Dore Page, author of Leslie Stevens Goes to Hollywood
Original Airdates: Apr. 25-28, 2025
TVC 687.1: Ed and guest co-host Chuck Harter welcome Dore Page, author of Leslie Stevens Goes to Hollywood: Daystar Productions, Kate Manx and the Making of Private Property, a deep dive into the life and career of Leslie Stevens—the maverick television writer and producer whom most of us know best as the creator of The Outer Limits—that particularly focuses on Stevens’ early career as a playwright (including the Broadway production of The Marriage Go-Round); the back story of Daystar Productions, the production company that Stevens formed with Stanley Colbert, which Stevens intended to be the first truly independent TV and film production company; and the making of Private Property (1960), the New Wave-style erotic thriller that Stevens made for relatively little money, but which went on to gross several million dollars—despite being flagged as indecent at the time it was originally released. Dore’s book also explores the tragic life of stage actress Kate Manx, Stevens’ wife at the time he made Private Property. Though Manx made a brief splash in Hollywood after the release of Private Property, her film and TV career never got off the ground, while the actress herself died under mysterious circumstances in November 1964. Leslie Stevens Goes to Hollywood is available through McFarland Books.
The Tragic Life of Kate Manx
Original Airdates: Apr. 25-28, 2025
TVC 687.2: Dore Page, author of Leslie Stevens Goes to Hollywood: Daystar Productions, Kate Manx and the Making of Private Property, talks to Ed and guest co-host Chuck Harter about the fragile mix of ambition, frustration, and insecurity that comprised the psyche of actress Kate Manx, and the extent to which depression may have factored into the circumstances leading up to Manx’s death in November 1964. Leslie Stevens Goes to Hollywood is available through McFarland Books.
The Death of Kate Manx
Original Airdates: May 9-12, 2025
TVC 689.1: Part 2 of a conversation that began two programs ago with Dore Page, author of Leslie Stevens Goes to Hollywood: Daystar Productions, Kate Manx and the Making of Private Property, a deep dive into the life and career of the maverick television writer and producer best known as the creator of The Outer Limits that particularly focuses on the making of Private Property (1960), the New Wave-style erotic thriller starring Corey Allen, Warren Oates, and Stevens’ wife at the time, Kate Manx. April 2025 marked the 65th anniversary of the release of Private Property. In this segment, Ed, Dore, and guest co-host Chuck Harter discuss the mysterious nature of Manx’s death in November 1964, as well as the reasons why Private Property was branded as “indecent” at the time it was originally released—even though the subject matter is quite tame when viewed through a contemporary lens. Leslie Stevens Goes to Hollywood is available through McFarland Books.
Leslie Stevens, Stoney Burke, and Quinn Martin Productions
Original Airdates: May 9-12, 2025
TVC 689.2: Dore Page, author of Leslie Stevens Goes to Hollywood: Daystar Productions, Kate Manx and the Making of Private Property, talks to Ed and guest co-host Chuck Harter about Stoney Burke (ABC, 1962-1963), the “art house” look at the lives of 20th-century rodeo riders starring Jack Lord, Bruce Dern, and Warren Oates and produced by Leslie Stevens that ABC canceled after one season—despite garnering a 38 share—partly because the show was considered too ethereal for sponsors to get behind. Other topics this segment include how Warren Oates’ character on Stoney Burke can be considered a forerunner to Angel Martin (the character Stuart Margolin played on The Rockford Files), and how Stevens came to pattern his independent production company, Daystar Productions, after Quinn Martin Productions once Stevens decided to focus on developing projects for television. Leslie Stevens Goes to Hollywood is available through McFarland Books.
