Miss Universe 1957 was the sixth Miss Universe pageant, held at the Long Beach Municipal Auditorium in Long Beach, California, United States on 19 July 1957.

Miss Universe 1957
Gladys Zender
Date19 July 1957 (1957-07-19)
PresentersBob Russell
VenueLong Beach Municipal Auditorium, Long Beach, California, United States
BroadcasterCBS
Entrants32
Placements15
Debuts
  • Martinique
  • Morocco
  • Paraguay
Withdrawals
  • British Guiana
  • Chile
  • Dominican Republic
  • Holland
  • United States
Returns
  • Austria
  • Ceylon
  • Hawaii
  • South Korea
WinnerGladys Zender
Peru
CongenialityMapita Mercado Cordero, Puerto Rico
PhotogenicGerti Daub, West Germany
← 1956
1958 →

Gladys Zender of Peru won the contest, and was crowned by Carol Morris of the United States. Zender was the first representative of Peru to win the contest.

After her win, it was revealed that Zender was only seventeen years old, five months under the contest's minimum age requirement of eighteen. Pageant officials decided that she could keep the crown after they were told she was considered to be eighteen in her country due to an old custom explained to them by the then-Peruvian ambassador to the United States, Fernando Berckemeyer Pazos.[1]

Contestants from thirty-two countries and territories competed in the pageant. It was hosted by Bob Russell for the sixth time.

Background

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Long Beach Municipal Auditorium, the venue of Miss Universe 1957

Selection of participants

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Contestants from thirty-two countries and territories were selected to compete in the pageant. It was the first where women who were married and had children could not compete, which in turn became the reason why one candidate was disqualified after the preliminary competition.[2] One contestant was selected to replace the original winner.

Debuts, returns, and withdrawals

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This edition saw the debuts of Martinique, Morocco, and Paraguay, and the returns of Austria, Ceylon, Hawaii, and South Korea. Austria and Hawaii last competed in 1953, while Ceylon and South Korea last competed in 1955. British Guiana, Chile, the Dominican Republic, Holland, and the United States withdrew.[2] Corine Rottschäfer of Holland was due to compete, however she had just won another international contest that barred her entry. Rottschäfer competed the following year.[3] British Guiana, Chile, and the Dominican Republic withdrew after their respective organizations failed to hold a national competition or appoint a delegate.[citation needed]

Disqualification of Miss USA

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Leona Gage, Miss USA 1957, was announced as one of the fifteen semi-finalists, but was removed from the contest on the afternoon before the final after it was discovered that she was married and the mother of two young children.[4][5] Miss Argentina, Mónica Lamas, who was sixteenth in the preliminary competition, replaced Gage.[2] Gage was also stripped of her Miss USA title, and was replaced by Charlotte Sheffield of Utah. Sheffield was unable to compete because the preliminary competition had already taken place.[6][7] Sheffield competed at Miss World 1957, and was unplaced.[8]

Results

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Placements

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Placement Contestant
Winner
1st runner-up
  •   Brazil – Terezinha Morango[9]
2nd runner-up
  •   England – Sonia Hamilton[9]
3rd runner-up
  •   Cuba – María Gamio[9]
4th runner-up
Top 15
  •   Alaska – Martha Lehmann[10]
  •   Argentina – Mónica Lamas[10]
  •   Austria – Hannerl Melcher[10]
  •   Canada – Gloria Noakes[10]
  •   Greece – Ligia Karavia[10]
  •   Italy – Valeria Fabrizi[10]
  •   Japan – Kyoko Otani[10]
  •   Morocco – Jacqueline Bonilla[10]
  •   Sweden – Inger Jonsson[10]
  •   Uruguay – Gabriela Pascal[10]

Special awards

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Award Contestant
Miss Friendship
  •   Puerto Rico – Mapita Mercado[11][12]
Miss Photogenic
Miss Popular Girl

Pageant

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Format

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As with 1955, fifteen semi-finalists were chosen at the preliminary competition that consisted of a swimsuit and evening gown competition.[10] Each of the fifteen semi-finalists then gave a short speech during the final broadcast in their native language. Afterwards, the they paraded in their swimsuits and evening gowns, and the five finalists were chosen.[10]

