9 episodes
Death of a Starlet Wondery
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- True Crime
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4.4 • 298 Ratings
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In August of 1980, Playboy Playmate Dorothy Stratten was found dead at just 20 years old. She was the girl next door with the shy smile and whispery voice who didn’t know her own beauty. To Hugh Hefner, she was his next Marilyn Monroe. To famed director Peter Bogdonovich, she was his muse. And to her husband, Paul Snider, she was his ticket to fame and fortune. All three ambitious men adored her. Only one of them murdered her. How did Dorothy’s Hollywood dreams lead to her death?
From Wondery, and the team behind the hit series Hollywood & Crime (The Dating Game Killer, The Wonderland Murders) comes a six-part series about love, sex and murder. Co-hosted by Tracy Pattin and Josh Lucas.
You can binge all episodes of Death of a Starlet exclusively and ad-free on Wondery+. Find Wondery+ in the Wondery App or on Apple Podcasts.
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Strawberry Sundae Supreme
Seventeen-year-old Dorothy Stratten is working at Dairy Queen in East Vancouver when a man walks in who will change her life. His name is Paul Snider and around town he’s known as a hustler and a pimp. Paul sees Dorothy as his ticket to Hollywood. As their relationship progresses, Paul tries to convince Dorothy to pose nude to enter a Playboy 25th Anniversary playmate hunt.
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The Great Playmate Hunt
After seeing Dorothy’s photos, Playboy flies her to LA for a test shoot. At the Playboy mansion, Dorothy meets Hugh Hefner for the first time. Back in Vancouver, Paul makes sure whatever fortune falls upon Dorothy benefits him as well.
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Bunny Perfect
Dorothy and Paul move to LA where Dorothy starts shooting her centerfold pictorial. To make ends meet, she gets a job as a Bunny at the Playboy Club where she learns being a Bunny isn’t as glamorous as it seems. Paul works his next hustle by convincing a club owner to try out a new idea -- male Chippendales dancers.
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Playmate of the Year
It’s the beginning of a new chapter when Dorothy meets director Peter Bogdanovich and he asks her to audition for a role in his new film. Then when Dorothy’s Playboy centerfold issue comes out, it puts her on a path toward Playmate of the Year. When she hires a business manager, it sets Paul off who vows to do whatever it takes to keep control of her career.
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Rising Star
Dorothy heads to New York to start shooting with Peter on his film. As the two grow closer, the crack starts to widen between her and Paul. In LA, Paul concocts a series of schemes to get a cut of Dorothy’s money.
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Final Days
As Dorothy’s career continues to blossom, Paul’s life is falling apart. He embarks on a series of desperate measures to win Dorothy back and hires a private investigator to follow her. As Dorothy pulls farther away, Paul begins to lose control setting them on a catastrophic course.
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Customer Reviews
Interesting.
Well scripted. First few episodes were a bit boring but the story touches you at the end. However, the narrative doesn’t do justice to the underlying psychological issues possessed by the characters. From that perspective it is quite one sided. How the pursuit of fame and attention destroys lives, ruins relationships and makes people blinded to the obvious complexities of human emotions have been overlooked.
Fascinating and an interesting way to listen
Had never heard this story at all & this was an interesting way to listen to it. Really enjoyed the story telling format of this podcast rather than listening to it reportage style.
This of course does mean the storytelling aspect means it may not be for people who prefer just the facts laid down and interviews.
Highly recommend.
Love it
I’ve listened for 10 minutes and I love this already. The story however is heartbreaking 💔 Poor Dorothy