Miss Universe 1957

Miss Universe 1957
Gladys Zender
Date	19 July 1957 (1957-07-19)
Presenters	Bob Russell
Venue	Long Beach Municipal Auditorium, Long Beach, California, United States
Broadcaster	CBS
Entrants	32
Placements	15
Debuts	Martinique Morocco Paraguay
Withdrawals	British Guiana Chile Dominican Republic Holland United States
Returns	Austria Ceylon Hawaii South Korea
Winner	Gladys Zender Peru
Congeniality	Mapita Mercado Cordero, Puerto Rico
Photogenic	Gerti Daub, West Germany
←  1956 1958  →

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.

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

Long Beach Municipal Auditorium, the venue of Miss Universe 1957

Selection of participants

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

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

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

Placements

Placement	Contestant
Miss Universe 1957	Peru – Gladys Zender [9]
1st runner-up	Brazil – Terezinha Morango [9]
2nd runner-up	England – Sonia Hamilton [9]
3rd runner-up	Cuba – María Gamio [9]
4th runner-up	West Germany – Gerti Daub [9]
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

Award	Contestant
Miss Friendship	Puerto Rico – Mapita Mercado [11] [12]
Miss Photogenic	West Germany – Gerti Daub [13] [12]
Miss Popular Girl	Canada – Gloria Noakes [13] [12]

Pageant

Format

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. Afterward, they paraded in their swimsuits and evening gowns, and the five finalists were chosen. ^[10]

Selection committee

• 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

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
Greece	Ligia Karavia [15]	18	Athens
Guatemala	Ana Walda Olyslager [15]	18	Guatemala City
Hawaii	Ramona Tong [26]	19	Honolulu
Iceland	Bryndís Schram [15]	19	Reykjavik
Israel	Atara Barzilay [27]	18	Tel Aviv
Italy	Valeria Fabrizi [28]	21	Bologna
Japan	Kyoko Otani [29]	21	Tokyo
Martinique	Ginette Cidalise-Montaise [30]	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 [37]	18	Istanbul
Uruguay	Gabriela Pascal	18	Montevideo
Venezuela	Consuelo Nouel [38]	20	Caracas
West Germany	Gerti Daub [39]	19	Hamburg

Notes

1. Ages at the time of the pageant

References

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. "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. "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. "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. "Recuerdan a Mapita Cortés" [Remember Mapita Cortés]. El Informador (in Mexican Spanish). 31 December 2010. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
12. "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. "First winners in Universe contest". Eugene Register-Guard . 17 July 1957. p. 1. Retrieved 1 September 2023– via Google News Archive.
14. 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. "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. "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. "Ramona leaves Thursday for contest". The Honolulu Advertiser . 8 July 1957. p. 3. Retrieved 26 August 2023– via Newspapers.com.
27. "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.
28. "Introduction to America". The Times. 12 July 1957. p. 5. Retrieved 26 August 2023– via Newspapers.com.
29. "Miss Japan welcomed". Toledo Blade. 8 July 1957. p. 1. Retrieved 11 July 2023– via Google News Archive.
30. Burnett, Claudine (19 July 2019). "The First Black Miss Universe Contestant Hardly Anyone Knows About". Claudine Burnett Books. Retrieved 19 March 2025.
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. "Onlar Türkiye'nin en güzel kadınları! İşte 1929'dan günümüze Miss Turkey birincileri". Yeniçağ (in Turkish). 21 July 2022. Retrieved 19 March 2025.
38. Suárez, Orlando (27 July 2022). "Misses venezolanas de sangre azul" [Venezuelan blue blood misses]. El Diario (in Spanish). Retrieved 1 September 2023.
39. "First winners". Fort Lauderdale News. 17 July 1957. p. 2. Retrieved 26 August 2023– via Newspapers.com.

External links

• Miss Universe official website