Retro Crush #003: Angie Dickinson

Name: Angie Dickinson

Date of Birth: September 30, 1931 (age 80)

Home Town: Kulm, North Dakota, United States

Occupations: Actress

Prime Years: 1954–1980

"When I started shooting Police Woman, someone asked me if I had ever  played a sleuth before. I said 'Yes, many times.' I thought they were asking me if I ever played a slut. I didn't know what a sleuth was."

Check out that body! A lot of people say our standard of what is "sexy" has changed over the years from curvaceous to toned. But it's hard argument to make that Angie Dickinson wasn't ahead of her time.

Dickinson has appeared in over 50 movie rolls and numerous TV shows. Although she started her acting career in the late 50's she really wasn't  looked at as a sex symbol until the early 70's. Dickinson aged well and by that time still looked like a knock out.

Her best move has to the Roger Corman directed "Big Bad Mama" (1974). She has three separate nude scenes, one full frontal [!] with Star Trek's William Shatner!

Angie Dickinson appeared on the March 1979 cover of the adult magazine High Society, with the promise of "nude photos inside." There were nude photos but they were just stills from the nudey shots she did for Big Bad Mama.

They don't even have a proper interview, it's just selected quotes from other interviews she has done. Not really worth tracking down unless your a completest.
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There is an interesting black and white photo floating around which appears to be a very young Dickinson posing totally nude for a frontal shot. This still photograph can be had on ebay for about $10. It really does look like Angie circa late 50's when she was doing beauty pageants. It could be her or some nameless model of  the same period who looked a lot like her.

80 years old now and still not a bad looking great grandma! I would just dust the cobwebs out of the way and dig in!

RetroCrush #002: Nancy Sinatra

Name: Nancy Sandra Sinatra
Date of Birth: June 8, 1940 (age 71)
Home Town: Jersey City, New Jersey, United States
Occupations: Singer, Actress
Prime Years: 1965–1995

Born to the world famous American crooner Frank Sinatra, daughter Nancy could have lived in her father’s shadow forever. Luckily she was born with certain assets that made her a star in her own right.

Starting her career in 1961 as a teen pop singer, Nancy soon grew to be a sex-pot singing about sexual innuendos and acting in Beach Movies where she wore a bikini and showed off her beautiful body.

Alternating between the years as a Singer and Actor Nancy chose parts in movies and songs she sung that were of a mature nature. It’s quite obvious she didn’t want to be seen as daddy’s little girl.

With provocative album covers, and publicity stills Nancy has shown off her nice build on numerous occasions. It wasn’t until 1995 at the age of 45 that she let the world see everything she had to offer in the way of a Playboy spread. Surprisingly she still looked really good.

The playboy layout was of course airbrushed and her face did look a little tight like some plastic surgery had taken place but her body was just as good as that months centerfold. A true testament to a hard working lady.  

As of this writing she is now 71 and doesn’t look so good anymore, but at 71 who does? Still if she were to do another Playboy spread today, I have to admit I would be at the local Circle K buying a copy. Nancy, here’s to you. 

  

RetroCrush #001

It’s kind of funny to watch movies from a decade or two past. What was then considered strikingly beautiful might look dated, or down right ugly by today’s standards. It’s strange how the perceived present view of what’s considered beautiful changes over time. Still there are those women whose beauty transcends the decades.

That’s what RetroCrush is all about, celebrating those women with timeless beauty who I have a bit of an obsession with. Some are well known, others not, some are still beautiful today in there older age, and some are dead. So without any further ado here’s my first pick for what I hope to be a regular feature.

Name: Pia Zadora
Real Name: Pia Alfreda Schipani
Date/Place of Birth: 5-4-1954, Hoboken, New Jersey, USA
Measurements: 34B-21-34 (Source: Celebrity Sleuth magazine).
Prime Years: 1980-1989

A Few Thoughts: The first time I saw Pia was on a VHS cover for Voyage of the Rock Aliens. I was just a kid, but I stared at the video cover in Block Busters every time I went in. I really didn’t believe a woman could be that beautiful. I thought that an artist had touched up the picture. When I finally got around to watching it I was awe.

Here was this short, very petite living doll, that’s the only way I could describe her. She looked like a doll or a live action version of an anime character. Totally unique in build and beauty, I was in love.

Over the years I tracked down some of Pia’s other movies. Most of all of them could be considered B-Movies. She was the first actress to win two Razzie awards two years back to back. Pia’s first film roll was that as a green alien in Santa Clause Conquers the Martians. So maybe she was destined for B-Movie fame from the beginning. 

As well as acting Pia has also had a singing career also reaching it’s peek in the 80’s. One other notable media appearance is a spread she did for Penthouse Magazine in 1983.

For those of you interested what I think is the best of Mrs.Zadora’s work is listed below.

Nevada Heat 

A.K.A. Fake-Out

Pure Pia Cheese! Pia sings, dances, and gets into all sorts of trouble. Definitely worth checking out to see Pia in her prime.

Voyage of the Rock Aliens

There aren’t a whole lot of movies that capture the feeling of the 80’s like this movie. Pia does some music numbers in this as well that are worth a laugh. Many people think Pia never looked better than in this film. I agree.

Butterfly

Incest themes and brief nudity make this the most racy Pia movie out there. No sing or dancing in this one but Pia does chew the scenery up as a little whore. Bath tub scene is worth the price of admission alone.

The Lonely Lady

This movie is notorious for being one of the lowest rated movies on IMDB, it’s in the bottom 100. A greatly ridiculous rag to riches story financed by her wealthy husband, The Lonely Lady is a must not only for Pia fans but for fans of cheese alike. The now infamous scene of Pia being assaulted with a garden hose by Ray Liotta is as timeless as Pia’s beauty!