Supermodel of the '70s

Shelley in a PatDem pic wearing Liz Claiborne, 1978

Shelley was one of the highest paid models in the 1970s. She posed for many prominent fashion photographers during the time. One of them was Patrick Demarchelier, who took pics of Shelley for an article about her on Mademoiselle magazine in 1978. She was featured in the Starstyle section of the June 1978 issue. She was already a Supermodel by then and was known as THE Charlie Girl. The writeup explained the brand of beauty Shelley possessed. It wasn't stop-in-your-tracks Garbo-ish or endearingly quirky Lauren Hutton-ish. It said she had a clean, fresh, open and honest type of beauty. She was all-American and wholesome... you just like her, that's it. She projected a grown up cheerleader kind of vibe.

Shelley sporting trendy shades

in Fiorucci's NY boutique, 1978

The writeup described her personal style as "more Frost than Ferlinghetti, more Wyeth than Warhol. Clean. Classic. Unfettered." In one pic, she was photographed wearing a crinkle cotton camp shirt in butter over a waist-wrapping pants in olive drab, both by Liz Claiborne, caftan sandals by Selby and a Mankins hat. In another she was photographed in Fiorucci's NY boutique sporting their trendy new shades and wearing a big cotton purple gauze smock by Kennsington Blue over a pair of straight-legged denim jeans by UFO. Matching boots and hat finished her look. In both, Shelley looked fabulous.

Shelley getting ready for a photoshoot

for Mademoiselle magazine, 1978

TV Doctor

a closeup of Shelley from a promo pic

for Cutter to Houston, 1983

Shelley's second foray into series TV was via the television show Cutter to Houston, which she headlined with Jim Metzler and then newcomer Alec Baldwin. It was about three doctors relegated to working in a small-town community hospital in the fictional Texas town of Cutter located miles from Texas. The facility was linked-up to a big city hospital in Texas via computer and had a helicopter for airlifting serious cases into the city. Shelley played Dr. Beth Gilbert, a surgeon whose dream was to perform heart surgery in Houston. Jim played Dr. Andy Fenton, a general practitioner and hometown boy put through med school by Cutter and was thanking/paying his town back. Alec played Dr. Hal Wexler, a Chicago internist on probation for writing unnecessary prescriptions.

Shelley with Alec Baldwin and Jim Metzler

in a TV Guide writeup for Cutter to Houston, 1983

Gay Gibson Ad NZ 2

a closeup of Shelley from a 1967 Gay Gibson ad from NZ

Shelley appeared in many ads for Gay Gibson during her modeling days. The brand was one of the many labels that came out of Kansas City, Missouri. It was a label that dated back to 1937 and that specialized in producing mid-priced fashions for young women. There was nobody named Gay Gibson associated with the brand though; it was owned by the Gernes Garment Company. The brand was exported to other countries including New Zealand where ads with Shelley would also appear.

Shelley with Linda Gauche and Terry Reno

in a NZ ad for Gay Gibson, 1967

Love Boat Episode D

The Love Boat Season Three Volume 2 DVD set,

The Love Boat Seasons 1-3 DVD set,

released 2017 and 2020 respectively

Shelley appeared in the another Aaron Spelling hit series during her year as one of Charlie's Angels. She was a guest star on the 3rd season episode of The Love Boat called "Dumb Luck/Tres Amigos/Hey, Jealous Lover" which was initially aired on March 15, 1980. She played nuclear physicist and professor Carol Ketay, Julie's friend, who couldn't get a date because she was just too brainy. Julie told Carol that her brains intimidated most men and advised her to dumb herself down a bit for the cruise. After giving Carol a makeover, they went ahead with Julie's plan and Carol found a steady date in Chris (played by Kevin Tighe). But just before the cruise was about to end, Chris breaks up with Carol because he thinks she's too dumb. So Julie tells Carol to show Chris how brainy she really was and the two end up happily in each others arms.

screen captures of Shelley from The Love Boat episode

"Dumb Luck/Tres Amigos/Hey, Jealous Lover," 1980

The role of Professor Carol Ketay fit Shelley to a T and she played her exceptionally well. She was also drop dead gorgeous and the outfits she wore were Supermodel glamorous and timeless. She was at the height of her Angel fame when the episode came out and her performance in it is one of the most memorable of that Love Boat season - she was hilarious. In fact, Shelley came in at no. 7 on the list of the "Best Guest Stars on The Love Boat" as listed by ranker.com in 2014. (It's a mystery why people at the time kept saying she couldn't act.) Jayne Meadows, James Gregory, Kevin Tighe and child star Ronnie Scribner were also in the episode. You can watch Shelley's performance as the episode has been included in The Love Boat Season Three Volume 2 DVD set and The Love Boat Seasons 1-3 DVD set, released 2017 and 2020 respectively.

