Sunday, August 11, 2024

Charlie's Angels Cocktail Party

Shelley at a Charlie's Angels
cocktail party, June 1979

"Who is going to be Charlie's newest Angel?" That was the question in everyone's mind in 1979. And in late-May of 1979, it was finally answered; the new Angel had been cast. THE effervescent Charlie Girl Shelley Hack was officially joining Jaclyn Smith and Cheryl Ladd to complete Charlie's newest Angel triumvirate. Shelley was hounded by the paparazzi from then on. She was Hollywood's newest "it girl" and she appeared in virtually every newspaper and magazine around the world. Shelley said, "It has been quite a whirl." Jaclyn Smith said, "I feel good about her. I think the three of us are going to get along great." Cheryl Ladd said, "Shelley seems like a terrific girl. I think she's good and I'll do everything I can to make her feel at home." Everything was going along well with the new Angel team; yet rumors of catfights and jealousy (which unfairly plagued the series since its debut) still persisted and was being written about in the press.

Shelley with David Doyle
at a Charlie's Angels cocktail party,
June 1979

To address the rumors, Jaclyn Smith and Cheryl Ladd talked to Charlie's Angels executive producer Aaron Spelling and convinced him to throw a cocktail party for the TV critics of America. The party would formally introduce Shelley Hack to the press and hopefully put an end to all the talks of discord among the new Angel team. It was held at ABC's West Coast offices at the ABC Entertainment Center in Century City, Los Angeles. Jaclyn, Cheryl and Shelley attended the party as well as their other cast member David Doyle who played John Bosley in the series. Aaron Spelling, his business partner Leonard Goldberg and the ABC network (where Charlie's Angels was aired) corporate brass were all in attendance as well. The Angels cast had just returned from filming at the U.S. Virgin Islands and they all raved about how much fun they had shooting the season's first episode.

Shelley with David Doyle
at a Charlie's Angels cocktail party,
June 1979