Miss America 1933, the eighth

Miss America Miss America is an annual competition that is open to women from the United States between the ages of 17 and 25. Originating in 1921 as a "bathing beauty revue", the contest is now judged on competitors' talent performances and interviews. As ...

pageant, was held at the

Boardwalk Hall Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall, formerly known as the Historic Atlantic City Convention Hall, is a multi-purpose arena in Atlantic City in Atlantic County, New Jersey. It was Atlantic City's primary convention center until the opening of the Atlanti ...

Atlantic City, New Jersey Atlantic City, often known by its initials A.C., is a coastal resort city in Atlantic County, New Jersey, United States. The city is known for its casinos, boardwalk, and beaches. In 2020, the city had a population of 38,497.

on Saturday, September 9, 1933. This was the first competition since postponing the event after the 1927 contest. Armand Nichols attempted to organize it with the support of the Mayor and City Council,"Miss America The Dream Lives On", by Angela Saulino Osborne, p. 84 but without support from either the Atlantic City Chamber of Commerce. or the Hotelsmens Association, While the contestants of the pageants of the 1920s represented cities, usually sponsored by local newspapers, 1933 marked the change to state queens with little newspaper sponsorship. The lack of organizational infrastructure together with the decline of (free) newspaper support and advertising resulted in state qualifying contests that varied widely - from multi-day multi-city contests involving thousands, to a simple selection from a photo array. The 1933 pageant, a five-day extravaganza on Tuesday-Saturday, September 5–9, 1933, was the first to be held at the Convention Hall (later renamed the

). Promised grand prizes (including a

RKO RKO Radio Pictures Inc., commonly known as RKO Pictures or simply RKO, was an American film production and distribution company, one of the "Big Five" film studios of Hollywood's Golden Age. The business was formed after the Keith-Albee-Orpheu ...

screen test A screen test is a method of determining the suitability of an actor or actress for performing on film or in a particular role. The performer is generally given a scene, or selected lines and actions, and instructed to perform in front of a came ...

, theatrical contracts, Ford automobile, diamond wrist watch and a trip to Bermuda) enticed 31 contestants from 30 states nationwide, far fewer than the 48 state contestants originally planned.

Marian Bergeron Marian Bergeron (May 3, 1918 – October 22, 2002) was Miss America in 1933. She went on to a career in big-band singing and public speaking. She was a major supporter of the Miss America Pageant. Bergeron, from West Haven, Connecticut, won ...

Miss Connecticut The Miss Connecticut competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state of Connecticut in the Miss America pageant. Connecticut has won the Miss America crown once (Marian Bergeron, 1933), and is the only New England st ...

, was chosen Miss America but there was so much confusion during and after the vote tabulations that nobody informed Marian she had won. She was unaware of her victory until the dressing assistants placed the banner on her. At age 15 she is the youngest winner in the history of the Miss America Pageant. The pageant was a public relations nightmare, financially unsuccessful, with a "Keystone Kops series of mishaps" including a stolen crown. Two contestants withdrew, four were disqualified, four were underage, and 18 states sent no contestant. Amid the contention and bickering there were allegations the contest was not on the "up and up" and judge

Russell Patterson Russell Patterson (December 26, 1893 – March 17, 1977) was an American cartoonist, illustrator and scenic designer. Patterson's art deco magazine illustrations helped develop and promote the idea of the 1920s and 1930s fashion style known as t ...

alleged undue influence, stating that Atlantic County treasurer and political boss

Nucky Johnson Enoch Lewis "Nucky" Johnson (January 20, 1883December 9, 1968) was an Atlantic City, New Jersey, political boss, a Atlantic County Sheriff's Office, sheriff of Atlantic County, New Jersey, a businessman and a crime boss who was the leader of the ...

tried to pressure the judges to choose his favorite.circa 1955 gossip magazine story by

- "I was in the lobby of the Ambassador Hotel with another first-time judge, artist

Peter Arno Curtis Arnoux Peters, Jr. (January 8, 1904 – February 22, 1968), known professionally as Peter Arno, was an American cartoonist. He contributed cartoons and 101 covers to ''The New Yorker'' from 1925, the magazine's first year, until 1968, the ...

, when we were buttonholed by two rough-looking agents from

's office. 'This is the name of the winner Johnson wants you to pick,' they said, flaunting a piece of paper at us. 'If you know what's good for you, you'll vote for this girl.'" atterson and Arno did not/ref> The pageant went on hiatus again the following year but was revived permanently in 1935 with new organization.

Results

Marion Bergeron crowned as Miss America of 1933

Placements

Other awards - September 6: Most Beautiful Girl in an Evening Gown Competition

Contestants

References

Secondary sources

External links

Miss America official website
{{Miss America

1933 Events January * January 11 – Sir Charles Kingsford Smith makes the first commercial flight between Australia and New Zealand. * January 17 – The United States Congress votes in favour of Philippines independence, against the wis ...

1933 in the United States 1933 in New Jersey September 1933 events Events in Atlantic City, New Jersey