screen captures of Shelley from The Love Boat episode

"Dumb Luck/Tres Amigos/Hey, Jealous Lover," 1980

What to Wear Under Black 3

a closeup of Shelley from the spread for Vogue, 1974

Shelley appeared in many issues of Vogue during her tenure as a Supermodel. In the mag's October 1974 issue, she appeared on the sexy spread called "What to Wear Under Black at Night". In it, she modeled sumptuous lingerie that women could wear underneath their fabulous black evening outfits. One of them was a sexy slip with an all-lace top a lace hem by Gossard Artemis. The pics were taken by her then boyfriend photographer Steen Svensson. Shelley was Supermodel gorgeous.

a pic of Shelley from the spread for Vogue, 1974

Play 1983

Shelley taking a break during rehearsals

for the play Close Ties, 1982

Shelley was very active in the stage scene back in the early 1980s. It's where she honed her chops as an actress. In 1981, she received glowing reviews for her work in the Jack Heifner play Vanities, surprising critics as well as her detractors. She then ventured further and did Elizabeth Diggs' Close Ties in 1983 and likewise received glowing reviews. Directed by Arwin Brown, it was about the struggles of a New England family coping with the senility of the clan's matriarch. Shelley played Anna, one of the matriarch's daughters, and wowed again critics. Her performance in both plays was proof that, yes, she could act.

Shelley in the play Close Ties, 1983

Carefree Patterns 1974 B

closeups of Shelley from a spread

for Carefree Patterns From McCall's, 1974

Shelley appeared on the pages of the Carefree Patterns From McCall's catalog, the July/August 1974 edition. The big book catalog featured the latest fashion patterns from McCall's for that summer season. Shelley appeared on several spreads throughout the catalog. With Shelley in the spread were her fellow uber models of the era, Patti Hansen (later Mrs. Keith Richards) and Lynn Woodruff (later Mrs. Sam Waterston).

Shelley with Patti Hansen and Lynn Woodruff

in a spread for Carefree Patterns From McCall's, 1974

In the spread called "Super-Cool Summer Skirts: Go Any Length," she modeled several McCall's patterns. She wore patterns 4095 and 4097. They were a short-sleeved pullover top with a scoop neck and a midi-length yoked bias skirt with inset pockets and left side zipper. A matching belt and heeled espadrilles finished her look. A straw hat, a head scarf and a necklace accessorized her outfit. She also wore pattern 4113. It was a back-zippered top with a ruffled hem, bias-bound armholes and a continuous neck binding that formed the shoulder straps. It had a matching a skirt with a ruffled hem and a side zipper. A straw hat, a head scarf, heeled espadrilles and trendy bangle finished her look. And Shelley looked super-cool as always.

closeups of Shelley from a spread

for Carefree Patterns From McCall's, 1974

Supermodel in '78

a closeup of Shelley from a PatDem pic, 1978

Shelley was one of the highest-paid models in the 1970s. She posed for many prominent fashion photographers during the time. One of them was Patrick Demarchelier, who took pics of Shelley for an article about her on Mademoiselle magazine in 1978. She was featured in the Starstyle section of the June 1978 issue. She was already a Supermodel by then and was known as THE Charlie Girl. The writeup explained the brand of beauty Shelley possessed. It wasn't stop-in-your-tracks Garbo-ish or endearingly quirky Lauren Hutton-ish. It said she had a clean, fresh, open and honest type of beauty. She was all-American and wholesome... you just like her, that's it. She projected a grown up cheerleader kind of vibe.

Shelley in a PatDem pic, 1978

In some of the pics, Shelley was photographed in a one-of-kind Victorian smockdress of white cotton broadcloth and lace by Reminiscense. Craft Caravan silver beads finished her look. Her makeup? Charlie by Revlon of course, expertly applied by Wendy Whitelaw. Her Hair was by Hamid of Pierre Michel. Shelley looked chic and breathtaking as usual. A PatDem beauty shot was included in the writeup. It should have been the issue's cover. What do you think?

Shelley in an imagined cover

of Mademoiselle's June 1978 issue

Shelley's PatDem beauty shot would have been 

the perfect cover pic. Don't you agree?

