We have heard the whispers in the halls, "Beauty School lives in the past," and the comments coming from the Swimsuit Training fitting rooms, "They are only interested in Old Queens," and even read the graffiti written in lipstick on the mirror of the quick- change booth, "BS = Before Sayalero!"
We would like to set the record straight. We indeed do focus on pageants of the past as we have pointed out before. There are others better equipped to deal with the late breaking news. We are glad they are there. But you must understand that what is current on one day quickly becomes the past the next. The recent Miss USA pageant is now history. And quarry for us at Beauty School. We could not help but notice the flurry and fury of the badinage over the new look, or facelift, of the Miss USA Pageant.
You see, we do pay attention to the present. To prove to our students that we are as current as we are historic, we have decided to use the "flap" over the changes in the Miss Universe program as the subject of this survey course.
Re-inventing the Miss Universe Pageant is nothing new. Over the years, there have been innumerable changes, both minor and major. This survey course will focus on the major, substantive changes in format over the years, especially those that might have had an impact on the outcome. In particular, we will examine the seminal years of 1960, 1965, 1969, 1978, and 1990. Of course, we will discuss a few minor changes here and there, too. We will demonstrate that re-defining Miss Universe is nothing new...and as common as the first runner-up's mother wanting to know why her daughter lost.
To write this heretofore unwritten chronicle of the major changes in the Miss Universe Pageant format, the Deans of Beauty School spent many hours viewing tapes of the past pageants. It was an arduous task, but one we gladly did in the name of scholarship.
Because there are few available video resources for the 1950's pageants we have decided to begin with the 1960 pageant. This is good starting point, as this was the first year the pageant was broadcast on national television on CBS (one thing that has not changed). 1960 will serve as our baseline to trace the cosmic changes that have rocked the Universe over the years.
The first broadcast of the Miss Universe Beauty Pageant was in black and white and was hosted by John Daley, Audrey Meadows, and Arthur Godfrey. The pageant opened with a parade of the nations not among the 15 semifinalists. Viewers were treated to seeing all the Miss USA contestants who had lost to Linda Bement of Utah, just two days prior. Then the 15 semifinalists, who had been announced previously, took to the stage. Each of them addressed the audience and went on to compete in swimsuit and evening gown competitions.
After the swimsuit and evening gown competitions, there was no cut to five. The judges simply made their choices from the fifteen.
Before the announcement of the runner-ups and the winner, the outgoing Miss Universe, Akiko Kojima of Japan, was presented on stage, and the Miss Universe Creed was read on air for the first time: "We, representing the countries of the world..." For the crowning moment, all the contestants were on stage and the 15 semifinalists were lined up stage right. Each runner up was called out and they walked center stage before disappearing amongst the crinoline crammed stage. And then the name of the new Miss Universe was called out.. "The delegate from the United States of America, Miss Linda Bement!"
A shocked Miss USA received her crown and a cape for her victory walk on the runway. After taking her walk she ascended to her throne center stage. There was no crush
by the other contestants to get into the picture around her throne. It was a very majestic and restrained tableau. Unlike pageants to come, the proceedings did not end here. Within minutes, the new Miss Universe was backstage doing an on-air interview. After a few polite comments, the program came to an end as the famous CBS logo filled the screen. And that was the format for the first national telecast of the Miss Universe pageant.
 |
|
Notice the crown? It looks nothing like what the winner wears today. |
The pageant would keep the same overall format for the next three years. In 1961, though, an interview segment was added, with the hosts interviewing the top 15 backstage, in their dressing room. Another change in that time was the crown. In 1962, Norma Nolan received a crown quite different from the previous years. However, this new style of crown
would last only one year. It was Ieda Vargas of Brazil, who first wore the Miss Universe crown that pretty much resembles the crown we see today.
 |
|
She was seated when she heard her name called out as the new Miss Universe. Notice that her crown more or less resembles the crown worn by today's winners. |
In 1964, there was minor tinkering to the format. The pageant still opened with the presentation of the delegates not in the top 15 and then the presentation of the top 15. But for the first time, the 15 semifinalists were cut to 10 finalists. But, as in previous years, there was no announcement of a top five before the final decision.
Perhaps taking a cue from Bob Dylan’s song, “The Times they Are A Changing,” the Miss Universe pageant took on a decidedly different look and format in 1965. For the first time, the Miss USA pageant was held separately from the Miss Universe Pageant. It was Sue Ann Downey of Ohio who took the title in the first network TV broadcast of the Miss USA pageant, held weeks prior to the Miss Universe Pageant.
