Charles Nelson Reilly Loves You

When I was a kid, I loved game shows, and as a result, two of my very favourite TV personalities were Paul Lynde from Hollywood Squares and Charles Nelson Reilly from Match Game. The obvious fact that they were gay zoomed way over my head; to me, they just seemed like crazy funny guys with big, fun, cartoonish personalities. (My favourite sitcom, come to think of it, was Bewitched — wow, it's a wonder I turned out heterosexual, isn't it?)

It was a great pleasure to reconnect with the late, great Charles Nelson Reilly through the concert film The Life of Reilly, which is my "Hidden Gem" pick this week on my regular DVD segment for CBC Radio. It doesn't have much to recommend it cinematically, but Reilly's winning presence supplies all the entertainment value a person could ask for. Here's the link to click to listen to my review, and here's where to click to order a stylish Charles Nelson Reilly T-shirt (which comes with a free Life of Reilly DVD).