Top moments from archives of Miss Universe, Miss World, Miss Earth, Miss International and Miss Tourism Queen. These are the top 5 pageants in history. These 100 videos shorts are continuous streams.
I Snuck a Cell Video Camera Into Miss Universe 2006 Mood: cheeky Topic: Celebrity
Held in Los Angeles in July of 2006 in the same world famous theater that holds the annual oscars- compare this secret raw Cell Phone Video footage of the pageant with what the Smooth Elegance you saw on TV...
It is so different and gritty when you are part of the audience. Also, you're seeing them as the judges see them. That that may account for why you many disagree with their scores....
The fist Video is from the hidden Cell phone; the second is what one billion others saw on television
Miss Universe Collage of Winners 1952 to 2006 Mood: celebratory Topic: Celebrity
Top Row Left to Right
Miss Universe 1952 - Armi Kuusela, Finland Miss Universe 1953 - Christiane Martel, France Miss Universe 1954 - Miriam Stevenson, USA Miss Universe 1955 - Hellevi Rombin, Sweden Miss Universe 1956 - Carol Morris, USA Miss Universe 1957 - Gladys Zender, Peru Miss Universe 1958 - Luz Marina Zuluaga, Columbia Miss Universe 1959 - Akiko Kojima, Japan Miss Universe 1960 - Linda Bement ,USA Miss Universe 1961 - Marlene Schmidt, Germany Miss Universe 1962 - Norma Nolan, Argentina Miss Universe 1963 - Idea Maria Vargas, Brazil Miss Universe 1964 - Corinna Tsopei, Greece Miss Universe 1965 - Apasra Hongsakula, Thailand Miss Universe 1966 - Margareta Arvidsson, Sweden Miss Universe 1967 - Sylvia Hitchcock, USA Miss Universe 1968 - Martha Vasconcellos, Brazil Miss Universe 1969 - Gloria Diaz, Philippines Miss Universe 1970 - Marisol Malaret, Puerto Rico Miss Universe 1971 - Georgia Risk, Lebanon Miss Universe 1972 - Kerry Anne Wells ,Australia Miss Universe 1973 - Margarita Moran, Philippines Miss Universe 1974 - Amparo Munoz, Spain Miss Universe 1975 - Anne Marie Puhtamo, Finland Miss Universe 1976 - Rina Messinger, Israel Miss Universe 1977 - Janelle Commissiong, Trinidad & Tobago Miss Universe 1978 - Margaret Gardiner, South Africa Miss Universe 1979 - Maritza Sayalero, Venezuela Miss Universe 1980 - Shawn Weatherly, USA Miss Universe 1981 - Irene Saez, Venezuela Miss Universe 1982 - Karen Baldwin, Canada Miss Universe 1983 - Lorraine Downes, New Zealand Miss Universe 1984 - Yvonne Ryding, Sweden Miss Universe 1985 - Deborah Carthy-Deu, Puerto Rico Miss Universe 1986 - Barbara Palacios Teyde, Venezuela Miss Universe 1987 - Cecilia Bolocco, Chile Miss Universe 1988 - Porntip Nakhirunkanok, Thailand Miss Universe 1989 - Angela Visser, Holland Miss Universe 1990 - Mona Grudt, Norway Miss Universe 1991 - Lupita Jones, Mexico Miss Universe 1992 - Michelle McLean, Namibia Miss Universe 1993 - Dayanara Torres, Puerto Rico Miss Universe 1994 - Sushmita Sen, India Miss Universe 1995 - Chelsi Smith, USA Miss Universe 1996 - Alicia Machado, Venezuela Miss Universe 1997 - Brook Lee, USA Miss Universe 1998 - Wendy Fitzwilliam, Trinidad & Tobago Miss Universe 1999 - Mpule Kwelagobe, Botswana Miss Universe 2000 - Lara Dutta, India Miss Universe 2001 - Denise M. Quiñones, Puerto Rico Miss Universe 2002 - Oksana Fyodorova, Russia Miss Universe 2002 - Justine Pasek, Panama Miss Universe 2003 - Amelia Vega Polanco, Dominican Republic Miss Universe 2004 - Jennifer Hawkins, Australia Miss Universe 2005 - Natalie Glebova, Canada Miss Universe 2006 - Zuleyka Riviera
Top Classic Hollywood Sex Symbols of Past Century Mood: amorous Now Playing: Videos Topic: Celebrity
Top Hollywood Classic Sex Symbols of The Past Century Why is it that some people pocess that allure, aura, radiance and intrugue that captures the public's fascination for decades after they have died or retired. Beauty is all around common in show business, but it is that certain something that very few people are born with that makes them so magnetic to hundreds of millions of total strangers around the world - to the point that they become classic sex symbols. What is that rare magic? See if you can detect those rare traits .....
