Angie Dickinson: The Police Woman Who Always Dressed To Kill

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Left: Angie Dickinson and Burt Reynolds in 'Sam Whisky' (1969). Right: Angie Dickinson in 'Police Woman.' Source: IMDB; Getty Images

Sultry actress Angie Dickinson, whose Police Woman TV series was a hit in the mid-'70s, has had a long career in Hollywood as an in-demand performer and, let's face it, a really cool chick. If Frank Sinatra and his Rat Pack had ever officially allowed girls in their club, Angie would have been at the top of the list -- she and Ol' Blue Eyes were lifelong friends, and it's no wonder she was cast as his wife in Ocean's Eleven (1960).  Apart from Police Woman, Dickinson's memorable roles came in such memorable films as Rio Bravo (1959), The Killers (1964), The Chase (1966), Point Blank (1967), Pretty Maids All in a Row (1971), Big Bad Mama (1974), and Dressed To Kill (1980).

Angie Dickinson played her fair share of "sex kitten" roles, particularly early on -- if a movie wanted that extra dollop of sex appeal, casting Angie Dickinson was a sure bet. But on Police Woman, she provided something rare on TV at the time -- a strong, heroic female lead. Between Angie Dickinson and Lynda (Wonder Woman) Carter, mid-'70s TV was trending toward female empowerment for the first time, well, ever.