Talented Actress

a clipping about Shelley

from TV Picture Life magazine, Jan 1984

After leaving Charlie's Angels in 1980, Shelley was slowly gaining recognition as an actress. She received praise for her work on stage, screen and television, taking everyone by surprise. She had talent and was gaining credibility as an actress. In 1983, she landed a lead role in another TV series, Cutter to Houston. Shelley costarred with Jim Metzler and Alec Baldwin. They played city-trained doctors relegated to a small town clinic in Cutter miles away from a huge hospital in Houston. But in the era when nighttime soaps like Dallas and Dynasty reigned supreme, the series had a hard time finding an audience. After just three months, it was cancelled and although Shelley had gained huge strides and recognition for her acting, she was somehow in the position where she had to prove herself acting-wise again. But in other parts of the world, she always had fans. Cutter to Houston was aired in Germany in 1988 and was a success. Unfortunately, the short run of the series left fans wanting more.

Shelley in a 1983 promo pic for Cutter to Houston

with Alec Baldwin and Jim Metzler

Gay Gibson Ad NZ

a closeup of Shelley from a Gay Gibson ad from NZ, 1967

Shelley appeared in many ads for Gay Gibson during her modeling days. The brand was one of the many labels that came out of Kansas City, Missouri. It was a label that dated back to 1937 and that specialized in producing mid-priced fashions for young women. There was nobody named Gay Gibson associated with the brand though; it was owned by the Gernes Garment Company. The brand was exported to other countries including New Zealand where ads with Shelley would also appear.

Shelley with Linda Gauche and Terry Reno

in a NZ ad for Gay Gibson, 1967

Love Boat Episode C

The Love Boat Season Three Volume 2 DVD set, 

The Love Boat Seasons 1-3 DVD set,

released 2017 and 2020 respectively

Shelley appeared in the another Aaron Spelling hit series during her year as one of Charlie's Angels. She was a guest star on the 3rd season episode of The Love Boat called "Dumb Luck/Tres Amigos/Hey, Jealous Lover" which was initially aired on March 15, 1980. She played nuclear physicist and professor Carol Ketay, Julie's friend, who couldn't get a date because she was just too brainy. Julie told Carol that her brains intimidated most men and advised her to dumb herself down a bit for the cruise. After giving Carol a makeover, they went ahead with Julie's plan and Carol found a steady date in Chris (played by Kevin Tighe). But just before the cruise was about to end, Chris breaks up with Carol because he thinks she's too dumb. So Julie tells Carol to show Chris how brainy she really was and the two end up happily in each others arms.

screen captures of Shelley from The Love Boat 

episode "Dumb Luck/Tres Amigos/Hey, Jealous Lover," 1980

The role of Professor Carol Ketay fit Shelley to a T and she played her exceptionally well. She was also drop dead gorgeous and the outfits she wore were Supermodel glamorous and timeless. She was at the height of her Angel fame when the episode came out and her performance in it is one of the most memorable of that Love Boat season - she was hilarious. In fact, Shelley came in at no. 7 on the list of the "Best Guest Stars on The Love Boat" as listed by ranker.com in 2014. (It's a mystery why people at the time kept saying she couldn't act.) Jayne Meadows, James Gregory, Kevin Tighe and child star Ronnie Scribner were also in the episode. You can watch Shelley's performance as the episode has been included in The Love Boat Season Three Volume 2 DVD set and The Love Boat Seasons 1-3 DVD set, released 2017 and 2020 respectively.

screen captures of Shelley from The Love Boat

episode "Dumb Luck/Tres Amigos/Hey, Jealous Lover," 1980

What to Wear Under Black 2

a closeup of Shelley from the spread for Vogue, 1974

Shelley appeared in many issues of Vogue during her tenure as a Supermodel. In the mag's October 1974 issue, she appeared on the sexy spread called "What to Wear Under Black at Night". In it, she modeled sumptuous lingerie that women could wear underneath their fabulous black evening outfits. One of them was a sexy two-piece black satin bra and bikini set by Van Raalte of Antron III. The pics were taken by her then boyfriend photographer Steen Svensson. Shelley was Supermodel gorgeous.

a pic of Shelley from the spread for Vogue, 1974

Working with English Actors

Shelley in a publicity pic from the mid/late 80s

Shelley appeared in the TV movie series Frederick Forsyth Presents. It was a set of six original spy thriller telefilms by internationally acclaimed author Frederick Forsyth. The first one was A Casualty of War, which aired in December of 1989. In it, Shelley played Monica Browne, a wealthy American horse-breeder and the love interest of retired British secret service agent Tom Rowse (played by David Threlfall) She was the only American among the predominantly British cast. She said, "They have a different approach toward working and in approaching their roles, which was very interesting for me." She added, "English actors are educated in a different system than (American actors) are, and they've done a lot more theater." It was filmed on location in England, Germany and Yugoslavia.

