Miss Universe 1973 was the 22nd Miss Universe pageant, held at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus in Athens, Greece, on 21 July 1973. This was the first Miss Universe event to be held in Europe.
At the conclusion of the event, Kerry Anne Wells of Australia crowned Margarita Moran of the Philippines as Miss Universe 1973. It is the second victory for the Philippines in the pageant's history.
Contestants from sixty-one countries and territories participated in this year's pageant. The pageant was hosted by Bob Barker in his seventh consecutive year, while Helen O'Connell provided commentary and analysis throughout the event.
Background Location and date In February 1973, Puerto Rican government officials announced that they would be ending the $1 million contract to bring Miss Universe and Miss USA to the island until 1976. Officials said the agreement was illegal, and Miss Universe President Harold Glasser said it was only a technical-legal nature. According to Glasser, the real reason the agreement was terminated was because "pageants are victims of political infighting" and pageant sponsors have remained neutral in the debate over Puerto Rico's political status. The pro-statehood administration of Gov. Luis A. Ferre signed the contract to sponsor the pageants, but an anti-statehood administration led by Gov. Rafael Hernandez Colon took office on January 2. Although the search for a venue for Miss Universe is still ongoing, the pageant will still push through on July 21, according to Glasser.
On February 22, Miss Universe Inc. filed a $20 million USD damage suit against the government of Puerto Rico for canceling its contract to sponsor the competition for five years.
On May 10, the Miss Universe Inc. announced that the 22nd edition would be held in Athens from July 11 to July 21. According to Glasser and Chrysanthos Demetriadis, president of the Greek National Tourist Organization, the competition will be broadcast in more than 30 countries.
Selection of participants Contestants from sixty-one countries and territories were selected to compete in the pageant.
Debuts, returns, and, withdrawals This edition saw the debut of Cyprus, and the returns of Ceylon, which last competed in 1970; and Lebanon, Nicaragua, Panama, and Trinidad and Tobago which last competed in 1971.
Cyprianna Munnings of the Bahamas withdrew in order to join the celebration of her country's independence from the United Kingdom. Katrin Gisladóttir of Iceland withdrew for health reasons. Mary Núñez of Peru was not allowed by her government to participate due to the weak diplomatic relations with the United States and Peru. Ecuador, Iraq, and Zaire withdrew from the competition after their respective organizations failed to hold a national competition or appoint a delegate.
Results
Placements Placement Contestant Miss Universe 1973 – Margarita Moran 1st Runner-Up – Amanda Jones 2nd Runner-Up – Aina Walle 3rd Runner-Up – Rocío Martín 4th Runner-Up – Limor Shreibman Top 12 – Susana Romero – Sandra Ferreira – Ana Agudelo – Vana Papadaki – Farzana Habib – Miyoko Sometani – Marcelle Herro
Special awards Award ContestantMiss Photogenic – Margarita MoranMiss Amity – Wendy RobertsonBest National Costume – Rocío Martín
Pageant
Format Same with 1971, twelve semi-finalists were chosen at the preliminary competition that consists of the swimsuit and evening gown competition. The twelve semi-finalists participated in the casual interview, swimsuit, and evening gown competitions. Because the Greek Archaeological Society did not allow the candidates to parade in their swimsuits at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus, this edition's swimsuit competition was held outside the odeon. From twelve, five finalists were shortlisted to advance to the final interview.
Selection committee
Jean-Pierre Aumont – French actor Horst Buchholz – German actor El Cordobés – Spanish bullfighter Walt Frazier – American basketball player Apasra Hongsakula – Miss Universe 1965 from Thailand Herakles Mathiopoulos – Chairman of the chamber of hotels in Greece Hanae Mori – Japanese fashion designer Lynn Redgrave – British-American actress Ginger Rogers – American actress and singer Edilson Cid Varela – Brazilian journalist Earl Wilson – American columnist and journalist
Contestants Sixty-one contestants competed for the title. Country/Territory Contestant Age Hometown Argentina Susana Romero20 Buenos Aires Aruba Ethline Oduber18 Oranjestad Australia Susan Mainwaring22 Brisbane Austria Roswitha Kobald18 Styria Belgium Christiane Devisch20 Antwerp Bermuda Judy Richards19 Hamilton Bolivia Roxana Sittic18 Santa Cruz de la Sierra Brazil Sandra Ferreira 21 São Paulo Canada Deborah Ducharme 20 Ontario Jeanette Robertson 18 Santiago Colombia Ana Agudelo 20 Valle del Cauca Costa Rica Rosario Mora 18 Alajuela Curaçao Ingerborg Zielinski 18 Willemstad Cyprus Johanna Melaniodos 18 Nicosia Anette Grankvist 20 Copenhagen Liliana Fernández 18 Salcedo Gloria Ivette Romero – San Salvador Veronica Ann Cross 23 London Raija Stark 20 Helsinki Isabelle Krumacker 18 Lorraine Vana Papadaki 19 Athens Beatrice Benito 18 Agana Monique Borgeld 23 Amsterdam Nelly Suyapa González 17 El Paraíso Elaine Sung 18 Hong Kong Farzana Habib 18 New Delhi Pauline Fitzsimons 20 Dublin Limor Shreibman 19 Tel Aviv Antonella Barci 18 Milan Reta Faye Chambers 20 Saint James Miyoko Sometani 22 Ibaraki Marcelle Herro 21 Beirut Lydia Maes 18 Esch-sur-Alzette Margaret Loo 19 Cheras Marthese Vigar 20 Msida Rossana Villares 18 Yucatán Pamela King 20 Auckland Ana Cecilia Saravia 18 Leon Aina Walle 20 Oslo Jeanine Lizuaín 26 Panama City Teresita María Cano 20 Concepción Margarita Moran 19 Manila Carla Barros 20 Lisbon Gladys Colón 18 Orocovis Caroline Meade 18 Glasgow Debra de Souza 19 Singapore Young-joo Kim 18 Seoul Rocío Martín 19 Seville Sri LankaShiranthi Wickremesinghe20Badulla Yvonne Ma Ajong 18 Paramaribo Monica Sundin 20 Stockholm Barbara Schöttli 19 Zürich Thailand 20 Chachoengsao Camella King 25 San Fernando Yildiz Arhan – Istanbul Amanda Jones 22 Evanston Cindy Richards 19 Saint Croix Yolanda Ferrari 21 Montevideo Desirée Rolando 18 Carabobo Deirdre Greenland 23 Newport Dagmar Winkler 18 Bavaria
Notes
References
External links
Miss Universe official website