The World of Miss Universe by Ana Maria Cumba
The World of Miss Universe by Ana Maria Cumba. 1975. Manyland Books, Inc.
CHAPTER 1: HOW IT ALL BEGAN
"How did you get this job?" people everywhere asked me and I could only say that being a suburban housewife and a part-time operating room nurse I had never set out to play the role of duenna to Miss Universe. However, one evening in early May, 1963, I left the hospital much later than usual and as I stopped for gas, a sports car driven by a beautiful woman pulled in beside me. Now, all my life I have been a sports car bug and so I couldn't help but stare at her Jaguar convertible. We soon became involved in a prolonged conversation, discovering that we both seemed to have exactly the same enthusiasm about people, travel, places and sports cars.
A week later, the same lady, Mrs. Shirley Knox, telephoned me for tea with a friend of hers in Miami Beach. Naturally, I accepted.
Midway through tea Shirley said, "Ana Maria, I want to talk to you about our project. It does not have anything to do with the world of medicine, but it is a good cause in which we would like to ask you to join us. We are recruiting hostesses for the Miss Universe Pageant in July. You are the kind of person that we are looking for, especially since the languages you speak will be a great asset to the pageant."
CHAPTER 2: MY FIRST PAGEANT
On July 9, 1963, I entered the Miami Beach Convention Hall to report as a hostess for the Miss Universe contestants. The lobby looked like an international bazaar. People of all colors, sizes, and shapes, mostly relatives and friends of the beauty delegates, as well as members of the press accompanying their countries' representatives to the competition, were milling around. Some were dressed in their native costumes, flitting like bees from flower to flower, splashing and buzzing in many different languages and dialects. ---
Later, I returned for further observation of that "pageant." Amidst the profusion of guests, beauty delegates, and hotel personnel, was Christine Welker, a very gracious hostess from Fort Lauderdale.
"Oh, Ana Maria, how good to see you!" she exclaimed. "I've got a problem I'm sure you can help me with. I've lost Miss Jamaica, and Miss Idaho still hasn't shown up. Have you seen her? She's about five feet six inches and blonde."
---
After dinner I bumped into hostess Elvira Menezes, in charge of Miss Brazil, the representative of my homeland.
At 1 A.M. I found myself gazing through the glass window at Miami International Airport at a tall blonde wearing a tailored green suit and a beige hat.
As she walked out, followed by a porter with a cart full of luggage, I approached and asked if she was Gabriela Pinto, Miss Uruguay
"Yes," she said stiffly. "But my name is Graciela, not Gabriela, and my English is poor."
"I'll melt if it's going to be so hot all the time," she added in Spanish, taking a deep breath and removing the jacket and hat. ---
Following registration, each girl had to be measured for her swimsuit, and the whole pageant seemed to revolve around the swimsuit competition. Joanne Warner of Catalina Swimwear did the measuring. Padding was verboten ("forbidden") in those days, and for some the tape measure turned out to be a lie detector of sorts and so, every measurement had to be verified. Of course Graciela was the first to put up a fuss about the whole thing. She proved to be extremely modest and flatly refused to be measured by anyone while in the nude. Shouting and chaos ensued in the fitting room between the two strong-willed women, and I was thrust into the dual role of mediator and intepreter. When the little scene was over, Graciela was allowed to do her own measurement. ---
The official curfew was still 11 P.M., but we never got to bed before 1:00 A.M. Nonetheless the girls had to be at rehearsals at 9:00 A.M. sharp. The Pageant's Executive Producer, Mr. Arthur Knorr, established a code - "B.O.T.," Be On Time - and it was a hostess's duty to have her charges everywhere on time.
This was the hardest part of my task. To get up early was hard enough, but to rush the girls and cope with the struggle of sharing one small bathroom was frequently a herculean task. We tried to set up a schedule of who was to use the lavatory first. The girls were first because they needed more time to perform the rituals of makeup and hairdos. One of the hostesses always complained that her girl took precisely one hour to affix her lashes on one eyelid and that it was an agony to have to wait so long and then rush them at the last minute. Some of the hostesses would literally collapse under the stress but, somehow, I always managed. ---
When I finally did get backstage, I was still jittery and the ceremonies were about to begin. Two of the hostesses told me that Miss Uruguay had fainted from heat prostration but they didn't know where she was. Again I panicked and started looking frantically for my charges until I happened to spot them over in a corner together. Graciela was seated and Rhea (Miss Idaho) was placing ice compresses on her forehead."
