What In The World!
What In The World!
1953 - Miss Egypt, Marina Papaelia, was a sultry Greek-Egyptian brunette able to speak insults in 5 languages. After one night in the same hotel room with her, Miss Denmark, Ingrid Anderson, ran screaming into the hall and demanded a new room-mate. Miss Egypt then had the room all to herself, because no-one else would move in with her.
1961 - After the United Kingdom's Rosemarie Frankland became Miss World, one contestant commented: "I think she has a pretty face - but her bust is too big."
1961 - Miss Argentina, Susana Pardal, complained that Miss Denmark, Inge Jorgensen, was no lady. "What does she think I am - a man?" Inge snapped.
1968 - Miss Holland, Alida Grootenboer, commented that the "US must have a machine for turning out beautiful girls with gorgeous figures and smiles that never fade. The only trouble is it sometimes forgets to give the girls brains."
1982 - "They might as well rename the contest Miss Virgin World," grumbled Miss Germany, Kerstin Paeserack. "All they want is a safe little virgin who will trot around visiting hospitals for them. And that is what they got. It was a farce." The new Miss World, Mariasela Alvarez Lebron from the Dominican
Republic, shot back: "I am a virgin and proud of it. I will remain so until I am married. I was not the most beautiful. But perhaps I was the most complete."
1983 - Miss World, United Kingdom's Sarah-Jane Hutt, did not think that she was the most beautiful woman - and some disgruntled competitors agreed. Miss Jamaica, Catherine Levy, who placed fourth, was so angry about not winning that she refused to attend the coronation ball. Said unplaced Miss Barbados, Nina McIntosh-Clarke: "She (Hutt) was not the prettiest girl; we all think the judges were wrong."
1953 - At a big luncheon with the press and photographers, 14 of the 15 contestants showed up conservatively dressed in simple dresses or suits. Miss Egypt, Marina Papaelia, appeared up in a low-cut gown which fell off her shoulders as she rose to leave after the meal.
1959 - Miss USA, Loretta Powell, clad in a Stetson, frilled shirt and skintight pants - supposedly representing U.S. national dress - was told to turn in 2 imitation guns by a straight-faced policeman when she visited Britain's House of Commons. Rules forbid firearms or copies of same in the building.
1971 - Miss Japan, Emiko Ikeda, hardly looked like a geisha girl during an outing to the Tower of London. Perched on a cannon with one knee crossed over the other, she smiled in a sweater, thigh-high, stiletto-heeled leather boots, and a micro-skirt which rode up her buttocks. Photographers
had a field day!
1972 - Miss Sweden, Rita Bengtsson, created a mild sensation at the Variety Club luncheon, where she wore a gown which had the flag of Sweden attached to her derriere. Members of the club were likely much more impressed with top front panel of her gown which barely covered the sides of her breasts.
1978 - Miss Tunisia, Malek Namlaghi, refused to pose for publicity pictures without her yashmak (veil), asserting, "I'm not here for sex - only beauty." After contest organizer Julia Morley disqualified her, Malek changed her mind, removed the veil and was allowed to compete.
1986 - Miss USA, Halle Berry, drew gasps when she wore a bikini featuring stars and ropes of beads during a parade of national costumes. She said that she wanted "to catch the eye from the start." Said Miss Holland, Janny Tervelde, 17, "We think it's very unfair. I'm totally concealed by wearing the Dutch traditional costume with clogs. But her outfit is just the opposite - very sexy."
1965 - Miss World officials banned peek-a-boo swimsuits in reaction to these worn by four contestants at a rehearsal. Miss Canada, Carol Ann Tidey, offered a spectacular view through her net back and sides of her swimsuit. Miss Peru and Miss United Kingdom, Lesley Langley, both had net-covered plunging necklines that went nearly all the way down, and Miss Greece used see-through net to join together the briefest of bikinis.
1967 - Miss Sweden, Eva Englander, wanted to wear a peek-a-boo, cutout swimsuit which exposed her sides and entire back. Contest officials issued a flat no ...too revealing!
1979 - At a preview of the final judging, Miss Venezuela, Tatiana Capote Abdel, popped out of her scanty one-piece swim suit. As the photographers scrambled for the best angle, contest chairman Eric Morley hastily adjusted the swimsuit.
1962 - Miss Holland, Catharina Lodders, after winning the Miss World title: "I don't think I'm the most beautiful girl in the world...I am the most beautiful girl here."
1968 - Miss USA, Johnine Lee Avery: "The thing I hate most is having to smile every moment when you parade on stage. It makes me feel like a hypocrite."
1968 - Miss Philippines, Cecilia Amabuyok, a novice from a convent: "Now everyone will know that nuns can be beautiful and nice, too."
1970 - Miss Sweden, Maj Johannson: "I am fed up with people shouting and screaming at me and the strict chaperonage is quite ridiculous. At the hotel where we are staying I can't even go downstairs to buy a newspaper without a chaperone."
1974 - Contest organizer Julia Morley: "The competition rules make married women and divorcees ineligible. But there's nothing at all to prevent an unmarried mom from entering and becoming Miss World." Shortly afterwards, Miss United Kingdom, Helen Morgan, an unmarried mom, won - and quickly quit among the ensuing uproar.
