For reasons that eluded us until much later in life, we’d excitedly tune in to Bewitched in syndication every day after kindergarten — in the hopes Paul Lynde would be making one of his kooked-out appearances as Samantha’s mercurial brother, Uncle Arthur.
Related: Was Bewitched The Most Progressive Gay Series Of Its Time?
In an alternative timeline, the tormented, inspired comedian would’ve been 91 today. To celebrate his birthday, take a look at this seriously druggy Instant Maxwell House commercial, which casts Paul Lynde as a thoroughly high-strung, thoroughly unconvincing husband to a batty housewife played by character actress Alix Elias.
It’s perilously strange, even by today’s standards:
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https://youtu.be/wCOyg_wPH64
ChrisK
I want some of that coffee!
WeHoGuy69
Love it! 😀
MacAdvisor
“Samantha’s mercurial brother, Uncle Arthur.”
Um, no. Arthur is, oddly enough, Samantha’s uncle, not her brother. I thought that was made rather clear in his name. According to the Bewitched wiki, “Uncle Arthur is Samantha’s uncle and who is the warlock brother of Sam’s mother Endora.” The wiki doesn’t list any siblings for Samantha, so she is likely the only child of Endora and Maurice.
Heywood Jablowme
Go figure! They must have decaf at Queerty.
He BGB
I can’t get it to play but the wild look in his eyes says enough! He first appeared as Samantha’s driving instructor before Uncle Arthur. Is it true go died sniffing poppers? That’s what I heard decades ago.
ProfessorMoriarty
Let me guess–you were on iOS when you tried to view it? Queerty uses a broken video plugin that doesn’t work on iPhones or iPads, but they refuse to fix the problem because it might hinder their ability to show us the same g-d ads over and over again before each clip.
Kieran
Paul Lynde was one of the hardest working people on TV…….he appeared as the blind as a bat doctor on the Munsters, a dapper Canadian Mountie on F-Troop, a popular favorite on the Dean Martin Show and of course the undisputed star of Hollywood Squares. I wonder who was lucky enough to inherit his fortune?
kurt_t
His sister inherited his fortune, which was substantial. He died of heart failure in January, 1982, at the age of 55. He was a very heavy smoker, and rather generally self destructive. His death, though it inspired a few raunchy urban myths, was a quiet, garden variety expiration. He died at home, alone, in bed. No drugs, no signs of foul play. it was If you want to know all the details of his life and career, there’s a wonderful biography that came out in 2005, Center Square, by Steve Wilson.
Chevelter
Thanks for book recommendation. I’ll look for a copy.
ChrisK
That must have been heavy since nearly everyone smoked back then.
tricky ricky
I am old enough to have seen that commercial when it originally aired and I’ve never seen that commercial before in my life. that’s something you wouldn’t forget.
I remember when he answered why do bikers wear leather with because chiffon wrinkles.
truckeralex
Won’t play
ProfessorMoriarty
Try a non-mobile browser.
DCguy
The commercial is like a meth addict married to a heroine addict.
Bob LaBlah
I thought for a minute that was Donna Pescow (Annette in Saturday Night Fever). I always thought he appeared more that of a nervous queen than an actor to be taken seriously in everything he was in. He was too cynical appearing for my tastes and could never shed that image.