Playing Mary

Shelley in a newspaper ad

for the play Vanities, 1981

In November of 1980, Shelley starred in the Jack Heifner play Vanities which was staged at the Westwood Playhouse in Los Angeles. It was filmed for TV as part of HBO's Standing Room Only series and was aired in 1981. Set in 1963 then 1968 and finally in 1974, the play was about three girls from Texas (as high school cheerleaders, then as college roommates, and finally as young adults) - their friendship and its eventual demise. Shelley played Mary (the confident one) alongside Meredith Baxter Birney who played Joanne (the naïve one), and Annette O'Toole who played Kathy (the planner). Shelley immediately jumped at the opportunity to play Mary after leaving Charlie's Angels. "I didn't want to leave Los Angeles without doing something good," she explained. Although she had no prior stage experience, she was ready to take on the challenge. "I don't know how I got the guts to go right into a play immediately after leaving the series," Shelley said. "I started doing theater for the first time in my life although I'd never been on a stage before." And Shelley's gamble paid off. She received glowing reviews for her performance, surprising many of her critics and detractors... as well as Charlie's Angels producer Ed Lakso who thought she couldn't act and that casting her in Angels was a mistake. "One year after the show, I saw Shelley in the stage play Vanities, and she did a wonderful job," Lakso admitted.

Shelley with Meredith Baxter Birney

and Annette O'Toole in a promo pic

for the play Vanities, Nov 1980

Pacino Was Smitten

an imagined pic of what Shelley

dating Al Pacino would have looked like

(let's hope real paparazzi pics

of them together would surface)

In 1980, after a year in the hit TV series Charlie's Angels, Shelley was ready to move on. She first tackled stage in the plays Vanities and Close Ties and won critical praise for her efforts. Then in late 1981, she got the part of a lifetime... a supporting role in the Martin Scorsese film The King of Comedy opposite Robert De Niro. She began filming in New York with Scorsese and De Niro. It was widely reported that, by that time, De Niro had already introduced Shelley to his good friend Al Pacino - and the two had hit it off and started dating. Both stars have always been very private with regards to their personal lives, but reports of them being seen together around New York started cropping up. (For more, check out:  Pacino and the Angel and Shelley and Pacino)

an Italian-language writeup

about Shelley and Al Pacino's

budding romance in the early 1980s

In March of 1982, a writeup about Shelley and Al Pacino came out in the magazine Albo Bliz Cinema - an Italian magazine that featured comics, columns about cinema and showbiz, writeups about prominent personalities, as well as pinups. In the mag's section called "Ciak Si Sussarra" (which translates as "Clapperboard Whispers"), Shelley and Al's relationship was written about. The writeup translates as follows:

Shelley Hack Is Al Pacino's New "Angel"

Robert De Niro certainly never imagined that introducing the blonde and sophisticated Shelley Hack to his friend and colleague Al Pacino, 30, would transform Pacino's life. But instead it did. Shelley, 23, who was one of "Charlie's Angels" for a season, landed a small part in the movie that De Niro will be starring in, "The King of Comedy" with Jerry Lewis. And Shelley was around during the presentation of the film to the press. "When Al saw her and spoke to her, he was transformed. He had a dazed expression on his face, a silly smile on his lips, and he even stopped drinking the wine he had in his glass. He had such a big crush on her, poor Al," said Bobby De Niro. Let's hope it's big enough to make him stop drinking.

Going-Greats

a closeup of Shelley from a pic

used in a spread on the Sears 1970

Spring Through Summer catalog

Shelley appeared in many catalogs throughout her modeling career, from the late '60s to the late '70s. Mail-order catalogs were at the height of its popularity at the time. They were big-book size publications that contained a list and pictures of the general merchandise from, usually, a department store that were available for purchase and delivery straight to the homes of their customers. Everything from homeware to toys were featured in these catalogs... as well as garments and the latest fashion pieces. Shelley appeared in spreads throughout the Sears 1970 Spring Through Summer catalog.