Shelley with David Threlfall in a promo ad

for A Casualty of War, 1989

Carefree Patterns 1974 A

a closeup of Shelley from a spread

for Carefree Patterns From McCall's, 1974

Shelley appeared on the pages of the Carefree Patterns From McCall's catalog, the July/August 1974 edition. The big book catalog featured the latest fashion patterns from McCall's for that season. Shelley appeared on several spreads throughout the catalog. In the spread called "New Sun Looks: The Long and Short of It," she modeled the long, body-hugging summer dress, McCall's Pattern no. 4103. It was a dress designed for unbonded stretchable knit fabrics and had buttoned back straps and an elastic in the back waistline casing. With Shelley in the spread were her fellow uber models of the era, Patti Hansen (later Mrs. Keith Richards) and Lynn Woodruff (later Mrs. Sam Waterston).

Shelley with Patti Hansen and Lynn Woodruff

in a spread for Carefree Patterns From McCall's, 1974

Mademoiselle in 1978

Shelley in a pic by Patrick Demarchelier, 1978

Shelley was one of the highest paid models in the 1970s. She posed for many prominent fashion photographers during the time. One of them was Patrick Demarchelier, who took pics of Shelley for an article about her Mademoiselle magazine in 1978. She was featured in the Starstyle section of the June 1978 issue. She was already a Supermodel by the and was known as THE Charlie Girl. The writeup explained the brand of beauty Shelley processed.  It wasn't stop-in-your-tracks Garbo-ish or endearingly quirky Lauren Hutton-ish. It said she had a clean, fresh, open and honest type of beauty. She was all-American and wholesome... you just like her, that's it. She projected a grown up cheerleader kind of vibe.

Shelley in a pic by Patrick Demarchelier, 1978

In three of the pics, Shelley was photographed in a one-of-kind Victorian smockdress of white cotton broadcloth and lace by Reminiscense. Craft Caravan silver beads finished her look. Her makeup? Charlie by Revlon of course, expertly applied by Wendy Whitelaw. Her Hair was by Hamid of Pierre Michel. Shelley looked chic and breathtaking as usual. A PatDem beauty shot was included in the writeup. It should have been the issue's cover. What do you think?

Shelley in a PatDem beauty shot

that would have been just perfect

for Mademoiselle's June 1978 cover

Exposed in '78

Shelley in a promo pic for the film

If Ever I See You Again, 1978

Shelley's first big-screen leading lady role came in the 1978 with the romantic flick If Ever I See You Again. When she walked in to audition for the role, she was immediately hired. The producer, writer, director and the film's leading man was Joseph Brooks; and he thought she was perfect for the role. He also insisted she wore her glasses. Shelley is nearsighted and only started wearing contact lenses in the early '80s. When she was modeling, she used to remove her glasses and couldn't see the people watching her work. But she wore her glasses during the filming of this movie and said, "With them on, I felt very exposed."

a writeup about Shelley wearing glasses

in the film If Ever I See You Again, 1978

Seventies Supermodel

a closeup of Shelley from 1976 modeling pic

Shelley was a part-time model when she was a teenager and still in school. She was discovered by publisher and heir to the A&P supermarket fortune Huntington Hartford at a debutante ball in the 1960s. With the help of her mother, a former Conover model, she met Eileen Ford of Ford Models Inc. and became, initially, a part-time model and, later a full-time after graduating from Smith College. She was one of the agency's top earners and was catapulted to Supermodel status after she bagged an exclusive contract for Revlon Charlie and became famous the world over. By 1978, she retired from modeling to pursue an acting career - but retained her contract with Revlon, which she kept until 1982.