---
[...] The girls' gifts were souvenirs of their countries. Most of the European and Middle Eastern girls brought beautiful dolls dressed in their native costumes, similar to what the contestants were wearing. The American girls brought more practical gifts. Miss Virginia brought fifty pounds of ham; Miss Wisconsin, cheese; Miss California brought wine; Miss Kentucky, bourbon; Miss Georgia, a large basket of peaches. The most unusual gifts were from Miss Oregon and Miss Montana who brought a pair of live ducks and a live calf, respectively.
CHAPTER 3: THE CARE AND FEEDING OF MISS UNIVERSE
On August 1, 1963 at 10:00 A.M., I embarked on a United Airlines flight for Charleston, West Virginia, on the first leg of my "Alice-in-Wonderland" career. Miss Universe and her mother were coming from New York and I was to meet them at the Charleston airport.
---
As I entered the plane and approached Miss Universe and her mother, I got the most surprising greetings. (Luckily no one else there spoke Portuguese!) I had met "Mama" before and she appeared pleasant and stable. What was causing her anger over a theoretically happy event, I couldn't imagine. "Mama, please calm down," I implored. "There are so many people waiting for you and Ieda. They are all so anxious to meet Miss Universe."
---
"Miss Universe! that is all they are thinking about, this is terrible!" exploded Mama. "There is no consideration for a human being in this outfit. If I had known it, I would have never let my daughter enter such a contest. We have not stopped going since the night she won, but now I am going to put my foot down and nobody is going to push me around!"
---
It was my first experience facing the press, but they were charming, mostly women's editors. Ieda handled herself graciously, which made my task easier. Fortuntately, Mama behaved too.
---
After a long talk with Mama Vargas, our relationship improved, especially when she saw all the people cheering her daughter. She seemed very happy and began taking our travels more responsibly and with much more pride. Our schedule was really tough and my sympathy for Mama increased when I realized she simply was not up to it.
CHAPTER 4: IEDA GOES HOME
Wednesday, August 7, 1963: Miss Universe's group partied all night long on board Pan Am Jet Clipper 441 all the way down to Rio.
Accompanying the "queen" home were Maritze Ozers, Miss USA, and her chaperon Steveanna Bernard, Mr. Bottfeld, Mama, and myself. None of us slept during the nine-hour-long flight between Miami and Rio. No matter how much champagne was poured into our glasses, the excitement was so great that nothing could anesthesize us.
When Ieda stood at the door of the plane wearing her crown and banner, somewhat dwarfed by the huge Miss Universe trophy she was holding, the clamoring throng broke through security lines and got so rambunctious they almost destroyed the Galeao International Airport.
It was a truly frightening experience - the violence, pushing, and shoving of the people, and the fights by newsmen and photographers - relentless people in their efforts to be first to reach the "queen." Thank heaven the police were able to form a human barricade around the plane to protect us.
---
The first person from the Miss Brazil organization to reach Ieda was Arnaldo Oliveira, completely out of breath and looking as if he hadn't slept in ages. He would be her official escort during her stay in Rio.
He took Ieda firmly by the arm and told her, "I will be responsible for your activities here in Rio, so don't listen to anyone. There are going to be many people inviting you to different places, but you must not do anything without consulting with me."
"But I want to see my family," Ieda protested. "My father, brothers, and sisters are out there somewhere."
---
I had thought the night Ieda won her title in Miami Beach was exciting, as was the night of our arrival in Richwood, West Virginia, but this experience in Rio was beyond comparison. Many of the South Americans absolutely worship beauty queens. To them, it was the highlight of the century when Ieda arrived.
---
That evening we went to a cocktail party at the American embassy in honor of Maritze Ozers, Miss USA, and Ieda. The girls were escorted by the United States officials, but we had the Brazilian Army behind us for extra protection. The embassy party was lavish and elegant; in the midst of it, Arnaldo showed up in a happy state of inebriation and started dancing by himself when there was no music playing. [...] One of the security guards rushed to his aid and led him away carefully. [...]
---
In Sao Paulo, at the Danubio Azul Hotel, the Miss Universe party again occupied an entire floor. My room was connected to the Miss Universe suite, which was continaually bustling with people. A stream of flowers and telegrams kept coming in all day long. The hallway looked like a posh funeral parlor covered with all kinds of expensive baskets of flowers, beautiful roses and orchids of every color. Ieda sent most of them to the nearby hospital and gave some to me to take home to my mother.