Shelley in a spread for the 1970 Sears

Spring Through Summer catalog

Shelley she appeared in section called Junior Bazaar. It featured the latest fashions for the fashionable young 1970s miss. In the spread called "The Going-Greats Go Great All Summer," she wore separates that could be mixed and matched. She wore The Tunic Jumper, a garment that could be worn as on its own or over something, and The Billowy-Sleeved Blouse, a long-sleeved blouse with a collar and an attached tie. She wore the aforementioned with and without The Straight-Legged Pants, a pair of printed pants with an elasticized waist. Matching footwear and a scarf tying back her hair finished her look. And Shelley looked fabulous in all of them.

closeups of Shelley from a pic

used in a spread on the Sears 1970

Spring Through Summer catalog

Cantiniere Angels 2

a closeup of Shelley from a promo pic

for Charlie's Angels, 1979

Look-In magazine was a kiddie/teen UK magazine that featured two-page comic/picture strips of the most popular television shows of the era. Subtitled as "The Junior TV Times," its first issue came out in 1971 and its final issue came out in 1994. Many popular American TV series were featured in the mag including Kung Fu, The Six Million Dollar Man, The Bionic Woman, CHiPs, Battlestar Galactica, Mork and Mindy... and, of course Charlie's Angels.

Shelley as Tiffany Welles in Look-In mag's

Charlie's Angels comic/picture strip, 1980

From 1979 to 1980, during the airing of the 4th season of Charlie's Angels, Shelley's Tiffany Welles character was featured in the mag's Charlie's Angels comic/picture strip. Along with her co-Angels Kelly Garrett (Jaclyn Smith) and Kris Munroe (Cheryl Ladd), Tiffany solved cases for Charlie for several issues, two pages a week. Her first case debuted on November of 1979 and her final case ended on October of 1980. The mag also featured occasional writeups about Shelley as well as posters of her and the Angel team of that season.

Shelley Hack with Jaclyn Smith

and Cheryl Ladd in a promo pic

for Charlie's Angels, 1979

Express Sweepstakes

pics of Shelley featured

in several Charlie perfume ads, 1982

Shelley was THE quintessential Charlie Girl and appeared in many, many ads for the brand. In 1982, she appeared in a newspaper ad for Charlie which promoted the "Charlie Express Sweepstakes," a promotional tie-up with American Express. All anyone had to do was fill out an entry form at any Charlie counter to get a chance to win a fabulous 15-day trip for two to a faraway place of their choice along with "Mad Money" for their whims and fantasies. Twenty-two additional prizes including a getaway weekend for 2 to any US continental city, transportation and much more were also part of the sweepstakes. The promo also offered customers a chance to purchase the "Charlie Steamer Trunk," which included six shadows, two blushes, two lipsticks, two lipglosses, one double-tip eye-shadow applicator and one split of Charlie cologne in a 6 oz. champagne bottle... for only $10.00 with any $5.00 Charlie purchase. And (artwork) Shelley was gorgeous in the fabulous ad.

an artwork of Shelley in a newspaper ad

for Charlie perfume and cosmetics, 1982

Merv Griffin Show Guest

Shelley being escorted

to The Merv Griffin Show,

October 1979

Shelley appeared twice on the The Merv Griffin Show in 1979. The Merv Griffin Show was an American talk show that starred and was hosted by Merv Griffin - a singer, talk-show host and producer (who owned the production companies Merv Griffin Enterprises and Merv Griffin Entertainment). Shelley first appeared on the show's January 11 episode along with Wayne Rogers, Pia Zadora, comedian Denny Johnston, and singer Eric Carmen. When Shelley became Charlie's newest Angel later that same year, she again appeared on the show's October 30th episode with researcher Durk Pearson, Dr. Richard Selzer, and acupuncturist Dr. Zion Yu.

pics of Shelley being escorted

to The Merv Griffin Show,

October 1979

Pants to Sew

a closeup of Shelley from a pic

for Simplicity Fashion News,

August 1972

Simplicity Fashion News was a monthly pamphlet Simplicity came out with to showcase their latest patterns. The Simplicity Pattern Company had been manufacturing sewing patterns since 1927 and had allowed fashionistas on a budget and sewing aficionados to create clothes in a reliable manner. In August of 1972, Shelley appeared on the pages of Simplicity Fashion News. She was featured in a spread called "Pants to Sew Right Now with New Partners", which featured pants and partners to contrast tops in the newly-popular plaids and color-cued solids. Shelley wore pattern number pattern number 5139 which included a pair of pants, a blouse and a pullover style top sized for knits. The set also included a pattern for a bias-skirt. Matching shoes an a cute heart-buckled belt finished her look. Shelley looked vibrant and ready for those summer outings and shindigs. (For more, check out: Pants to Sew Right Now)

a pic of Shelley

from Simplicity Fashion News,

August 1972