When the Miss Universe pageant hit the airwaves, things were different right from the get go. Two innovations in particular made suspense and surprise the dominant themes. The first innovation? The 15 semifinalists were not announced the day before the finals, as had been the tradition since the 1950’s. Instead, TV viewers were treated to one parade of nations - in alphabetical order - featuring all of the delegates and got to pick their favorites. Still in their national costumes, all the delegates then assembled on stage and the 15 semifinalists were announced. From here it was onto the swimsuit and evening gown competitions.
The second innovation followed the evening gown competiton. From the top 15, the field was cut to just 5 who would continue in the competition as finalists. The ladies from Holland, Finland, USA, Sweden and Thailand would walk center stage and into the history books as the first “top 5.” This tradition of cutting the field to 5 had begun and would last for nearly a quarter of a century. From among the first “top 5” in 1965, the judges made a very popular selection and awarded the title to the stunning Apasra Hongsakula of Thailand.
 |
|
left to right, 1st runner-up Miss Finland, Virpi Lusa Meittinen; 2nd runner-up Miss USA, Sue Ann Downey; Miss Universe 1965, Apasra Hongsakula of Thailand; 3rd runner-up Miss Sweden, Ingrid Norrman; and 4th runner-up Miss Holland, Anna Christina Maria Schuit. |
From 1966 to 1969, the pageants looked very much like the 1965 pageant: 15 semifinalists to five finalists; the reading of the Miss Universe Creed; and a feature that is sadly missed. Beginning in these years and continuing into the early 1970’s, the Pageant invited former Miss Universe title holders to sit either in a box just off from the stage or onstage proper. The on-stage host - Jack Linkletter in 1967 and Bob Barker from 1967 on - would take a moment to introduce them . It gave us all an opportunity, brief as it may have been, to see how they looked in the latest gowns and with new hairdos.
Also during these years, the competition did not include a “final question” per se. Instead, the host would chat with the final five to give the judges time to have one last look at the finalist and cast their ballots. As a rule, the chatting was frivolous. To give you some idea of the weight of the questions asked each of the top five consider this: In 1968, Bob discussed musk melons with Miss Finland!
It was July 1969. The world was agog at the prospect of landing a man on the moon. As the US was putting Neil Armstong in a tiny space capsule, the Miss Universe Pageant was busy putting beauty queens into a sound-proof booth! The idea of a final question - of a slightly different sort - had taken hold, and a new chapter was being written in the history of the Universe.
Perhaps it was in the spirit of going where no man or woman had gone before that inspired the introduction of the sound-proof booth. With the addition of the booth, the nature and purpose of the final question also changed. Each of the top five would answer the same question, nothing really hard-hitting, but nothing completely frivolous either. In order for the other finalists not to hear the other girls said, they would be sequestered in what appeared to be a plexiglass container with a door.
Bob Barker said this in 1969 about the purpose of the final question: "The judges will take into account the question asked of her (the finalists) and her ability to think on her feet." To help the women think on their feet quickly, for the very first time, interpreters were provided for those contestants who preferred to answer in their native language. Interestingly enough, this long overdue service was not required by the top five in 1969.
Over the years, the sound-proof booth, also known as the isolation booth, would change shape and even whoosh and play music but on Saturday, July, 19, 1969, it would enter pageant lore. For those who keep track of such cosmic happenings in the Universe, the first 4 ladies to enter the booth represented Australia, the Phillipines, Israel and, Japan. The fifth finalist, Miss Finland, was the first contestant to field the question and therefore did not enter the booth.
 |
|
one giant step for the Universe Top Five in 1969, outside the booth, left to right: 4th runner-up Miss Japan, Kikuyo Osuka; 1st runner-up Miss Finland Harriet Eriksson; Miss Universe 1969, Gloria Maria Aspillera Díaz of the Philippines; 3rd runner-up Miss Israel Chava Levy; and 2nd runner-up Miss Australia, Joanne Barret. |
The final question was: "In the next day or so, a man will land on the moon. If a man from the moon landed in your hometown, what would you do to entertain him?" Before, Miss Finland could respond to the question, Bob Barker reminded us that the judges would be looking for the "manner in which she answered the question and not the specific answer." And a good thing too, as this question proved to be a difficult one.
After laughing at the question,
Miss Finland said she would "take him home and go out and have fun with him." It took Miss Phillipines just a beat to give the answer that would help her beat the other finalists: "Oh just the same as I do. I think he has been on the moon for so long. I think if he came to earth he'd want a change, I guess."
 |
|
|
And so it was in 1969...a new page in the history of mankind and even more important for all of us at Beauty School, a milestone in the history of the Universe.
Back to The Department of Miss Universe Studies
Back to the Main Lobby