---
There were a few calls from critics. A woman called and wanted personally to talk to Ieda. When I asked her to give me the message because Ieda was not available, she agreed. "Yes, I will. On behalf of the women of Brazil, I am ashamed of that wild monkey representing us as the most beautiful woman in the world. We do have beautiful girls in this country," the caller stated.
---
Meanwhile, I was quite a celebrity in the little village of Velierors, where my family lives. Everyone except my mother was clamoring for my attention and bursting with pride for me. But my mother was glad that I was home though she did not approve of all this beauty business.
CHAPTER 5: FACING UP TO THE SPONSORS
September 5: We left for New York for Ieda's first appearance for the Prestolite Co. I had been much warned about this company, how fussy they were, and I dreaded this first venture. Besides the demands of the sponsors, I now had Mama and Papa* along. Fortunately, Papa said that he wanted to meet the people that Mama and Ieda would be traveling with, but he appeared more interested in seeing New York. Clearly he was not a patriarch to match Mama's matriarchal nature.
(*Mama and Papa refer to Ieda's parents) ---
Then I realized that Ieda was not the little saint that her mother wanted her to be. Though she was close to her mother, she would have liked to have had more freedom. She told me that she had never in her life been alone with a boy. She thought she was in love with Flavio, because he was the only boy that didn't seem to be afraid of her parents and he had paid more attention to her than any other man heretofore. She felt that she could trust me and wanted to share her innermost secrets. Since Mama was with Papa, we shared the same room so that we could talk more intimately.
---
We left Washington and went to Tampa, Florida. Papa went back to Miami. At Tampa Airport we met Mr. Pratt and he drove us to Weekiwachee Springs where Ieda was to give the mermaids Royal Crown Cola samples. The Royal Crown Cola appearance was informal and we always met the consumers of our sponsor's products. They were all as enthusiastic as the elite, sophisticated executives. This day in Weekiwachee there was a long line of people waiting to get Ieda's autograph. Some were tourists, dressed comfortably in shorts and sneakers. Others were working people from that area, who had left work to come to get her signature.
---
After dinner, Mr. Davoren invited us to the Playboy Club for after-dinner cordials. Ieda had never seen a Playboy bunny before. We were amazed that the priest came with us and what's more that he appeared to know every one of the bunnies by name! As soon as we arrived, the bunnies, about ten of them, came to greet Father Patrick. There was one particular Hungarian bunny who talked like Zsa Zsa Gabor. Her name was Maria and she and Father appeared to be close friends. I wondered if the good father was really a priest or whether Mr. Davoren was putting us on. At one point, Maria came to our table with a pink carnation stuck between her breasts and asked the Father if he wanted it. If he did, he would have to come and get it. At this point, Father blushed., his face as red as a tomato.
---
[...] By this time, Ieda's English was improving and we were more familiar with what to expect. In Venezuela, the people went out of their way to show their hospitality. They even had a special bullfight performance in her honor on Saturday afternoon before we left for London.
[...] As soon as the first bull entered the arena and was wounded, Ieda saw blood running from his shoulder and began to faint. I told her to put her head down and try to control her emotions and we would leave as soon as the appropriate moment came.
"Let's get out of here before anything else happens," she screamed. Mr Acosta Rubio, our official escort, asked her to wait a few minutes for the dedication of the ears and gave her a bouquet of red carnations for her to throw to the matador after he offered the bull ears to her.
"I'm going to throw up, if he cuts those ears for me. I just can't take it any more," she told him. She was cold and pale, so I insisted that Mr. Rubio take us out. As we were walking out, she asked him what they would do with dead bull.
"They sell it to the market. It is good beef."
"I will never eat meat again," she told him. Later that evening on board Avianca Airlines en route to London, steak chateubriand was served for dinner. Ieda asked the stewardess where this dish was prepared.
"In Caracas," the stewardess replied.
Ieda gave me a long look and said, "So sorry, but I am not hungry."
I lost my appetite too, and we sipped champagne.
---
CHAPTER 6: THE PRIZE OF BEAUTY
We arrived in Lima totally exhausted after a twelve-hour trip. The aggressive mob that had waited all day was pushing and shoving and throwing flowers, a group of children were yelling and a military band was playing Cielito Lindo.
The appearance in Peru was very hectic and confusing and were late for practically every assignment, including a visit to the Casa Presidencial where President Belaonde waited for Miss Universe for almost two hours.
