Maxine Stuart

Actress

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The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation Presents

02:26

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About

About this interview

In her hour-long interview, Maxine Stuart (1918-2013) talks about her formative years in theater and her appearances in early live television productions for NBC, including an experimental show in 1939. She details her noteworthy appearance as the woman wrapped in bandages in the classic Twilight Zone episode "Eye of the Beholder," and discusses working with Jack Lemmon in the feature film Days of Wine and Roses. Additionally, she speaks about her work in the filmed television series Slattery's People, in which she was a regular, and The Wonder Years, for which she received a guest actress Emmy nomination. B-roll consists of a program and a still photo from Stuart's early theater career. Gary Rutkowski conducted the interview on August 31, 2004 in Beverly Hills, CA.

All views expressed by interviewees are theirs alone and not necessarily those of the Television Academy.

"Live television was a little bit like you were on a sleigh on a snow hill and somebody pushed you and you went down. It really felt like that because you did the whole play and there was no stopping, you just did it. Bang, and you went! It was frightening and exhilarating. It was great."

People Talking About ...

Highlights

Maxine Stuart on [SPOILER ALERT!] The Twilight Zone: "Eye of the Beholder" and the irony in the show's casting, considering the show's message about conformity

03:19

Maxine Stuart on the impact of The Twilight Zone: "Eye of the Beholder"

00:19

Maxine Stuart on her Emmy-nominated guest role on The Wonder Years

00:57

Maxine Stuart on appearing with John Ritter on Hearts Afire

00:57

Maxine Stuart on appearing as a regular on Slattery's People

00:33

Full Interview

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Chapter 1

On her childhood and early influences; on studying acting and appearing in a broadcast for experimental television; on mishaps on live television

On working with Fred Coe; on doing shows for DuMont network; on appearing on Philco Television Playhouse and working on soap operas

On getting cast in The Twilight Zone: "Eye of the Beholder" and the impact of the episode

Chapter 2

On appearing on The Donna Reed Show, Desilu Playhouse, Dr. Kildare, The Outer Limits, and Cannon

On appearing as a regular on Slattery's People; on her stage name; on appearing with John Ritter on Hearts Afire; on her favorite performance from her career and how she'd like to be remembered

B-roll of items from her performances

Shows

Cannon

Maxine Stuart on appearing on Cannon

02:20

Donna Reed Show, The

Maxine Stuart on appearing on The Donna Reed Show

00:44

Dr. Kildare

Maxine Stuart on appearing on Dr. Kildare

00:33

Hearts Afire

Maxine Stuart on appearing with John Ritter on Hearts Afire

00:57

Outer Limits, The (1963-65)

Maxine Stuart on appearing on The Outer Limits

00:23

Philco-Goodyear Television Playhouse

Maxine Stuart on appearing on Philco Television Playhouse

03:52

Slattery's People

Maxine Stuart on appearing as a regular on Slattery's People

00:33

Twilight Zone, The

Maxine Stuart on [SPOILER ALERT!] The Twilight Zone: "Eye of the Beholder" and the irony in the show's casting, considering the show's message about conformity

03:19

Maxine Stuart on performing under the bandages in The Twilight Zone: "Eye of the Beholder"

01:33

Maxine Stuart on working with director Douglas Heyes on The Twilight Zone: "Eye of the Beholder"

00:42

Maxine Stuart on the impact of The Twilight Zone: "Eye of the Beholder"

00:19

Maxine Stuart on not getting recognized from appearing in The Twilight Zone: "Eye of the Beholder"; on getting asked to go to Twilight Zone conventions

01:18

Twilight Zone, The: "Eye of the Beholder"

Maxine Stuart on getting cast in The Twilight Zone: "Eye of the Beholder" and [SPOILER ALERT!] the irony in the show's casting, considering the show's message about conformity

03:19

Maxine Stuart on performing under the bandages in The Twilight Zone: "Eye of the Beholder"

01:33

Maxine Stuart on working with director Douglas Heyes on The Twilight Zone: "Eye of the Beholder"

00:42

Maxine Stuart on the impact of The Twilight Zone: "Eye of the Beholder"

00:19

Maxine Stuart on not getting recognized from appearing in The Twilight Zone: "Eye of the Beholder"; on getting asked to go to Twilight Zone conventions

01:18

Wonder Years, The

Maxine Stuart on her Emmy-nominated guest role on The Wonder Years

00:57

Topics

Bloopers

Maxine Stuart on live television mishaps

00:27

Drama

Maxine Stuart on [SPOILER ALERT!] The Twilight Zone: "Eye of the Beholder" and the irony in the show's casting, considering the show's message about conformity

03:19

Professions

Actress

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Maxine Stuart on performing under bandages, her face entirely obscured, for the classic Twilight Zone episode "Eye of the Beholder"

01:33

Performers

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Maxine Stuart on performing under bandages, her face entirely obscured, for the classic Twilight Zone episode "Eye of the Beholder"

01:33

Genres

Sci-Fi/Supernatural Series

Maxine Stuart on getting cast in The Twilight Zone: "Eye of the Beholder" and the impact of the episode

07:14

People

David Shaw

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Maxine Stuart on meeting writer David Shaw on Philco Television Playhouse and reuniting later in life

02:13

Douglas Heyes

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Maxine Stuart on working with director Douglas Heyes on The Twilight Zone: "Eye of the Beholder"

00:42

Fred Coe

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Maxine Stuart on working with Fred Coe

01:03

Gordon Duff

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Maxine Stuart on working with director Gordon Duff

00:28

Jack Lemmon

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Maxine Stuart on appearing in the feature film "Days of Wine and Roses" with Jack Lemmon

01:50

John Ritter

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Maxine Stuart on appearing with John Ritter on Hearts Afire

00:57

Walter Matthau

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Maxine Stuart on appearing with Walter Matthau on Philco Television Playhouse

00:32