The Tragic Story Behind ‘Bewitched’ Star Paul Lynde & the Night He Watched a Friend Die

Paul Lynde of THE PAUL LYNDE SHOW, at home, 1972. — Gene Trindl/TV Guide/courtesy Everett Collection

What To Know

Paul Lynde struggled with personal sadness throughout his life, partly due to societal pressures to hide his true self.
In 1965, Lynde witnessed the tragic death of his friend James “Bing” Davidson.

If you grew up during the ’70s, it is likely that you remember Paul Lynde best from watching afternoon reruns of Bewitched, where he played Samantha’s crazy Uncle Arthur. You probably also remember his residency in the center square on the classic TV game show Hollywood Squares or as a frequent guest on the Donny & Marie variety show. However, during much of his life, there seemed to be an underlying sadness, likely stemming from the inability to be his authentic self at all times. Or perhaps it was because he once watched a dear friend fall to his death.

The ill-fated friend in question was an aspiring young actor named James “Bing” Davidson. At the time of the accident, Lynde was significantly older than his friend. Davidson was 24, and he was 39. It was the summer of 1965, and the two men had made plans to hit the town hard in San Francisco before returning to their room to recover.

According to journalist Katie Dowd, writing for SF Gate in 2022, the scene of the accident was Lynde and Davidson’s room, which was on the eighth floor of the Sir Francis Drake Hotel. Dowd wrote that when the two men arrived back at the hotel around 2:30 a.m., “They were drunk and rowdy and…everyone in the lobby knew it.”

Lynde went up to the hotel room first. Davidson, escorted by a security guard, followed a few minutes later. After being dropped off, Davidson wandered over to the open hotel room window. Looking straight at Lynde, he said, “Watch me do a trick”. Assuming that there was a large ledge outside the window, Lynde did not panic when Davidson stepped out of it. However, when he heard him yelling, “Help me, I’m slipping”, Lynde’s demeanor changed immediately. Lynde rushed over to the window and could see Davidson hanging on for dear life. He quickly reached down so that his friend could grab his wrists.

PAUL LYNDE, circa late 1960's-early 1970's. with newspaper inset

Everett Collection

According to Dowd, “A pair of passing beat cops heard screams and joined a gathering crowd staring up at the Sir Francis Drake. Davidson could be seen scrambling, trying desperately to boost his leg back up to the open window. He tried three times before his hands lost their weak grip.”

Right before his very eyes, Lynde saw his friend fall approximately 80 feet to his death.

Coverage of this horrific accident was relatively minimal. While the story hit most newspapers a day later, on Saturday, July 19, it had pretty much been forgotten by the time Davidson was laid to rest a few days later.

Ever the professional, Lynde soldiered on in his career, which, while definitely noteworthy, never seemed to truly bring him happiness.

Blogger Kellee Pratt said this about Paul in 2023, “Like so many brilliant artists that excel in comedy, there is often a mask hiding the pain. For Lynde, he lived in a time when Hollywood wanted queerness hidden…or the center of a party joke. Lynde had to deliver both.”