A local cosmetic company, a Miss Universe sponsor, was the culprit. Their people wanted Ieda made up by them before she could appear anywhere. They brought their own hairdresser and insisted that he do her coiffure. Every morning the same thing happened. She would let the hairdresser do her hair and then go into the bedroom and take it all down and re-do it her own way. She couldn't stand having her hair teased but didn't want to offend the cosmetic people or the hairdresser, Ramon. The reason he took so long doing Ieda's hair was because he chattered with his mouth and hands at the same time. Punctuality meant nothing to him. Every morning he brought a different young boy with him and introduced him to us as a cousin. We became suspicious of Ramon when he became openly cozy with his so-called cousins. He was always stroking their faces and talking very sweetly to them. This was our first experience with that sort of person. One morning, Mama was very upset and said that her daughter was delayed because she had to have her hair done by that "queer who talked and giggled like a bitch in heat!" She couldn't stand him and from that day on, he was not to touch her daughter's hair. The next day the cosmetic sponsors brought a different hairdresser, but the agony was the same. We continued to be late.
---
It was impossible for Ieda to rest in Belem; while the doctor wanted her to be in bed and quiet, the sponsors wanted their money's worth, as most of them had already paid for her appearances. I thought the best place for her to rest was Rio. When we got there, I called Mama and she came to see Ieda and so did Flavio, Ieda's boyfriend. Mama and Ieda began to argue over Flavio. One afternoon the conflict was so strong I was afraid that there would be murder on the tenth floor. When the storm ceased, Stanio and I invited Flavio to a movie.
He took Ieda firmly by the arm and told her, "I will be responsible for your activities here in Rio, so don't listen to anyone. There are going to be many people inviting you to different places, but you must not do anything without consulting with me."
At Terazina there was the wildest and worst mob. It took us almost an hour to go from the hotel lobby to our rooms. Thousands of people, holding little pieces of paper, wanted Ieda's autograph. Most of these people were Indians. They thought Ieda was a saint. They looked at her, put the palms of their hands together, and looked as if they were worshipping. There is just no way to describe their reactions to her.
---
When we left for the contracted appearance at the country club I asked for extra security but we didn't get it. A woman came to the door and grabbed Ieda by the hair and shook her head - she wanted a piece of Ieda's hair for a souvenir. I opened my purse and took out a hairbrush and hit her hands and screamed for help.
---
In Puerto Rico, the officials at the Royal Crown Cola Company, who were sponsoring the appearance, invited Ieda and me to a baseball game and Ieda threw out the first ball. The day was delightful, but that night, about 1:00 A.M., someone knocked on the door. When I asked, "Who is it?" a drunken voice speaking Spanish said: "I want to see Miss Universe and I want to sleep with her. If you don't open the door, I will break it down and shoot your... " (He used a very bad word in Spanish.)
---
"But this is different," our hostess said. "Balut is duck egg cooked on the 21st day of incubation."
It was a dish prepared for special occasions and for celebrity guests. Also we were told that cats and dogs were used for food in the Philippines. When a waiter came by with a meat dish trimmed with vegetables, Ieda asked, "Miaw, Miaw?"
---
From Manila, we flew to Hong Kong where Ieda was to cut the ribbon at the opening ceremonies of the President Hotel. Firecrackers and explosives marked the official opening of the hotel, followed by a banquet for officials and special guest. We were served food prepared especially for the occasion - monkey brains! It was Chinese tradition all the way. The monkeys were still alive when the brains were removed. They tied the animal to a table with a hole in themiddle near the top of the head. Tears flowed from the monkey's eyes when the cook sawed off the top of his skull. Both Ieda and I got sick from this horrible spectacle, but we sat there holding our breath and out stomachs so that we wouldn't throw up in front of our honorable hostess. [...]
CHAPTER 7: FAREWELL AND HAIL
Ieda and I walked the long concourse at Kennedy Airport in thoughtful silence to board our Pan American flight 201 bound for Rio. This was Ieda's last appearance as Miss Universe, and supposedly my last trip as a chaperon. We were approaching the end of a year that had been full of excitement, travel, turmoil and joy, ecstasy and agony which neither of us had expected. Now, here we were heading toward the last leg of this glorious unexpected assignment. However, neither of us felt that we had been spoiled by the luxury living that was offered to us, for we had known quite well that it was only temporary and we would soon have to return to our normal lives. "The title of Miss Universe is really a contracted glamorous job and sometimes not so glamorous as it sounds. For every victory, there is a penalty," Ieda said. ---
"I mean, when are we going to see each other again? I feel as if it is all over, and I miss you already, you have been a real mother to me," she said, and then she took my hands and with a voice as if she were choking, went on, "there is no adequate way to thank you."
