Charlie Sunshades 3

a closeup of Shelley from an ad

for Charlie cosmetics, 1981

Shelley was THE quintessential Charlie Girl and appeared in many, many ads for the best-selling Revlon brand. But aside from Charlie perfume, Charlie also had a skin care, nail care and cosmetics line. In 1981, she appeared in a UK ad for Charlie with the tagline "Summer Dreams Come True with Charlie 'Sunshades' at Boots." To match the new sunshine mood for that summer season, Charlie introduced a cosmetics kit called Sunshsades. It contained Extra Shine Lipstick, Nail Gleamer, Real Live Blusher and two shades of Fresh Eye Shadow. The kit was available in 3 different "colorways," two for summer days and one for summer nights. They were all available at Boots for only £5.95. And Shelley was summer gorgeous in the fabulous ad.

a pic of Shelley from an ad for Charlie cosmetics, 1981

Newest Angel 1979

a promo pic of Shelley from 1978

Shelley became Angel no. 5 in 1979 when she joined the cast of Charlie's Angels in season 4 as Tiffany Welles, the classy Boston-bred policewoman who was the daughter of one of Charlie's oldest friends. She was handpicked by Aaron Spelling due to her impeccable background. She was a bright young woman with a high I.Q. from upscale Greenwich, Connecticut. She had a history degree from Smith (a classy East Coast college.) And, because of her Revlon Charlie endorsements, she was already one of the most recognizable faces in the world. "We hired her 40 percent from the screen test and 60 percent from the personality test," Spelling told TV Guide, "We decided she was a nice person with sparkle and intelligence."

a clipping about Shelley from Tiger Beat magazine, 1979

Shelley was  great addition to the show. Season 3 of Charlie's Angels had already dramatically slipped in the ratings (from #4 in season 2 to #12 in season 3). Shelley's addition brought renewed interest to the series. And the fact that she was Revlon's Charlie Girl brought in a lot of needed and free publicity. Yes, everybody loved THE Charlie Girl, even the show's designer Nolan Miller admitted that. The headline "The Charlie Girl Becomes Charlie's Newest Angel" was a publicity masterstroke. In fact, Shelley's debut episode "Love Boat Angels" topped the Nielsen ratings when it first aired; and it looked like Charlie's Angels was in for another explosive season with the addition of this Supermodel Angel.

Shelley with co-Angels

Cheryl Ladd and Jaclyn Smith

in promo pics for Charlie's Angels, 1979

Stylish Nurse 3

a closeup of Shelley from an ad

for Budget uniforms, 1975

Shelley appeared in both the ads and the catalogs of the Budget Uniform Center, a company that specialized in uniforms for professional women. In 1975, she appeared in an ad for Budget that had the tagline "Budget Whites? Right!" In the ad, Shelley donned a nurse's uniform from White Swan's fresh and flattering professional line in carefree polyester honeycomb double knit. Aside from uniforms, Budget also created shoes, accessories and other career wear - all of which were featured in Budget's Handsome New Fall and Winter '75 Catalog. And Shelley made one fresh and stylish nurse.

Shelley in an ad for Budget uniforms, 1975

Yes, She Can Act

Shelley in the play Close Ties,

aired on cable TV in 1983

Shelley was very active in the stage scene back in the early 1980s. It was where she honed her chops as an actress. In 1982, she starred as Anna in Elizabeth Diggs' Close Ties. The play ran in 1982 and was aired on cable TV on March of 1983. Aside from Shelley, the cast included Kim Darby, Alan Oppenheimer, Christopher Guest, Ann Dusenberry, Joyce Ebert, Anne Seymour and John Shepherd. Shelley's performance in the play was proof that, yes, she could act; and her critics and detractors took notice.

Shelley with (from left) Christopher Guest, Joyce Ebert,

John Shepherd, Kim Darby and Ann Dusenberry

in Close Ties, aired on cable TV in 1983

Wards Spring Summer '75 A

a closeup of Shelley from a spread

for the Montgomery Ward Spring & Summer '75 catalog

Shelley has appeared on many spreads for many catalogs from the late '60s to the mid-'70s. Many Supermodels at the time appeared in the most popular catalogs during the era like Cheryl Tiegs, Beverly Johnson, Patti Hansen and Shelley Smith, just to name a few. Many models who eventually became actresses also appeared in the catalogs like Veronica Hamel, Erin Grey, Kim Basinger and Pam Dawber.

Shelley in a spread

for the Montgomery Ward Spring & Summer '75 catalog

Shelley appeared on the pages of the Montgomery Ward Spring & Summer '75 catalog. In the spread called "Coordinate Your Own Way," she wore "play pairs" - mix and match coordinated pieces in double knit polyester. She wore The Shirt (in fabric printed with flowers and stripes, with a pointed collar and two-button cuffs) over a pair of Perky Pants (trousers in printed fabric with flared legs and an elastic waistband). She topped it with The Shirt Jacket (in a solid-colored fabric which had a long pointed collar, 2 patch pockets, 1-button cuff and a front yoke). Matching footwear finished her look. And Shelley looked 1975 chic.

a closeup of Shelley from a spread

for the Montgomery Ward Spring & Summer '75 catalog

Sportswear '73

a closeup of Shelley

from a Wrangler Sportswear ad, 1973

Shelley appeared in several ads for Wrangler in the 1970s. In 1973, she appeared in an ad for Wrangler Sportswear, an affordable line of clothes for men and women. Shelley wore a sky blue sweater over a white long-sleeved shirt with a pair of matching sky blue pants. She wore a pastel-colored checkered jacket over it. Sporty footwear and a matching belt finished her look. An oversized painter's cap, a fun timepiece and a huge duffle bag accessorized her look. And Shelley looked like a million dollars in her mid-priced fashion sportswear pieces. Note: sandwich optional.

Shelley in an ad for Wrangler Sportswear, 1973

Critical Acclaim, 1982

a pic Shelley from a newspaper ad

for the play Born Yesterday, 1982

Shelley honed her acting skills on stage in the early 1980s. In 1981, Shelley joined the cast of the Jack Heifner three-character play Vanities. Later, she joined the cast of Close Ties which was directed by Arvin Brown (aired on cable TV in March 6, 1983). Both were taped for HBO and, in both, she received glowing reviews. In September of 1982, she starred as Billie Dawn in the Pennsylvania Stage Co.'s production of Born Yesterday. The play ran from September 29 to October 24 of that year and was presented at the J.I. Rodale Theater in Allentown.

Shelley in a newspaper ad

for the play Born Yesterday, 1982

"She's a woman who starts out as one thing and ends up as something else," Shelley said of her character, "That's always a challenge." She added, "I'd heard of the theater's (PSC) reputation among regional theaters, and, like most actors, I welcome the chance to stretch (artistically). This is not a career change for me: I've always been an actor. However, this is a role which will help me grow - in a congenial environment."

Of Shelley's portrayal of Billie Dawn, Sylvia Lawler (writer for The Morning Call) said, "That she acquitted herself endearingly enough in Born Yesterday came as something of a surprise to a lot of people." She added that Shelley's performance had "a touching and engaging innocence." Shelley's foray into stage had resulted in critical acclaim.