60th Anniversary Screening: Hollywood Squares
Sat 11/21 • 7:30PM PST
Billy Wilder Theater
Part of: Archive Television Treasures
In person: actors Ruta Lee, Rich Little, Jo Anne Worley
Made possible by the John H. Mitchell Television Programming Endowment
Premiering on NBC on October 17, 1966, Hollywood Squares became one of the most popular game shows in television history, with over 4,000 episodes of the original network incarnation produced through 1981. The longevity of the simple tic-tac-toe game was driven in large part by the show’s charismatic, quick-witted host, Peter Marshall. A talented actor and nightclub comedian, Marshall breezily tackled the daunting task of corralling the series’ boisterous, rotating stable of nine celebrities, setting up punchlines and volleying retorts with equal aplomb.
While high-wattage superstars such as Vincent Price and Sammy Davis Jr. often guested, the literal center of Hollywood Squares’ towering, neon-lit set featured an icon like no other — actor and comedian Paul Lynde. Beloved by audiences of all stripes, Lynde routinely brought down the house with bawdy ad-libs and double entendres — delivered impeccably with a knowing wink. Painfully closeted in his personal life to protect his showbiz career, Lynde turned conventional wisdom of the day upside down, boldly introducing the masses to an undeniably empowered, queer-coded persona previously unseen on television.
Join us as we celebrate the 60th anniversary of the premiere of Hollywood Squares and the birth centennials of Peter Marshall and Paul Lynde. Two preserved episodes will be screened, complete with original commercials, as well as an extended clip reel showcasing a galaxy of guest stars, risque retorts and the genius of Paul Lynde.
Programmed and notes written by John H. Mitchell Television Curator Mark Quigley.