There were tears in her eyes and I was crying, too. However, I managed to whisper, "I am going to miss you, too, Ieda, and thank you for being so nice and making my job so easy and pleasant."
The crying continued on and off all the way down to Rio, and I am sure that the people sitting across from us thought we were going to a funeral, and not to the Miss Brazil pageant where Ieda was going to crown her successor as Miss Brazil."
---
My task, as Ieda's official chaperon and interpreter, was not too easy at times. I was included in all the official functions, was seated next to her, and had to act as an ambassador-at-large. Ieda was very fussy about food. Many times after those elite dinners with all the trimmings of caviar and champagne, we went back to our room and ordered hot dogs, french fries, and cokes. However, at dinner she was always gracious, tasting and appearing to enjoy the food. On certain occasions I had to explain to our host that the reason she didn't eat it at all was because of her allergies or that she was a vegetarian.
The European beauties had arrived in New York, all twenty-two of them, and were touring the big town and the World's Fair. On July 12, Doris called me again and said that Miss Luxembourg was ill. She said that Herb Landon, who was in charge of the group in New York, was sending her to Miami and asked me to take care of her when she arrived.
An hour later, Mr. Landon called me in a state of panic, for he thought the girl had hepatitis.
I told him that I would take care of her. "But," I said, "if it is infectious hepatitis, I will have to take her directly to the hospital."
"No, I don't want this known to the public. Will you please keep her in your home?" he asked.
On Wednesday, July 13, 1964, a new person entered my life.
Doris and I drove to the airport to meet Mariette Stephano, Miss Luxembourg, 1964. There stood this tall, thin, beautiful creature, wearing a black suit and white blouse, and she looked like a very scared Mickey Mouse!"
---
Ieda came to visit Mariette and brought her brother, Jose Miguel, who was very curious to know where Luxembourg is. Mariette told him that one of the reasons that she entered the contest was because she wanted to show the rest of the world where her country was. "It seems that only the war veterans know that Luxembourg is a country and a city in Germany," she said. "I am proud of my country and my people. Luxembourg is one of the smallest and oldest independent countries in Europe. We have our own language, we also speak French and German, but we have nothing to do with Germany."
On Saturday, August 1, 1964, Ieda turned over the Miss Universe crown to Kiriaki Corinna Tsopei of Greece, and while the excitement was beginning for Miss Greece, we left through the back door and went to a party at the home of Dr. Mietus, in honor of Ieda and his special guest, the Ambassador of Nairobi.
---
And then on August 12, I drove Ieda and the whole Vargas family, including the dog, to the airport. In the midst of our farewell tears, Ieda opened her purse and pulled out a small gift wrapped in red and told me not to open it until I got home. When I did open it there was a note, "This is your medal, you sure earned it. Thank you for the year of your life that you spent with me. Love, Ieda." I was numb. Inside the box was a gold medal with the Miss Universe insignia and the date that she had won the crown. Needless to say, I felt like catching the next plane and going after them.
CHAPTER 8: IT WAS GREEK TO ME
I had met Corinna before and after she became Miss Universe, and I liked her. As I recall, the morning of the swimsuit measuring, she took the tape from June Montagna, who was in charge of this particular task, and measured herself. Corinna also made a practical change in pageant procedure by suggesting that the girls be measured after they had their swimsuits on to avoid embarrassment and conflict in the dressing rooms. Her suggestion worked out well.
My first trip with Corinna was to Dublin, Gerogia, where she toured the wards of the Veterans Hospital and visited the special treatment areas, responding graciously to the greetings of staff and patients along the way. When that was over, we were driven to East Dublin, where was again honored with another key to that city and more beautiful roses.
---
Our next stop was Boston. By this time Corinna spoke a few more words of English, and we were invited to various Greek social affairs. There were a lot of proud Greeks in Boston.
---
That same day, we flew to Milwaukee and were mobbed by thousands of Greeks. Suddenly, everything became Greek to me! Everyone was talking in Greek, and no matter how many times I told them that I didn't understand a word, they still kept speaking to me in Greek.
---
On our way to Rio, Corinna wrote a speech and asked me to translate it. It was amazing how well she memorized it and at her presentation at the Miss Brazil Pageant, which was part of the Rio Centennial celebration, she made her speech in perfect Portuguese.
---
After a tour of the city, we went back to the airport where an Air Force plane flew back to Belo Horizonte to pick up Miss England. When we landed, she and her consul were there waiting, and he brought her onto the plane. She looked well enough to continue the tour, but then she told me that she had only one lung. She was only 19 years old but had the misfortune of having had a lung removed. I was extremely worried about her and relayed this to Mr. Bottfeld, telling him that we had to exercise caution with her activities. She had to blow into a paper bag four times a day and was allowed to participate only on the last night of the Miss Brazil pageant. It was sad that she had to miss so much!