1974 - Miss Venezuela, Alicia Rivas: "In my country, a girl who has a baby without being married is regarded as a bad girl, not pure and undefiled as we are led to believe Miss World should be."
1986 - Miss United Kingdom, Alison Slack, of the contest chaperones: "It is ridiculous - they treat us like nuns. At the end of the contest, I can't wait to be free to get away from them."
1964 - Miss Israel, Margalit Ophira, had to stay home and finish national service tour with the army, eliminating her from the Miss World contest.
1966 - Uzor Okafor was disqualified by the organizers on the grounds there was no Miss Nigeria contest. Uzor was the mother of two children and had entered the contest only because her British husband had asked her to do so.
1971 - Miss Colombia, Monica Buitron, did not participate in the contest because she was unable to afford the cost of transporting her luggage to London. Monica told a news conference the charges for the excess baggage she wished to take with her to London would be $140 (about $700 in today's money).
1964 - Miss South Africa, Vedra Karasitas, faced arrest upon her return home from London. While she was preparing for judges in the Miss World contest, a judge in Johannesburg was authorizing an arrest warrant because she failed to appear in court on a parking summons.
1966 - Nine students at Cambridge University attempted to kidnap Miss South Africa, Johanna Carter, for ransom in an annual spree during which students try to raise money for charity. Her escort waded in with his umbrella and a contest official punched one would-be kidnapper in the face, sending the nine fleeing.
1967 - Miss World 1966, India's Reita Faria, noted for temperamental tiffs involving hotel staff and other service people, abdicated because of a disagreement with the contest organizers over arrangements for her personal appearances. She later changed her mind and completed her reign. She became a doctor and was one of the judges at Miss World 1981 (along with
Miss World 1977, Mary Ann Catrin Stavins).
1970 - Demonstrators shouting "Women's liberation!" hurled stink bombs, smoke bombs and leaflets onto the stage, forcing comedian Bob Hope to retreat. Before the contest, a bomb exploded under a broadcasting van outside the theatre in an unsuccessful attempt to prevent the BBC from televising the contest. Young militants also protested against the entry of two girls from South Africa, one black and one white, saying it "would propagate the policy of apartheid."
1982 - Bermudian beauty queen Heather Ross was charged with illegally importing cocaine valued at $240,000 into Britain. She was arrested at London's Heathrow Airport after stopping off a plane from Amsterdam, nine days after the Miss World contest in which she was unplaced.
1963 - Judges got a double good look when Miss Israel, Sarah Talmi, showed up with her chaperon-companion - her identical twin sister, Miriam.
1969 - Forty-six contestants climbed on top of dining tables at a London hotel and stood on display for Queen Elizabeth's uncle, Earl Mountbatten, and U.S. Ambassador Walter Annenberg, who marvelled, "Like sunshine. Like a brilliant light cast on this terrible world of ours."
1971 - Earl Mountbatten, again the guest of honor at a London hotel luncheon given for Miss World contestants, took one look at the 47 contestants and told an aide to cancel his next appointment. "The delegates here are much nicer than those at my conference," the earl said as he kissed the hand of Miss USA, Karen Brucene Smith, "I have told the deputy chairman to carry on without me."
1965 - A Syrian official protested after Miss Israel, Shlomit Gat, spoke to Miss Syria, Raymonde Doucco. "I can't talk to her", Miss Syria whined, "I can't and I don't want to. I've had instructions not to talk to her." Miss Israel remarked with a sigh, "I can't understand this silly behavior. After
all, it's only a beauty contest - not a summit meeting."
1976 - Nine contestants withdrew from the Miss World contest in protest against the presence of two entrants from South Africa - one black and one white. They were Miss India, Miss Mauritius (Anne-Lise Lesur), Miss Liberia (Laurine Johnson), Miss Malaysia, Miss Philippines (Joy Conde), Miss Seychelles, Miss Sri Lanka, Miss Swaziland (Zanella Tshabalala), and Miss Yugoslavia. Julia Morley lashed out at the group that organized the anti-apartheid protests, the South African non-racial Olympic committee, "They've had their pound of flesh," she said, "Aren't they satisfied?"
1977 - Miss Swaziland (Zanella Tshabalala) walked out for the second straight year, in a protest against the entry of white Miss South Africa, Vanessa Wannenburg. She was joined by five other contestants - Miss India (Veena Prakash), Miss Indonesia, Miss Malaysia, Miss Philippines (Anna Melissa Veneracion), and Miss Singapore. Pageant officials disqualified two others - Miss Italy & Miss Malta, both 15 - because the minimum age to
compete was 17.
1993 - After photographs were published of Miss Lebanon, Ghada Turk, and Miss Israel, Tamara Porat, smiling shoulder-to-shoulder, Lebanon's top public prosecutor intended to try Miss Lebanon for "collaborating with the enemy." Miss Lebanon claimed she did not realize she was standing next to Miss Israel when the photo was taken.
Sources:
- Vancouver Sun, Vancouver BC, Canada
- The Province, Vancouver BC, Canada
- The Times magazine
- Sunday Mirror, London, UK
- Montreal Star, Montreal PQ, Canada
- Toronto Star, Toronto ON, Canada
- Sacramento Bee, Sacramento, CA, USA
- Washington Star, Washington, DC, USA
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