Shelley in a 1976 modeling pic

thank you to the Shelley Hack Fan Page

on FB for posting the pic

Love Boat Episode B

The Love Boat Season Three Volume 2 DVD set,

The Love Boat Seasons 1-3 DVD set,

released 2017 and 2020 respectively

Shelley appeared in the another Aaron Spelling hit series during her year as one of Charlie's Angels. She was a guest star on the 3rd season episode of The Love Boat called "Dumb Luck/Tres Amigos/Hey, Jealous Lover" which was initially aired on March 15, 1980. She played nuclear physicist and professor Carol Ketay, Julie's friend, who couldn't get a date because she was just too brainy. Julie told Carol that her brains intimidated most men and advised her to dumb herself down a bit for the cruise. After giving Carol a makeover, they went ahead with Julie's plan and Carol found a steady date in Chris (played by Kevin Tighe). But just before the cruise was about to end, Chris breaks up with Carol because he thinks she's too dumb. So Julie tells Carol to show Chris how brainy she really was and the two end up happily in each others arms.

screen captures of Shelley from The Love Boat episode

"Dumb Luck/Tres Amigos/Hey, Jealous Lover," 1980

The role of Professor Carol Ketay fit Shelley to a T and she played her exceptionally well. She was also drop dead gorgeous and the outfits she wore were Supermodel glamorous and timeless. She was at the height of her Angel fame when the episode came out and her performance in it is one of the most memorable of that Love Boat season - she was hilarious. In fact, Shelley came in at no. 7 on the list of the "Best Guest Stars on The Love Boat" as listed by ranker.com in 2014. (It's a mystery why people at the time kept saying she couldn't act.) Jayne Meadows, James Gregory, Kevin Tighe and child star Ronnie Scribner were also in the episode. You can watch Shelley's performance as the episode has been included in The Love Boat Season Three Volume 2 DVD set and The Love Boat Seasons 1-3 DVD set, released 2017 and 2020 respectively.

screen captures of Shelley from The Love Boat episode

"Dumb Luck/Tres Amigos/Hey, Jealous Lover," 1980

What to Wear Under Black 1

a closeup of Shelley from the spread for Vogue, 1974

Shelley appeared in many issues of Vogue during her tenure as a Supermodel. In the mag's October 1974 issue, she appeared on the sexy spread called "What to Wear Under Black at Night". In it, she modeled sumptuous lingerie that women could wear underneath their fabulous black evening outfits. One of them was the bra everyone was looking for - the lightweight, comfortable strapless bra. It was by Vassarette, and had thin lace on the edges and was perfect underneath the little black dress. The pics were taken by her then boyfriend photographer Steen Svensson. Shelley was Supermodel gorgeous.

a pic of Shelley from the spread for Vogue, 1974

Frederick Forsyth Presents

Shelley in a publicity pic from the mid/late 80s

Shelley appeared in the TV movie series Frederick Forsyth Presents. It was a set of six telefilms by internationally acclaimed author Frederick Forsyth, all original spy thrillers. The first of of them was called A Casualty of War and was aired in December of 1989. She played Monica Browne, the love interest of retired British secret service agent Tom Rowse (played by David Threlfall) who had a deadly secret. The telefilm was shot in England, Germany and Yugoslavia.

Shelley in a TV Guide promo ad

for A Casualty of War, 1989

Shelley said she read Forsyth's books as a young girl and found them to be "very macho, exciting Cold War stuff." Being the only American among the predominantly British cast, she laughed it off and said, "Yes, I'm the token." But she enjoyed working with her British co-stars and found their approach to their craft very interesting. She took the part after a four-month run as Luisa Baccara in Tamara, a play by John Krizanc.

a closeup of Shelley from a TV Guide promo ad

for A Casualty of War, 1989

1973 Home Catalog B

 

a closeup of Shelley from a spread

for  Simplicity Home Catalog Spring 1973

Shelley appeared on many spreads and catalogs for Simplicity. The Simplicity Pattern Company is the leading manufacturer of sewing patterns and sewing pattern guides which are distributed throughout the world. They have been manufacturing sewing patterns since 1927 and have allowed fashionistas on a budget and sewing aficionados to create clothes in a reliable manner. Aside from patterns and pattern guides, they've come out with pamphlets, books, booklets, magazines and pattern packages.

a closeup of Shelley from a spread

for Simplicity Home Catalog Spring 1973

Shelley appeared on the cover and on spreads for the Simplicity Home Catalog Spring 1973 issue. She appeared on the spread called "Knit Picks" which featured dresses splashed with flowers or scattered with polka dots. They were dresses that came with a jacket but could be worn on its own - pretty separates for that spring season. She wore Simplicity Pattern 5471. It was a mini-length halter dress that came with an unlined jacket. She finished her floral-pattered outfit with matching lariat-length beaded necklaces. She also wore Simplicity Pattern 5529. It was a two-piece mini dress with contrasting sailor-type collar and sleeve bands. A matching summer hat adorned with grapes and matching bracelets finished her look. And Shelley looked spring spectacular.

Shelley in a spread

for Simplicity Home Catalog Spring 1973