---
And so ended my second Miss Universe year. If it didn't have quite as much excitement as the first year had, it was mostly because I spent much less time with my second winner. But if I ever thought for a moment that I had become at all jaded, the years still ahead would prove how wrong that idea was!
CHAPTER 9: THE DOLL OF SIAM
Pook means fat in Thai, and because she was a fat baby her mother called her "Pook"!
This was the story of Apasra Hongsakula, Miss Thailand, who became Miss Universe in 1965. In reality, Pook was born to be a queen, for she possessed the royal serenity and lived by the royal protocol.
---
Pook told me that she was excited and looking forward to meeting her escort for the ball that evening. So far she only knew his name and that he was a Marine - Lieutenant Robert Wade. She also told me that she was very sad because the next day all the other girls were going home, but she had to stay. "I am going to be so alone," she added.
---
She spent a lot of time in front of the mirror admiring herself. Sometimes she would try on two or three dresses before an appointment, and she was often late because she took so long to dress. She likes her dresses very tight with low necklines.
---
Another memory of Pook ... once we attended a dinner at the Mai-Kai, a Polynesian restaurant in Fort Lauderdale, as the guests of Elliott MacLean and the astronaut John Glenn, and my husband was invited. Pook was very pleased that my John had accepted the invitation. When they served us the "Mystery Drink" she wanted him to do the toasting, so that he would be kissed by the hula girl serving the drink, a specialty of the house. This drink is served in a large bowl with a mountain of ice, with fire coming out of the ice. Everyone in the party sips from it with long bamboo straws. Pook told John to eat the ice and drink the fire - John got such a kick out of her expression - and we all laughed our heads off.
---
In spite of her Siamese temper, Pook was a grateful and generous person. She was always thinking of her three sisters and her brother and buying gifts for them. She said that her youngest sister, Pavina, who was only sixteen at the time she entered the contest, had encouraged her very much. "My sister prayed for me and put gold paper to the emerald Buddha. That is the Thai way of worship. We make sacrifices to the Buddha by giving him gold leaves. Just as the Christians light candles, we pass gold leaves to our Buddha," she explained.
---
The afternoon of dress rehearsal, Pook came to change in the infirmary and was very upset because the pageant didn't have a room for her as C.B.S. had for June Lockhart, in the auditorium. She was also upset over the fact that she had to appear in the Miss USA pageant. Then Martha Betancourt, a dressmaker, was late in finishing her gown. It was a red silk with rhinestones all over it, and Martha had sewn them on one by one. When she arrived with the gown, Pook was in one of her moods and told Martha she didn't like the way the rhinestones were sewn on the gown. Hanging there were two other gowns, one of pink lace, also decorated with rhinestones, and a white satin gown, but Pook felt like wearing red for the Miss USA occasion. After struggling with her over the gown, Martha blew her Cuban cool. "Look, don't give me such a hard time over these stupid stones. Just smile and nobody will even notice them."
---
On her last day as Miss Universe, Pook cried continuously. Right after she crowned her successor, Miss Sweden, I saw Pook hurrying from the auditorium, still in tears. Two weeks later I heard on the news that she had become officially engaged to a cousin of Queen Sirikit, whom she had met during the Queen's birthday celebration. A few months later they were married.
CHAPTER 10: I AM MISS SWEDEN
On July 16, 1966, when Margareta Arvidsson of Sweden won the coveted crown of Miss Universe, I knew that there would be a few miles of traveling added to my life. I had been assigned to meet Margareta when she arrived in New York with the European beauty delegates bound for Miami Beach. My first impression of her was negative. All the other girls appeared excited and full of enthusiasm, but Margareta didn't seem to give a damn and appeared to be dragging along after the rest of the group. After the introductions at Kennedy International, I approached to ask if I could assist her in any way. She turned to me and said she was okay and needed no help.
---
"Chaperon! Do I have to have a chaperon? I hate that word," she said.
"Perhaps I should not say chaperon. I should say hostess, as that is the word used during the contest.," I tried to explain. But she didn't like the word hostess either. She said both words meant the same thing and she was not used to being chaperoned. If her mother trusted her, then why shouldn't the contest people?
"The pageant people would probably trust you, but they don't trust those people who will try to take advantage of you. They just want to protect also the image of the pageant," I explained.
"If I don't like this contest, I will go back to Sweden," she declared.
