The Miss America pageant has been conducted since 1921, but it's only been televised since 1954. Before then, it briefly had competition when the Miss U.S. Television contest, conducted by the DuMont Television Network, aired in 1950. Watch the full pageant at the internet archive, or a version edited for length below. It has a strange opening segment in which the contestants introduce themselves, framed by a fake TV set. Then they go on to their talent performances, some of which were truly awful. The winner was a young Edie Adams.
According to wikipedia, the Miss U.S. Television contest only took place once, but there must have been subsequent pageants that used the same title, since once can find women being crowned Miss U.S. Television in later years, such as Phyllis Maygers (below), who won the title in 1952.
Stories like this make me optimistic for the future. If an 11 year old can beat professional app developers (and her mother!), I can't wait to see what's next!!
This is Victoria Walker and her mother. The idea is to have the cell phone bark when your friends are texting and driving.
I'm not sure what's going on in these pictures, except that there appears to be a woman competing in a lobster-themed beauty pageant. Or is it crab-themed? And that looks like a Mr. Lobster in the bottom picture. via West Visayas State University
Category: Animals, Awards, Prizes, Competitions and Contests, Television, Cartoons, 1970's