Selection committee

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  • Earl Wilson – American journalist and columnist[14]
  • Alberto Vargas – Peruvian-American painter known for his "Vargas Girls"[14]
  • Vincent Trotta – American artist[14]
  • Lois J. Swanson
  • Roger Zeiler – French official from the Miss Europe Committee

Contestants

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Miss Universe 1957 participating countries and territories

Thirty-two contestants competed for the title.[15]

Country/Territory Contestant Age[a] Hometown
  Alaska Martha Lehmann[16] 18 Fairbanks
  Argentina Mónica Lamas[17] 20 Buenos Aires
  Austria Hannerl Melcher[18] 19 Vienna
  Belgium Janine Hanotiau[19] 19 Brussels
  Brazil Terezinha Morango[20] 20 São Paulo de Olivença
  Canada Gloria Noakes[10] 18 Toronto
  Ceylon Camellia Perera[18] 23 Colombo
  Costa Rica Sonia Cristina Icaza[21] 18 San José
  Cuba María Rosa Gamio[22] 19 Havana
  Ecuador Patricia Benítez[23] 19 Guayaquil
  England Sonia Hamilton[24] 23 London
  France Lisa Simon[25] 22 Argenteuil
  West Germany Gerti Daub[26] 19 Hamburg
  Greece Ligia Karavia[15] 18 Athens
  Guatemala Ana Walda Olyslager[15] 18 Guatemala City
  Hawaii Ramona Tong[27] 19 Honolulu
  Iceland Bryndís Schram[15] 19 Reykjavik
  Israel Atara Barzilay[28] 18 Tel Aviv
  Italy Valeria Fabrizi[29] 21 Bologna
  Japan Kyoko Otani[30] 21 Tokyo
 Martinique Ginette Cidalise-Montaise 18 Fort-de-France
  Mexico Irma Arévalo[31] 19 Mexico City
  Morocco Jacqueline Bonilla[32] 19 Casablanca
  Paraguay Lucy Montanero[33] 19 Asuncion
  Peru Gladys Zender[34] 17 Lima
  Philippines Mary Ann Corrales[35] 21 Manila
  Puerto Rico Mapita Mercado[11] 18 Santurce
  South Korea Park Hyun-ok[36] 21 Seoul
  Sweden Inger Jonsson 20 Malmö
  Turkey Güler Sirmen 18 Istanbul
  Uruguay Gabriela Pascal 18 Montevideo
  Venezuela Consuelo Nouel[37] 20 Caracas

Notes

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  1. ^ Ages at the time of the pageant

