Miss World 1963
- an amalgam of news reports -

Petite Carol Joan Crawford, 20, of Jamaica, is Miss World 1963.  She won over 39 other girls from all parts of the world.

The hazel-eyed, brown-haired beauty was named after American movie actress Joan Crawford.

Miss Crawford said she regularly corresponds with the actress.

Carol’s vital statistics are: 34-22-34.

She was the shortest girl in the contest at 5 feet 3.

The girls appeared first in evening gowns and then in bathing suits.  Miss Jamaica’s bathing suit was a beauty - with a zip down the front.

Asked if this was a Jamaican style, she replied: “No, I got it in Miami.”

She won $7,000.

Second place in the 13th annual pageant went to Elaine Miscall, a freelance model and singer from Wellington, New Zealand.  She got $1,400.

Third - Miss Finland, Marja-Liisa Stahlberg, $700.

Fourth - Miss Denmark, Aino Korva, $420.

Fifth - Miss Sweden, Grete Qviberg, $280

Miss Jamaica was a popular choice with the huge crowd that jammed the Lyceum ballroom.  When she was announced as the winner, the crowd wild with excitement.

This year there were no tears and no angry shouts from the losers - in public.

There were some excellent reasons for that.  The organizers rushed the losers to their dressing rooms and posted bouncers outside their doors.

No reporters were allowed near them.

Miss Brazil - Vera Ferreira, 20 - was among the fourteen girls who went in to the final judging.

“I’m delighted to have been among the fourteen.  This is the first time any girl from my country has gotten that far in the Miss World contest.”

The winner scoffed at the suggestion that there had been any jealousy or ill-feeling among the losers.

“There was no back-biting,” she said.  “No one said anything unpleasant to me.  I only heard nice things.”

Asked if she’d expected to win, she said: “I thought Miss United Kingdom would.”

“I never really expected it,” Miss Crawford said after her election.  “I’m excited but I’m sure enjoying it.”

National Costumes

Top  Venezuela, U.S.A., United Kingdom, Turkey, Tunisia, Sweden, Surinam, South Africa & Spain

Middle  Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Ceylon, Chile, Colombia, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Iceland, Ireland & Mexico

Bottom (seated)  Israel, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Korea, Liberia, Luxembourg, Malaysia, New Zealand, Nigeria, Peru & Portugal

1963 November 7
London, England
40 entries

Results
1  Jamaica  Carol Joan Crawford 
2  New Zealand  Elaine Miscall
3  Finland  Marja-Liisa Ståhlberg
4  Denmark  Aino Korwa
5  Sweden  Grete Qviberg

Finalists
6  United Kingdom  Diana Westbury
7  France  Muguette Fabris

Semi-finalists
Brazil  Vera Lúcia Ferreira Maia 
Ceylon  Jennifer Anne Fonseka 
Colombia  Maria Eugenia Cucalón Venegas 
Korea  Choi Keum-shil
Liberia  Ethel Zoe Norman 
Malaysia  Catherine Loh 
U.S.A.  Michele Bettina Metrinko 

Remainder
Argentina  Diana Sarti
Austria  Sonja Russ
Belgium  Irène Godin
Bolivia  Rosario Lopera
Canada  Jane Kmita
Chile  Maria del Pilar Aguirre
Cyprus  Maro Zorna
Germany  Susie Gruner
Greece  Athanasia "Soula" Idromenou
Holland  Hanny IJsbrants
Iceland  Maria Ragnarsdóttir
Ireland  Joan Power
Israel  Sara Talmi
Japan  Miyako Harada
Jordan  Despo Drakolakis
Luxembourg  Catherine Paulus
Mexico  Beatriz Martínez Solórzano
Nigeria  Gina Onyejiaka
Peru  Lucia Buonanni
Portugal  Maria Penedo
South Africa  Louise Crous
Spain  Encarnación Zalabardo
Surinam  Virginia Blanche Hardjo
Tunisia  Claudine Younes
Turkey  Gulseren Kocaman 
Venezuela  Milagros Galíndez