Paul Edward Lynde (June 13, 1926 – January 10, 1982) was an American comedian, actor, and game-show panelist. Lynde was well known for his roles as Uncle Arthur on Bewitched, as the befuddled father Harry MacAfee in Bye Bye Birdie, and as a regular "center square" panelist on the game show The Hollywood Squares from 1968 to 1981. He also voiced animated characters for five Hanna-Barbera productions. Lynde was one of six children and the middle of four boys. His father was a local police officer and the sheriff of the Mount Vernon Jail for two years. Lynde got his inspiration to become an actor at the age of four or five after his mother took him to see the original silent film Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ (1925). After graduating from Northwestern University, Lynde relocated to New York City where his first break came from being a stand-up comedian at the Number One Fifth Avenue nightclub. Then came an appearance on a Broadway show, "New Faces of 1952".
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Biography from TMDB.
- June 13, 1926
- January 10, 1982 (aged 55)
- Mount Vernon, Ohio, USA
- Actor, also writer
- 19 on MovieCove · 42 credits in all
What are Paul Lynde's films like?
Across their 13 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.
Genres
Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.
Themes
What they feel like to watch
Ironic 1 · Wry 1 · Earnest 8
Light 11 · Serious 0 · Dark 0
Grounded 5 · Stylized 5 · Heightened 1
Gentle 10 · Charged 1 · Intense 0
Steady 9 · Shifting 1 · Whiplash 1
Straight-faced 0 · Some laughs 3 · Funny 8
A split, not a type: Slow burn 6 · Even-paced 5 · Relentless 0
Casual 11 · Engaged 0 · Full focus 0
Easy watch 11 · Affecting 0 · Heavy 0
Resolved 11 · Open-ended 0 · Ambiguous 0
Roles they play
Usually the Trickster: 2 of 8 analyzed roles.
Show the 8 rolesHide the roles
- Heraldas Dr. Edward Dudley in The Munsters (1964)
- Tricksteras Sid Hoyt in For Those Who Think Young (1964)
- Allyas Homer Cripps in The Glass Bottom Boat (1966)
- Threshold guardianas The Purser in How Sweet It Is! (1968)
- Shadowas The Hooded Claw in The Perils of Penelope Pitstop (1969)
- Allyas Pumpkinhead in Journey Back to Oz (1972)
- Shadowas Templeton in Charlotte's Web (1973)
- Tricksteras Nervous Elk in The Villain (1979)
Moods and endings
- Happy11
- Bittersweet1
- Ambiguous1
AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.
Where can I watch Paul Lynde's films?
As of October 24, 2026, 9 of their 19 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on The Roku Channel (5).
Subscription and free streaming for Paul Lynde's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.
Filmography
42 credits, 19 with a MovieCove page; 20 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.
Broadway's Lost Treasures (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)
The Villain(1979)
Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films
Rabbit Test (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)
'Twas the Night Before Christmas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1977)
The Smothers Brothers Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)
Charlotte's Web(1973)
Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films
Journey Back to Oz(1972)
Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films
The Paul Lynde Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)
Temperatures Rising (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)
Gidget Gets Married (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)
Where's Huddles? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)
Gidget Grows Up (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)
The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour : Christmas Special 1969 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)
Love, American Style (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)
Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all shows
Cattanooga Cats (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)
It's the Wolf (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)
That's Life (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1968)
How Sweet It Is!(1968)
Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films
The Mothers-in-Law (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)
The Flying Nun (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)
Hollywood Squares (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)
That Girl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)
The Glass Bottom Boat(1966)
Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films
I Dream of Jeannie(1965)
Midcredits score: 75th percentile of all shows
Gidget(1965)
Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all shows
F Troop(1965)
Midcredits score: 58th percentile of all shows
Beach Blanket Bingo(1965)
Midcredits score: 34th percentile of all films
Send Me No Flowers(1964)
Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all films
The Munsters(1964)
Midcredits score: 84th percentile of all shows
The Cara Williams Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1964)
Bewitched(1964)
Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all shows
Midcredits score: 23rd percentile of all films
Under the Yum Yum Tree(1963)
Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all filmsBob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)
Burke's Law (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1963)
The Patty Duke Show(1963)
Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all shows
Bye Bye Birdie(1963)
Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films
Son of Flubber(1962)
Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films
Stanley (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1956)
The Wonderful World of Disney (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1954)
New Faces(1954)
Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all films
Career shape
Star power in the 92nd percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 43 titles from 1954 to 2003; peak year 1963.
Film career
Peak 1963 · fewer prominent film roles lately. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.
- 1963Screen debut· Son of Flubber
- 1969Career best· The Perils of Penelope Pitstop
- 1973Career best· Charlotte's Web
Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.
How do Paul Lynde's films land?
Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 43rd percentile, the median of all 12; across their 11 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 49th percentile for acclaim.
- 75th and up5
- 50th to 74th4
- 25th to 49th6
- Below 25th4
Shape of the crowd
10 of their 19 titles are Crowd Pleasers.
- Crowd Pleaser10
- Broadly Agreed2
- Mixed7
Reviewers score the acting 67/100 in their films, across 11 reviewed titles; fans 77, detractors 43. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.
Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.
Is Paul Lynde's work okay for kids?
Across a limited sample of up to 4 MovieCove titles with content scores.
Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.
Who does Paul Lynde work with?
People who share at least 2 of Paul Lynde's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Frank De Vol shares the most, 3.
Actors
- Ann-MargretShared titles: The Villain (1979), Bye Bye Birdie (1963)See all 2 shared titles with Ann-Margret
- Debbie ReynoldsShared titles: Charlotte's Web (1973), How Sweet It Is! (1968)See all 2 shared titles with Debbie Reynolds
- Don MessickShared titles: Charlotte's Web (1973), The Perils of Penelope Pitstop (1969)See all 2 shared titles with Don Messick
- Doris DayShared titles: The Glass Bottom Boat (1966), Send Me No Flowers (1964)See all 2 shared titles with Doris Day
Composers, cinematographers and editors
- Frank De VolShared titles: The Glass Bottom Boat (1966), Send Me No Flowers (1964), Under the Yum Yum Tree (1963)See all 3 shared titles with Frank De Vol
- Lucien BallardShared titles: How Sweet It Is! (1968), New Faces (1954)See all 2 shared titles with Lucien Ballard
- Charles NelsonShared titles: Bye Bye Birdie (1963), Under the Yum Yum Tree (1963)See all 2 shared titles with Charles Nelson
- Joseph F. BirocShared titles: Bye Bye Birdie (1963), Under the Yum Yum Tree (1963)See all 2 shared titles with Joseph F. Biroc
Producers
- Joseph BarberaShared titles: Charlotte's Web (1973), The Perils of Penelope Pitstop (1969)See all 2 shared titles with Joseph Barbera
- William HannaShared titles: Charlotte's Web (1973), The Perils of Penelope Pitstop (1969)See all 2 shared titles with William Hanna
- Martin MelcherShared titles: The Glass Bottom Boat (1966), Send Me No Flowers (1964)See all 2 shared titles with Martin Melcher
