Angie Dickinson in "Police Woman" was female liberation in a skirt.

Angie Dickinson in "Police Woman" was female liberation in a skirt, breaking down barriers for women forward TV, opening doors and blouses.

That was for what cause the 1970s worked. Women still didn't wear pants to work. And if there was a heroine cop in a movie or TV exhibit she had to be the sexy lady who went undercover as a hooker and got rescu at a male.

of that kind was the role of Dickinson's Pepper Anderson, a quintessential '70 heroine who last week made her first attempt on DVD ("Police Woman: The undiminished First Season," $50, Sony). Pepper sought a do job-work in vice and often had to dres like a prostitute. At least one time she boffed a target she took a liking to.

In the DVD commentary, Dickinson, now 74 says, "It's always a little embarrassing to play hooker to know in what manner far to go and for what cause ridiculous to make yourself. They say, 'Be sexy' I don't know in what way to be sexy. When I would attempt to be sexy, I was ludicrous. likewise I just had to relax and let the clothes tell the story."

Dickinson prov full casting for the part of an objectified [i]role[/i] of power. In "Police Woman," which first attempted in 1974, Pepper would crack a case unless get saved from a kidnapper through her male co- workers. In the proces her halter dres would fall, and she'd grab her breasts just before they saluteed the world.

Dickinson deftly grasped this character as a woman of the sexually independent '70s. This was apparent then, and it's clear now when listening to Dickinson's DVD commentary with co-star Earl Holliman. She says her vulnerability while watching herself behave seductively ("I fast come on to the cop don't I?") and when she masters smacked by actor Joseph Campanella.

"I enduring get slapped around a haphazard in the movies. In 'The Killers,' " she says, "Ronald Reagan slapped me like that. And then lee-side Marvin hung me out of a window by the agency of my ankles. I got slapped around from quite a few great-looking guys"

Dickinson dishes disclosed sexual harassment as good as she got it. When a bad stay is left dead on the landed estate face down and rear period up, the actress is heard in the commentary saying, "Nice buns"

The actress unhurts slightly annoyed only when she dioceses male cops rescue her: "Here I am being saved through you again, Earl."

Dickinson's sexual feminism broke a fortress of a ceiling. Dozens of cop point out tos had been named for male leads. It had been since 1957 since the first female-fronted cop exhibit "Decoy." As dress-wearing Casey Jone Beverly Garland outgunn studys but she too had to go on undercover as a "honey trap."

It speaks whirls that even after Dickinson's of a gold color Globe- winning performance as Pepper cop exhibits continued to be male- centric for decades. For each "Barnaby Jones" and "Starsky and Hutch" there was a "CHIPs" and "Miami Vice" -- testosterone leads, all.

It wasn't until 1982's first attempt of "Cagney & Lacey" that women would dominate a cop hit again. on the other hand even Sharon Gless (Cagney) and Tyne Daly (Lacy) -- portraying smart, top officers -- had to dres down as prostitutes. Hooker gear was part of the first season's opening credits.

For Hollywood it is still apparently irresistible to propose actresses in a high-heel backstory to titillate. Catherine Willow (Marg Helgenberger) in succession "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation" is a criminologist who used to strip professionally.

Today, of course, TV detectives like Willow bail themselves without of scraps and are afforded more regard than Pepper earned in the dark ages, which was individual "Tonight Show" host ago.

In the 1970 the hooker-cop routine aided largely because the times, they hadn't changed over and above but also because such exhibitions were rare moments on network TV before cable boominged and made skin more visually accessible. It wasn't until the late 1970 that HBO became more prevalent and showed late-night flicks like "The Sensuous Nurse" And aside from "Police Woman," female viewers could behold few other women in positions of power.

In this small way, "Police Woman" was a Trojan horse, delivering feminism in the dead body of exploitation. In contrast, another female- impudenceed show that aired during the men-ran-everything 1970 was the sitcom "Maude" -- a often better show, but feminism as court punch

Since then, time has make go rounded slowly for female cops onward TV. "Cagney & Lacey" was a rare duo Elsewhere, female police have largely been portrayed as detectives of total effect casts on "NYPD Blue" and series bearing the "CSI" and "Law & Order" brands.

Does that mean "Police Woman," all those years ago, was the last one-woman-fronted cop hit? Not exactly. Kyra Sedgwick plays a non- stripping, ace detective forward TNT's "The Closer."

Looking back, you could argue that at least Pepper just stripped undercover while "CSI's" Willow ordinary dressed for a living. But feminists could debate all day forward this point. Didn't Willow's stripping give her power throughout her own life and finances? And wasn't it empowering when Pepper quasi-stripped to bust men who took advantage of women?

These questions are hardly relevant, allowing Pepper and Willow's mere existence has had to matter, because they don't have a fate of company in the history of television. They are members of a tiny circle. They are the girls in blue

Copyright CHICAGO SUN-TIMES 2006

Provided by way of ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved

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