Miss Universe 1977 was the 26th Miss Universe pageant, held at the National Theater in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, on 16 July 1977.
At the conclusion of the event, Rina Messinger of Israel crowned Janelle Commissiong of Trinidad and Tobago as Miss Universe 1977. This was the first time a black woman won Miss Universe. It is also the first victory of Trinidad and Tobago in the pageant's history.
Contestants from eighty countries and territories participated in this year's pageant. The pageant was hosted by Bob Barker in his eleventh consecutive year, while Helen O'Connell provided commentary and analysis throughout the event.
Background
Location and date On 16 January 1977, Miss Universe Inc. announced that the 26th edition of the competition would be held at the National Theater in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic on 16 July 1977. The reason why Miss Universe was held in the Dominican Republic was to "open the Dominican Republic to the world".
Selection of participants Contestants from eighty countries and territories were selected to compete in the pageant. One candidate was selected to replace the original dethroned winner.
Replacements Femina Miss India 1977 runner-up Bineeta Bose was selected to represent India after the father of Femina Miss India 1977, Nalini Vishwanathan, did not allow his daughter to participate in Miss Universe.
Debuts, returns, and, withdrawals This edition saw the debuts of Antigua, the British Virgin Islands, French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Réunion, Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla, and Saint Lucia, and the returns of Tahiti which last competed in 1962; and Belize, Haiti, and Lebanon which last competed in 1975.
Marta Elisa Tirado of Guatemala and Jeannette Colling of Luxembourg withdrew for undisclosed reasons. Manolya Onur of Turkey withdrew because she had already participated twice. Patricia Vatble of Martinique was supposed to competed in this edition. However, Vatble was disqualified from the competition because she did not meet the age requirement.
Results
Placements Placement Contestant Miss Universe 1977 – Janelle Commissiong 1st Runner-Up – Eva Düringer 2nd Runner-Up – Sandra Bell 3rd Runner-Up – Aura María Mojica 4th Runner-Up – Marie-Luise Gassen Top 12 – Maritza Jurado – Blanca Sardiñas – Ineke Berends – Beatriz Obregón – Luz Hernández – Kimberly Tomes – Cristal Montañez
Special awards AwardContestantMiss Amity – Pamela MercerMiss Photogenic – Janelle Commissiong
Best National Costume Placement Contestant Winner – Sung-hee Kim 1st runner-up – Adriana Umpierre 2nd runner-up – Hyam Saadé
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. From twelve, five finalists were shortlisted to advance to the final interview.
Selection committee
J. Armando Bermudez – Dominican businessman Roberto Cavalli – Italian fashion designer Wilhelmina Cooper – Founder of Wilhelmina Models Linda Cristal – Argentine-American actress Robert Evans – American film producer Uri Geller – Israel-British illusionist Oscar de la Renta – Dominican fashion designer Howard W. Koch – American film producer and director Marisol Malaret – Miss Universe 1970 from Puerto Rico Gordon Parks – American photographer, writer, and musician Vidal Sassoon – British hairstylist Dionne Warwick – American singer
Contestants
Eighty contestants competed for the title. Country/TerritoryContestantAgeHometown American SamoaVirginia Suka17Pago Pago AntiguaSheryl Gibbons20St. John's ArgentinaMaritza Jurado24La Plata ArubaEldrith Oduber22Oranjestad AustraliaJill Minaham19Melbourne AustriaEva Düringer18Bodensee BahamasPaulette Borghardt20Nassau BarbadosMargaret Rouse18Saint James BelgiumClaudine Vasseur18Brussels BelizeDora Phillips18Belmopan BermudaConnie Frith23St. George's Parish BoliviaLiliana Gutiérrez18Santa Cruz de la Sierra BrazilCássia Janys Silveira21Indaiatuba British Virgin IslandsAndria Norman21Road Town CanadaPamela Mercer20Burnaby ChilePriscilla Brenner18Santiago ColombiaAura María Mojica18Valle de Cauca Costa RicaClaudia Garnier18San José CuraçaoRegine Tromp22Willemstad DenmarkInge Erlandsen23Copenhagen Dominican RepublicBlanca Sardiñas23Santo Domingo EcuadorLucía del Carmen Hernández18Chone El SalvadorAltagracia Arévalo19San Salvador EnglandSarah Long19Bristol FinlandArmi Aavikko18Helsinki FranceVéronique Fagot17Poitou French GuianaEvelyne Randel17Cayenne French PolynesiaDonna Aunoa20Papeete GreeceMaria Spantidaki22Athens GuadeloupeCatherine Reinette18Basse-Terre GuamLisa Ann Caso20Agana HaitiFrançoise Elie19Port-au-Prince HollandIneke Berends25Amsterdam HondurasCarolina Rauscher19Siguatepeque Hong KongLoletta Chu18Hong Kong IcelandKristjana Þrainsdóttir24Reykjavík IndiaBineeta Bose18Delhi IndonesiaSiti Mirza Nuria Arifin24Palembang IrelandJakki Moore18Dublin IsraelZehava Vardi21Haifa ItalyPaola Biasini22Milan JapanKyoko Sato19Tokyo LebanonHyam Saadé18Beirut LiberiaWelma Campbell21Monrovia MalaysiaLeong Li Ping23Ipoh MaltaJane Saliba19Żurrieq MauritiusDanielle Marie Bouic22Port Louis MexicoFelicia Mercado17Baja California New ZealandDonna Schultze20Auckland NicaraguaBeatriz Obregón18Rivas Northern Mariana IslandsMargarita Camacho19Saipan NorwayÅshild Ottesen22Oslo PanamaMarina Valenciano19Panama City Papua New GuineaSayah Karakuru24Port Moresby ParaguayMaría Leticia Zarza17Concepción PeruMaría Isabel Frías22Lima PhilippinesAnna Lorraine Kier17Baguio Puerto RicoMaria del Mar Rivera20Ponce RéunionYolaine Morel22Saint-Denis Saint Christopher-Nevis-AnguillaAnnette Frank20Basseterre Saint LuciaIva-Lua Mendes18Castries ScotlandSandra Bell18Glasgow SingaporeMarilyn Choon17Singapore Sint MaartenMarie Boirard19Marigot South AfricaGlynis Fester19Cape Town South KoreaSung-hee Kim18Seoul SpainLuz María Polegre19Tenerife Sri LankaSobodhini Nagesan19Colombo SurinameMarlene Saimo19Paramaribo SwedenBirgitta Lindvall21Luleå SwitzerlandAnja Terzi17Geneva ThailandLaddawan Intriya19Bangkok Trinidad and TobagoJanelle Commissiong24Port of Spain United StatesKimberly Tomes21Houston United States Virgin IslandsDenise George17Charlotte Amalie UruguayAdriana Umpierre19Salto VenezuelaCristal Montañez17Caracas WalesChristine Murphy23Swansea West GermanyMarie-Luise Gassen24Munich YugoslaviaLjiljana Sobajić22Belgrade
Notes
References
External links Miss Universe official website