Patrick Layton Paulsen was an American comedian and satirist notable for his roles on several of the Smothers Brothers television shows, and for his satirical campaigns for President of the United States between 1968 and 1996.
22 Facts About Pat Paulsen
2.
Pat Paulsen was the son of Beulah Inez and Norman Inge Paulsen, a Norwegian immigrant who worked for the Coast Guard.
3.
Pat Paulsen joined the Marine Corps after high school, when World War II was still being waged, but it ended before he was shipped overseas.
4.
Pat Paulsen returned home after the war and worked as a posting clerk, a truck driver, a hod carrier, a Fuller Brush salesman, and a gypsum miner.
5.
Pat Paulsen attended San Francisco City College, then joined an acting group called "The Ric-y-tic Players," and he formed a comedy trio that included his brother Lorin.
6.
Pat Paulsen developed a solo act, appearing as a comedic guitarist in various clubs on the West Coast and in New York City.
7.
Pat Paulsen met the Smothers Brothers during an appearance in San Francisco.
8.
The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour premiered in 1967, and Pat Paulsen said that he was hired because he sold them inexpensive songs and would run errands.
9.
Pat Paulsen made a guest appearance on The Monkees in the 1968 episode "Monkees Watch Their Feet", playing the Secretary of National Defense.
10.
Pat Paulsen made many appearances on The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.
11.
Pat Paulsen was featured in the 1970 Get Smart episode "The Mess of Adrian Listenger".
12.
In 1971, Pat Paulsen performed in the play Play It Again, Sam at Cherry County Playhouse in Traverse City, Michigan.
13.
Pat Paulsen enjoyed this professional summer-stock theater so much that he became business partners in 1976 with television writer and producer Neil Rosen and bought Cherry County Playhouse.
14.
Pat Paulsen starred in a production every summer except 1973, all the way through the 1995 season.
15.
Pat Paulsen starred in 24 different plays, including The Fantasticks, The Odd Couple, Harvey, and The Sunshine Boys.
16.
Pat Paulsen appeared in nightclubs, theaters, and conventions throughout the country.
17.
Pat Paulsen's name appeared on the ballot in New Hampshire for the Democratic primary several times.
18.
Pat Paulsen began serving as his booking agent, and the two were married in 1988.
19.
Pat Paulsen later sued her and was awarded a judgment of $233,000, but Chaney said that, even if she had the money, she would rather "go out and shred it rather than turn it over" to Paulsen.
20.
In 1995, Pat Paulsen was diagnosed with colon cancer, and doctors discovered that the cancer had spread to his brain and lymph nodes in 1997.
21.
Pat Paulsen sought alternative medicine treatment for his cancer in Tijuana, Mexico, and died there from complications of pneumonia and kidney failure on April 24,1997.
22.
Pat Paulsen was fondly remembered by fans who enjoyed his mockery of the entire electoral process.