Miss Universe 1955
4th Miss Universe pageant
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Miss Universe 1955 was the fourth Miss Universe pageant, held at the Long Beach Municipal Auditorium in Long Beach, California, on 22 July 1955.[1] This was the first time that the pageant was televised.
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| Miss Universe 1955 | |
|---|---|
| |
| Date | 22 July 1955 |
| Presenters | Bob Russell |
| Venue | Long Beach Municipal Auditorium, Long Beach, California, United States |
| Broadcaster | |
| Entrants | 33 |
| Placements | 15 |
| Debuts |
|
| Withdrawals |
|
| Returns |
|
| Winner | Hillevi Rombin Sweden |
| Congeniality | Maribel Arrieta (El Salvador) |
At the conclusion of the event, Miriam Stevenson of the United States crowned Hillevi Rombin of the Sweden as Miss Universe 1955.[2] It was the first victory of Sweden in the history of the pageant.[3]
Contestants from thirty-three countries and territories competed in this edition. The pageant was hosted by Bob Russell.
Background
Selection of participants
Contestants from thirty-three countries and territories were selected to compete in the pageant. The age requirement in this edition was still from eighteen to twenty-eight, where women who were married and had children could also participate.[4]
Debuts, returns and withdrawals
The 1955 edition saw the debuts of Ceylon, Ecuador, England, Guatemala, Lebanon, and Nicaragua, and the return of Venezuela, which last competed in 1953.[5] Australia, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Panama, Peru, Singapore, and Thailand withdrew after their respective organizations failed to hold a national competition or appoint a delegate.
Expected to compete are Consuelo Díaz of Bolivia,[6] Karin Rasmussen of Denmark, Gladir Leopardi of Egypt, Angelina Kalkhoven of Holland, and Suna Soley of Turkey. However, these women withdrew due to undisclosed reasons.[7][8]
Results
Placements
| Placement | Contestant |
|---|---|
| Miss Universe 1955 |
|
| 1st Runner-Up |
|
| 2nd Runner-Up |
|
| 3rd Runner-Up |
|
| 4th Runner-Up |
|
| Top 15[9] |
|
Special awards
| Award | Contestant |
|---|---|
| Miss Friendship |
|
| Miss Popular Girl |
|
| Best Dressed Girl |
|
Pageant
Format
From sixteen in the previous edition, fifteen semi-finalists were chosen at the preliminary competition that consists of the swimsuit and evening gown competition. Each of the fifteen semi-finalists gave a short speech during the final telecast using their native languages. Afterwards, the fifteen semi-finalists paraded again in their swimsuits and evening gowns, and the five finalists were eventually chosen.[9]
Selection committee
- Milo Anderson – American movie dress designer[10]
- Myrna Hansen – Miss USA 1953 from Illinois[11]
- Samuel Heavenrich – from the Long Beach Municipal Arts Center[10]
- Tom Kelley – American photographer[10]
- Robert Palmer – American casting director[10]
- George Rony – American author[10]
- Ginny Simms – American actress and singer[10]
- Vincent Trotta – Artistic director of Paramount Pictures[10]
- Alberto Vargas – Peruvian-American painter of pin-up girls[10]
- Earl Wilson – American columnist and journalist[10]
- Roger Zeiler – Co-Founder of the Miss Europe committee and chairman of the French Committee of Elegance[10]
Contestants
Thirty-three contestants competed for the title.[12]
Notes
- Ages at the time of the pageant