A former secretary who drifted into a beauty contest in order to win a watch, Dickinson won several other such contests, which led to her feature debut in 1954. With her chestnut brown hair, large eyes and healthy good looks, Dickinson first played wholesome roles, but her husky voice and oft-displayed legs suggested a move to tougher, more sultry parts. An early example of this was the half-Chinese combatant against the Vietcong which she played in Samuel Fuller's typically bizarre action pic, "China Gate" (1957). Dickinson's real breakthrough role, though, and arguably the most important
Entered local beauty contest, Jack Roarke's Beauty Parade, when she was 20 in order to win a watch; won competition, and also won subsequent larger-scale contests which followed (date approximate)
1954
Screen acting debut in "Lucky Me"
Earliest TV appearances include work on "General Electric Theater" and "Matinee Theater"
1956
Played first female lead in the Western film, "Gun the Man Down", opposite James Arness
1959
Played breakthrough role in the Howard Hawks western, "Rio Bravo"
