Paul Lynde

Paul Edward Lynde June 13 1926 January 10 1982 was an American comedian actor and gameshow 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 HannaBarbera 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 BenHur 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 standup comedian at the Number One Fifth Avenue nightclub Then came an appearance on a Broadway show New Faces of 1952