Retrotalk : Television : The Paul Lynde Halloween Special

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Tom1956 Member Since: December 2005 Contributions: 1343 Gold Stars: 34 View User Posts	The Paul Lynde Halloween Special Posted: Tue Oct 27, 2009 5:42 pm Central Time Anybody else have this on DVD? It was made in 1976 and shown only once, and was thought lost until a copy turned up a couple years ago. Typical 1970s variety show kitsch, with Margaret Hamilton recreating her role as the Wicked Witch of the West, and Billie Hayes as Witchipoo. Guests include Tim Conway, Florence Henderson (singing disco, sort of), Roz "Pinky Tuscadero" Kelly (that's how she's billed) and Kiss. Some of the sketches are Halloween in nature only to the extent that Lynde and others dress up in costumes -- Lynde as "the Rhinestone Trucker" is priceless. I think the Kiss numbers were used on an anthology video a few years back: Detroit Rock City and Beth are among them. Lots of bad variety show jokes and tacky musical numbers make this a great relic of a bygone era in television. Nobody does holiday specials other than Christmas these days, and as oddball as this one was, we need more of this kind of goofy entertainment spectacle. _________________ "Life moves pretty fast. You don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." -- Ferris Bueller "A word to the wise ain't necessary -- it's the stupid ones that need the advice" -- Dr. W.H. Cosby, Jr.
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Saucerian Member Since: August 2009 Contributions: 287 Gold Stars: 21 View User Posts	Re: The Paul Lynde Halloween Special Posted: Tue Oct 27, 2009 6:08 pm Central Time It was a stunner, alright. I do have it on DVD and its main draw for many modern viewers is it's the first network television appearence of KISS. Beyond that, KISS, Paul Lynde, Billy Barty, Tim Conway, Pinky Tuscadero, and Witchipoo... That shouldn't even be in the same universe, let alone the same TV show. The plot, such as it is. Paul, needing a little relaxation, is taken by his maid to her sister's place out in the country. As it turns out, the sister turns out to be Witchipoo, while the maid reveals herself as The Wicked Witch of the West. They've recruited Paul because they want him to be their national spokesman. They're trying to soften their image. "But what about what you did to Dorothy?" Paul demands. "Well, she deserved it!" The Witch snaps back. To sweeten the deal, the witches give Paul three wishes. His first, bizarrely enough, is to be a truck driver. He becomes 'The Rhinestone Trucker,' competing with fellow trucker Tim Conway for the affections of diner waitress Pinky Tuscedero. His second, after he blurts out he wishes he were in the Sahara rather than cooped up in the Witches' mansion, he manages to amend so he's a Valentino-style Sheik trying to seduce frigid society dame Florence Henderson. Since he's a little tired, the Witches offer to let him listen to some soothing chamber music by their house band, KISS. They play 'Detroit Rock City' and comment on how they think Paul's kinda weird. Won over to their side, however, Paul gives his final wish to the Witches, who long to visit a 'real Hollywood disco.' The mansion is transformed into a quasi-disco, complete with Florence Henderson singing 'That Old Black Magic.' (Look, I didn't write this thing...) Pinky reappears and she and Paul lead the cast and backup dancers in 'Disco Baby' while the credits roll. Trust me, it plays weirder than it sounds. Yes, that's mind-boggling, but somehow they manage it.
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mwsmedia Member Since: September 2009 Contributions: 214 Gold Stars: 4 View User Posts	Re: The Paul Lynde Halloween Special Posted: Tue Oct 27, 2009 6:27 pm Central Time Our own Boss Radio blogged about the Paul Lynde Halloween Special almost exactly two years ago! Here's a bit of the special itself, featuring awesome seventies-style theme music and... well, yeah, all that good stuff. It's gotta be better than the Star Wars Holiday Special, right? Right? _________________ Matthew Wayne Selznick Chief Evangelist http://www.retroland.com
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Kapatsos Member Since: January 2008 Contributions: 1236 Gold Stars: 977 View User Posts	Re: The Paul Lynde Halloween Special Posted: Tue Oct 27, 2009 8:00 pm Central Time I picked up the DVD last year. its one of those "I loved it as a kid but boy it just drips of cheese now" kind of shows..was great to see KISS in it
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D-Rock Member Since: December 2005 Contributions: 3297 Gold Stars: 107 View User Posts	Re: The Paul Lynde Halloween Special Posted: Tue Oct 27, 2009 9:57 pm Central Time Oh my word...I'm watching it on YouTube now. Stuff like this makes me cringe, but I guarantee had I seen it as a kid, I would've loved it. It's like a cross between a Sid & Marty Krofft show and the Carol Burnett Show! Let's get one thing clear, though...where the Star Wars Holiday Special is just downright awful, and I mean literally with no redeeming value, this one is actually pretty entertaining when it's not making me cringe. The Star Wars show was not even in the "So bad it's good" category. It was simply bad. _________________ Zombies, man. They creep me out.
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Kapatsos Member Since: January 2008 Contributions: 1236 Gold Stars: 977 View User Posts	Re: The Paul Lynde Halloween Special Posted: Tue Oct 27, 2009 11:52 pm Central Time D-Rock wrote: Oh my word...I'm watching it on YouTube now. Stuff like this makes me cringe, but I guarantee had I seen it as a kid, I would've loved it. It's like a cross between a Sid & Marty Krofft show and the Carol Burnett Show! Let's get one thing clear, though...where the Star Wars Holiday Special is just downright awful, and I mean literally with no redeeming value, this one is actually pretty entertaining when it's not making me cringe. The Star Wars show was not even in the "So bad it's good" category. It was simply bad. view one of my friends has the Star Wars one..the Dork still thinks its cool but then again he is a huge Star Wars Geek. that hast to be the worst ever. it makes the Movie, Kiss meets the phantom at the park look good.
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RetroBryan Member Since: January 2008 Contributions: 153 Gold Stars: 160 View User Posts	Re: The Paul Lynde Halloween Special Posted: Wed Oct 28, 2009 2:28 am Central Time That's a hoot!
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eddmarkstarr Member Since: November 2008 Contributions: 538 Gold Stars: 9 View User Posts	Re: The Paul Lynde Halloween Special Posted: Fri Oct 30, 2009 10:37 pm Central Time That you for the link, I'm seeing this for the first time! Am I the only one who sees a little Steve Martin in Paul Lynde? Very strange.
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HardyGirl66 Member Since: November 2005 Contributions: 4041 Gold Stars: 550 View User Posts	Re: The Paul Lynde Halloween Special Posted: Mon Nov 02, 2009 8:28 pm Central Time You can watch the whole thing on YouTube. _________________ Growing old is inevitable, growing up is optional.
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