I thought to myself, "If this is the way she is going to behave, I hope she does go back before she contaminates the others!" I told her that nobody was going to force her to participate and she was as free to go back as she had been free to come.
---
It was about midnight when we got back to our hotel. All the girls were happy, but tired, and went directly to their rooms. A few minutes later, Miss Ireland called and told Ardele, one of the other chaperones, that she was coming to see us and that it was urgent. Ardele hung up the phone and dashed to open the door for Miss Ireland. As she opened it, we saw the tall, green-eyed brunette secretary pass by very quickly. Nothing came to our minds until Miss Ireland walked in and, in a state of shock, told us that the woman was making odd passes at her and always sat next to her trying to squeeze her legs. We were all stunned by Miss Ireland's complaint. The four of us older chaperones had never run into this kind of situation, but we tried to calm Miss Ireland, and Ardele accompanied her back to her room, which was just a few doors down the hall from our suite. About 3:00 A.M., we were awakened by noise in the hall. I dialed the operator and asked for security. Ardele got up in a hurry and went to see what the noise was. It was the green-eyed secretary, drunk as a skunk. She was knocking on Miss Ireland's room and screaming, "Hey Sweetie, it's me; open the door, I have something for you!"
---
When it was over, the whole group took turns sitting in his chair, acting like five year-olds! Miss Morocco and Miss France didn't want to leave. They didn't understand much of the lecture, but were delighted with the portraits of Washington and Lafayette.
---
The next day, I told Lee Bradbury and Bob Gibson that I thought Miss Sweden would win. I was sure that this time I had picked a winner. They laughed, and Lee said, "O.K., if she wins you'll take the first trip with her, and I already have the schedule for the next few months for the new Miss Universe."
---
"You are pretty sure, aren't you," Lee said, showing me the new Miss Universe schedule of appearances. She was pointing to Bogota, Colombia, and the annual Feniti show in Sao Paulo.
"That trip is yours regardless of who Miss Universe may be... but if Miss Sweden wins, we will have some problems as I have been informed that she despises chaperones. She is only eighteen years old, and it's too much responsibility to leave her alone," Lee said, expressing concern.
---
On Saturday night, when the five finalists were announced and Miss Brazil was not among them, it was a blow to all the Brazilians in the audience. I was so shocked I didn't even realize that Margareta was one of the five until I saw her and Satu (Miss Finland) standing with Art Linkletter who was asking them questions. Then, suddenly, Margareta was walking down the aisle wearing the red velvet robe lined with rabbit fur with the Miss Universe crown on her head. The crown was falling off, and her mascara was being washed down her face with tears. When she went to her throne for pictures with her court, everyone was smiling except her. Margareta was now the queen, but... "I didn't want to win... I don't want to be a queen!" She said, staring at me as I approached her with a glass of cold water.
---
During the fashion show, Margareta met a Don Juan, and this was her first experience with a Latin lover. She couldn't get over how deeply he had fallen in love with her in such a short time... if she wanted the moon blue with green cheese on it, he would give it to her. He promised her half of Colombia, and a castle anywhere in the world that she wanted to live in if she would just say, "yes" and marry him. Oh, Margareta had a ball just listening to romantic Antonio Rogas!"
---
Margareta's contract with the Feniti included a photography session at the Livio Studio, and as I was feeling better, I went with her. The studio was under reconstruction and some of the facilities were temporary, including the toilet, which didn't have a door. While Margareta was posing, I had to go to the toilet. As I sat down, the whole seat fell apart and I fell in! My buttocks were sunk into the hole. I was in such an awkward position that I couldn't move, and I was in terrible pain. All I could do was scream for help. When Margareta heard me, she ran to me and when she saw me, she started screaming too. It took Mario, the photographer, and two other men almost half an hour to get me out; and to do so, they had to break the comment around the hole!"
---
Margareta loved animals so much that when we went to Peru, I told her that she might be invited to see a bullfight. She got very excited and surprisingly enough, not only was she invited to see the bullfight, but the matador invited her to fight the bull! When I looked around, there was Margareta inside the arena trying to pet the wild animal.
---
She assured everyone that she would not cry the day she passed her crown over to the next Miss Universe, because she was tired of traveling and signing autographs. She just wanted to be herself again. When the day came, her mother and sister, Ullalena, and her best friend, Mona, were there. Before she went on stage for the last time, she came to assure her mother and me that she was not going to cry. But after she relinquished the crown to Sylvia Hitchcock, she came back in tears just as she had when she had been crowned the year before!
surprised
happy
energetic
cheeky
celebratory
Top Row Left to Right
don't ask
amorous
