Today kicks off my countdown to Halloween where I'll post something spooky or Halloweeny for the entire month of October – except weekends...I don't do weekends. So let's start things off weird with a clip from The Paul Lynde Halloween Special from 1976...which includes a performance from KISS...
In the scenes above you just witnessed one of the most bizarre moments in TV history. The Paul Lynde Halloween Special was a "who's who" of 70's cheese. The show was basically your typical 70's variety show full of skits and musical numbers with a Halloween theme...sometimes. 
Paul finds himself trapped in a castle run by witches, played by Margaret Hamilton (Wicked Witch of the West from "Wizard of Oz") and Billie Hayes (as Witchiepoo from Sid & Marty Krofft's "HR Pufnstuf") along with their pint-sized butler Billy Barty. Through a series of skits we see Paul as the Rhinestone Trucker, competing with Tim Conway for the affections of Roz Kelly (Pinkie Tuscadero from "Happy Days")...Paul as the Chic Sheikh, wooing Florence Henderson (from The Brady Bunch)....Florence lip-syncing her way through a disco-fied rendition of "That Old Black Magic"...and there's also appearances by Donny and Marie and Betty White.
Of course, this special is best known as KISS' network debut. "Just what I always wanted...4 kisses on the first date!"...is just one of Paul Lynde's corny one-liners. Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons of KISS also get to deliver lines through their Brooklyn accents. KISS also performs/lip-syncs "Detroit, Rock City," "Beth" and "King of the Nighttime World".
The Paul Lynde Halloween Special is available on DVD so if you're in a 70's campy Halloween spirit...check it out.
1 comments:
Donny and Marie look rather sinister in their satin robes. As if they were members of some kind of cult... Nah, I refuse to say it. Too easy.
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