I have a friend who was very close to Paul Lynde's interpretation of poetry professor when he was an undergraduate at Northwestern. According to the professor, even then, Lynde knew he was destined to do a certain kind of comedy (if he was to have a successful career), but he longed to be able to do Eliot's "Prifrock" and be taken seriously. According to my friend, Miss Lee, whom I gather always called them like she saw them (though a mixture of kindness and toughness), said, "Well, kid, you play the cards you were dealt." It's a great story, whether it actually happened or not. |