly--a sad tale of a tormented youth--and a very dark and closeted tale of those who chose not to see or read the neon signs along the way.
Paul like many well known performers is revealed as both a nice man and a man with his own insecurities, demons and perhaps eccentricities. Written by a fan, this book both revels in the fan appreciation as well as reveals some personal factors. Easy and fast reading.
great book to read up on one of americas funniest men... nad his severely twisted life... sad and poingnent
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