1955
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Miss World 1955
- an amalgam of news reports -

Shapely Susana Djuim, 19, a sultry photographer’s model from Caracas, Venezuela, wearing a bathing suit that did not cover so much, won the title of Miss World in competition with 20 other girls.  She also got a prize of $1,400 and a sports car. 

She has long black hair and was one of the tallest girls in this British beauty contest, standing five feet, eight inches.  Her ambition is to be a “famous model.”

Her bust measures 34 inches, waist 21 and hips 34.

The contest was sponsored by a chain of British dance halls and the London newspaper, The Sunday Dispatch.

Margaret Anne Haywood of Jonesboro, Arkansas, placed second and “thought I did pretty good” to do so.

Julia Coumoundourou of Greece placed third.  Then came Gilda Marin of Cuba, Anita Astrand of Sweden, and Gisele Thierry of France.

Miss Thierry, a pre-contest favorite among the field of 21, sobbed “Eet ees ridiculous.  She ees not ze winner.  Eet was unfair.”  Many contestants sympathized with her, and said she should have placed higher than sixth.  But most of them agreed with the judges in picking the Latin American.

Bottom  Australia, Belgium, Ceylon, Cuba, Denmark, Finland, France, Great Britain & Holland
Top  Honduras, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Monte Carlo, Sweden, U.S.A. & Venezuela
Not yet in London  Austria, Germany & Greece

Israel, Ireland, Iceland, Honduras, Holland, Greece, Germany, France, Finland, Denmark, Cuba, Ceylon, Britain, Belgium, Austria & Australia

 


 Monte Carlo, Italy, Israel, Ireland, Iceland, Honduras, Holland, Greece, Germany, France & Finland

 


Cuba, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Honduras, Iceland, Ireland & Israel
Venezuela

 

1955 October 20
London, England
21 entries

Results
 1  Venezuela  Carmen Susana Duijm Zubillaga
2  U.S.A.  Margaret Anne Haywood 
3  Greece  Tzoulia Georgia Koumoundourou
4  Cuba  Gilda Marín
5  Sweden  Anita Åstrand
6  France  Gisele Thierry

Semi-finalists
 Australia  Beverly Prowse
Austria  Felicitas Von Goebel

 Remainder
 Belgium  Rosette Ghislain
Ceylon  Viola Sita Gunarate
Denmark  Karin Palm-Rasmussen
Finland  Mirva Orvakki Arvinen
Germany  Beate Kruger
Great Britain  Jennifer Chimes
Holland  Angelina Kalkhoven
Honduras  Pastora Pagán Valenzuela
Iceland  Arna Hjorleifsdóttir
Ireland  Evelyn Foley
Israel  Miriam Kotler
Italy  Franca Incorvaia
Monte Carlo  Josette Travers

 Did not compete
Egypt  Gladys Hoene
U.S.A. (1st runner-up), Venezuela (winner) & Greece (2nd runner-up)

British actress Eunice Gayson crowned Miss Venezuela as the new Miss World.  The previous year's Miss World, Antigone Costanda from Egypt, did not attend because of hostilities between Egypt and Britain over Suez Canal
Cross-references to some of the other pageants

Austria  Europe 1954
Belgium  Europe 1956
Cuba  Universe 1955
Denmark  Europe 1955
Holland  Europe 1955
Honduras  Universe 1955 (semi-finalist)
 Venezuela  Universe 1955 (semi-finalist)