References

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  1. ^ "Whew! She's crowned, but it sure was work". The Montreal Gazette. 22 July 1957. p. 1. Retrieved 1 September 2023 – via Google News Archive.
  2. ^ a b c "Miss USA turns out to be a Mrs". Park City Daily News. 19 July 1957. p. 1. Retrieved 19 July 2023 – via Google News Archive.
  3. ^ "Nederlands eerste Miss World Corine Spier-Rottschäfer overleden" [Dutch first Miss World Corine Spier-Rottschäfer passed away]. Nederlandse Omroep Stichting (in Dutch). 24 September 2020. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  4. ^ "Tall beauty revealed as mother of 2". Concord Transcript. 19 July 1957. p. 1. Retrieved 1 September 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "Ideal miss a missus, so U.S. misses out". Star-Phoenix. 20 July 1957. p. 2. Retrieved 1 September 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ Belser, Lee (20 July 1957). "Utah Queen wins Miss USA– and Peru gets Universe". The Salt Lake Tribune. p. 1. Retrieved 1 September 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ ""Miss" USA, mother of 2, dethroned at beauty show". The Vancouver Sun. 19 July 1957. p. 1. Retrieved 1 September 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  8. ^ "Former Miss USA Charlotte Sheffield Passes Away". tpnnews.one. Archived from the original on 17 August 2016. Retrieved 3 August 2016.
  9. ^ a b c d e "Miss Universe will tour world–With chaperone". Democrat and Chronicle. Rochester, New York. 21 July 1957. p. 3. Retrieved 15 May 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Miss Canada in beauty finals". Nanaimo Daily News. Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada. 19 July 1957. p. 1. Retrieved 15 May 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ a b "Recuerdan a Mapita Cortés" [Remember Mapita Cortés]. El Informador (in Mexican Spanish). 31 December 2010. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  12. ^ a b c "15 left to vie for Miss U.S.A." Eugene Register-Guard. 17 July 1957. pp. 5A. Retrieved 1 September 2023 – via Google News Archive.
  13. ^ a b "First winners in Universe contest". Eugene Register-Guard. 17 July 1957. p. 1. Retrieved 1 September 2023 – via Google News Archive.
  14. ^ a b c Wilson, Earl (16 July 1957). "Earl making as beauty expert at contest to pick 'Miss Universe'". Beaver Valley Times. p. 15. Retrieved 1 September 2023 – via Google News Archive.
  15. ^ a b c d "Fairest girls in the universe". Press-Telegram. Long Beach, California. 14 July 1957. p. 4. Retrieved 11 July 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  16. ^ "Miss Alaska". The Times. 27 March 1957. p. 7. Retrieved 9 August 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ^ "Thirty-three beauties primp for Miss Universe final". The Royal Gazette. 19 July 1957. p. 13. Retrieved 26 August 2023 – via Bermuda National Library.
  18. ^ a b "Beauties surround Gary in real life, too". Youngstown Vindicator. 10 July 1957. p. 1. Retrieved 26 August 2023 – via Google News Archive.
  19. ^ "Everything's In Good Shape". Franklin News-Post. 11 July 1957. p. 7. Retrieved 26 August 2023 – via Virginia Chronicle.
  20. ^ "Ex-miss Brasil, Therezinha Morango morre aos 84 anos" [Former Miss Brazil Therezinha Morango dies at 84]. G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). 14 March 2021. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  21. ^ "Beauty's treatment". The Napa Valley Register. 27 July 1957. p. 3. Retrieved 26 August 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  22. ^ "Meet Miss Cuba". Franklin News-Post. 18 July 1957. pp. B-3. Retrieved 26 August 2023 – via Virginia Chronicle.
  23. ^ "Recuerdos de edificios" [Memories of buildings]. El Universo (in Spanish). 19 October 2020. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  24. ^ "London beauty plans to make home in U. S." Suffolk News-Herald. 25 August 1957. p. 9. Retrieved 26 August 2023 – via Virginia Chronicle.
  25. ^ "Beauties Pass In Review". Franklin News-Post. 25 July 1957. pp. B-3. Retrieved 26 August 2023 – via Virginia Chronicle.
  26. ^ "First winners". Fort Lauderdale News. 17 July 1957. p. 2. Retrieved 26 August 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  27. ^ "Ramona leaves Thursday for contest". The Honolulu Advertiser. 8 July 1957. p. 3. Retrieved 26 August 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  28. ^ "Miss Israel here to compete for "Miss Universe" title". ⁨⁨B'nai B'rith Messenger⁩. 12 July 1957. p. 14. Retrieved 26 August 2023 – via National Library of Israel.
  29. ^ "Introduction to America". The Times. 12 July 1957. p. 5. Retrieved 26 August 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  30. ^ "Miss Japan welcomed". Toledo Blade. 8 July 1957. p. 1. Retrieved 11 July 2023 – via Google News Archive.
  31. ^ "Importante junta de la Cámara" [Important meeting of the chamber]. La Opinion (in Spanish). 28 July 1957. pp. 1B. Retrieved 1 September 2023 – via Google News Archive.
  32. ^ "Personals". Suffolk News-Herald. 28 July 1957. p. 7. Retrieved 1 September 2023 – via Virginia Chronicle.
  33. ^ Coronel, Raul (15 October 2021). "Te presentamos a todas nuestras representantes en Miss Universe" [We introduce you to all our representatives in Miss Universe]. Epa! (in Spanish). Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  34. ^ Vaquero, Natalia (27 April 2014). "Gladys Zender: "Un jeque árabe me ofreció convertirse al catolicismo para casarse conmigo"" [Gladys Zender: "An Arab sheikh offered to convert to Catholicism to marry me"]. Faro de Vigo (in Spanish). Retrieved 1 September 2023.
  35. ^ Lo, Ricky (12 February 2010). "Misses RP for Miss U pageant, 1952-'63". Philippine Star. Retrieved 11 May 2023.
  36. ^ "Long Beach". Honolulu Star-Bulletin. 12 July 1957. p. 15. Retrieved 1 September 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  37. ^ Suárez, Orlando (27 July 2022). "Misses venezolanas de sangre azul" [Venezuelan blue blood misses]. El Diario (in Spanish). Retrieved 1 September 2023.
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