Angie Dickinson
Angie Dickinson in a press photo
During the Great Depression, Angie, only 10 years old, was uprooted from the plains of North Dakota to sunny California. The actress that won a Golden Globe in 1975 attended Burbank’s Bellarmin-Jefferson High, an architectural replica of Philadelphia's Independence Hall.
Angie Dickinson's order of choice at Bob’s Big Boy Burbank is a chocolate milkshake, "thick enough to chew," according to Chris Erskine of the LA Times, and of course a "Big Boy."
Frank Sinatra and Angie Dickinson
Frank Sinatra used to park his 1961 Dual-Ghia behind Angie's house throughout the course of their 10-year love affair. Angie bought herself a 1962 Cadillac for $6,600 (an average American’s annual salary at the time).
The mythic bombshell actress was once described as, “A quasi-liberated pre-Womens Liberation woman.”
As a welcomed “gal pal” of the Rat Pack, she regularly beat them at poker and even in telling a bawdy story. “I wanted to be unique or something special — I would never run with the pack,” when asked why she never dyed her hair platinum blond in the age of Marilyn Monroe and Jayne Mansfield.
Angie may be best known for her role in Howard Hawks' Rio Bravo (1959), acting opposite The Duke.
Angie Dickinson and John Wayne
Angie acted alongside the other big leading men of the day in The Killers (1960) with John Cassavetes, Lee Marvin, and an "evil" Ronald Reagan, Ocean’s Eleven (1964) with Frank Sinatra, and The Chase (1966) with Marlon Brando.
Angie Dickinson and Marlon Brando
On the cover of Esquire (1966), she wore nothing but white high heels and a sweater. The photo became so iconic; it’s been recreated twice, once with Britney Spears in 2003 and again with the Victoria’s Secret Angels in 2008.
Rock Hudson and Angie Dickinson
Her cult status began to take hold with French director Roger Vadim’s Pretty Maids All in a Row (1971) co-starring Bob’s Big Boy Burbank Hall-of-Famer Rock Hudson as “Tiger.” Well into her forties, she did several nude scenes in the B-movie, Big Bad Mama (1974). The steamy shower part in Dressed to Kill (1980) turned out to have actually used a body double. She played “Pepper Anderson” in the groundbreaking TV series, Police Woman (1974-78), which became the first successful TV series drama to feature a woman in the title role.
John F. Kennedy and Angie Dickinson
Perhaps what’s most erotic about the actress referred to as “Legs” or “The Thinking Man’s Sex Symbol” is that she will stand for no nonsense. She walked out of a live taping of a tribute show to her because it was under false pretenses. Knowing she’d never agree to such flattery, the TV producer lied and told her it would be an interview about having worked with director Brian DePalma in her latest role. Bob’s Big Boy Burbank Hall-of-Famer Bob Hope, Burt Reynolds, her family, friends, and the entire 150-person audience hoping to witness the live tribute show all had to go home. She once returned a six-figure advance on a book in order to not reveal anything about her rumored affair with President John F. Kennedy. Even into her 80's, she's still calling them like she see them. “I love YouTube, but not for making stars… People are influenced by a kernel of corn. They’ll vote for anything that includes themselves. It's awful.”
Angie Dickinson’s star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is at 7000 Hollywood Blvd.
Angie with '63 Shelby AC Cobra 260
