Paul Benedict

[mikebennidict]

Today the mad number painter paints number 67. meaning it's his birthday today.

 

[Krazedmuppet]

what? Im sooo lost...

 

[Ziffel]

Haha he was a little behind your time I see, Krazed Muppet. The number painter was played by actor Paul Benedict on Sesame Street in the early 70's. He would go around painting numbers on things like the street, an umbrella, a cake, and even a guy's bald head in a swimming pool! Paul Benedict was also in another great television show - "The Jeffersons". He played the British neighbor Harry Bentley. And did it very well! Yes, I say, he sure did.

And Mike, you know where he painted that number 67 today? On my computer screen! (but I remembered the number 11 sketch and easily wiped it off). He was disappointed but at least there was no doctor he had to go to.

 

[Krazedmuppet]

Im More Lost Now!

 

[Ziffel]

Well here's a picture as well as a biography article about him that Mikebennidict found before.
And in this number painter thread mikealan describes all the number painting sketches Paul did on Sesame Street.

Not that you won't STILL be lost after this, KM.

 

[Rosewood]

#9

I know the previous thread listed this number as being painted on street signs, but for some strange reason I seem to remember this number being painted on the street itself. Then, as the painter is admiring his work, he suddenly hears the sound of a machine comming from up the street. He looks up and is greeted by the sight of a big street washing machine comming strait towards him! ( and who else is hanging out the door, waving for him to get off the street? The "Bald Man"!) He barely manages to jump up on the curb when the machine passes him, squirting jets of water all over his painted 9. Afterwords he steps back down onto the street, takes his hat off, as if in respect for somone or something that just died, and, in a voice that has the same dissapointed tone as the first word in the statement of "OH, NO!" , he saysthe word "Nine."

 

[Ziffel]

You are correct, Rosewood. The nine was painted on the road. Good job describing that. It's one of the number painting segments I recall pretty well.

 

[mikebennidict]

it was on a street and what's funny if it looked like it might of been done in Times Square because the buildings in the part where the street cleaner leaves and Paul shows us the 9. I've seen picture of the area and one day it I thought it looks like this where the 9 segment happened. Of course it sounds strange to close off a busy intersection just to have a 9 painted on the street and have it washed away. Wonder if there were some special effects making it look like it was done there?

 

[fuzzygobo]

With the amount of traffic in Times Square, there would be no way they could close it off for very long. Actually, judging from the opening shot, where Paul walks down a street and turns on a side street, he could be down around Greenwich Village where the streets are much narrower, and most of them only allow parking on one side of the street. Many streets like this are clustered around New York University, where there is mostly only pedestrian traffic, so it would be possible to film a clip like this without the risk of constantly dodging traffic.

Again, this is mostly going by memory. I haven't seen this clip in ages, and I can't remember if there were any buildings or landmarks that would clearly define the location. But it's my best educated guess.

 

[SesameMike]

In that nine segment, as the street-sweeping vehicles were approaching, the Mad painter was standing waving his arms in a "STOP" gesture. He even let out at least one desperate "NO!", but the attendant kept waving him away. Of course the street cleaners won out in the end. The digit was still recgnizable on the pavement, though, albeit smudged all over.

Back in the day, I tried to figure out why he'd be painting a nine in the street. My conclusion was that it was really 9th Avenue! Also:

The doctor's office was Room 11

The elevator doors were on the 7th floor

The cake was for some kid's 6th birthday party

I might have thought that the sailboat was numbered 2 to be in a yacht race.

Never could determine anything meaningful for: the sandwich (3), the umbrella (4), the beachball (5), or the guy's head (8).