Miss World 1956
- an amalgam
of news reports -
Petra Schurmann, a green-eyed German blond-turned-brunette, defeated a field
of contenders from 22 other nations last night to win the annual Miss World
beauty contest. She gasped and then almost swooned as she received the
crown.
“I owe it all to
Teddy,” the 23-year-old Cologne university student told reporters. Teddy is
her mascot, a tiny Teddy bear.
“I carried him all
through the show,” said Petra.
For a moment it
looked as if Miss United States, Betty Lane Cherry, had won the 1958
international beauty title.
When the six
finalists filed from the wings of a London theater for the announcement of
the title winner in front of the television cameras, Miss Cherry sported a
serene and confident look - plus a sash draped across her shapely bosom.
The BBC announcer said:
“Oh, Miss United
States seems to have won. She’s got on the winner’s sash.”
A contest official
quickly whipped the sash off Miss Cherry.
“Sorry,” the
announcer said, “something seems to have happened.”
“It was a mistake,”
harassed contest director Eric D. Morley explained later. “I told the
backstage attendant to put the sash on the last girl out - Miss Germany.
But he chose his own winner before the judges had given their verdict.”
Betty Lane Cherry
was awarded second place. She said, “I never thought I’d win, so it was no
disappointment.”
Miss Schurmann is 5
feet 7 1/2 inches tall, weighs 110 pounds and measures 36-20-33. She
confided to a newsman that the shade of her hair comes out of a bottle.
Her prizes included
a silver trophy, 500 pounds ($1,400) in cash and a costly sports car. Miss
Schurmann said she would either sell the automobile or “look for a man who
is handsome, clever and chivalrous to share it with me.”
Although her
ultimate ambition is to become an actress, Miss Schurmann said she plans to
continue her philosophy studies for the time being.
Behind Miss Germany
and Miss Cherry, the girls who finished in the money and won cash prizes and
silver trophies were Miss Israel, Rina Weiss, third; Miss Japan, Midoriki
Tokura, fourth; Miss Denmark, Anne Rye Nielsen, fifth; and Miss Sweden, Eva
Brann, sixth.
