The Great American Beauty Contest (1973): Cast & Plot
The Great American Beauty Contest is a 1973 drama directed by Robert Day, starring JoAnna Cameron as Miss Oklahoma, Gloria Rockwell, Eleanor Parker and Robert Cummings. It runs 1 hour 14 minutes.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 14m (74 min)
- Director
- Robert Day
- Genre
- Drama
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- ABC Circle Films
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is The Great American Beauty Contest About?
The premise of The Great American Beauty Contest without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
The pursuit by America’s loveliest girls for a coveted beauty crown is threatened by a scandal which implicates a judge, a former winner, and one of the five finalists.
The Great American Beauty Contest Themes & Keywords
· 3 tags- scandal
- beauty contest
- abc movie of the week
The Great American Beauty Contest Cast & Characters
JoAnna Cameron leads the cast as Miss Oklahoma, Gloria Rockwell, with Eleanor Parker as Peggy Lowery and Robert Cummings as Dan Carson (as Bob Cummings). Directed by Robert Day; 31 actors are credited in all.
- Director Robert Day
- JoAnna Cameron as Miss Oklahoma, Gloria Rockwell
-
Eleanor Parker as Peggy Lowery - Robert Cummings as Dan Carson (as Bob Cummings)
- Tracy Reed as Miss New Jersey, Pamela Parker
Also Starring in The Great American Beauty Contest
· 27 more- Louis Jourdan Ralph Dupree
- Susan Damante Miss Maine, Angelique
- Carol Veazie Miss Ohio Chaperone
- Kathrine Baumann Miss Ohio, Melinda Wilson
- Christopher Norris Miss Utah
- Farrah Fawcett Miss Texas, T.L. Dawson
- Brett Somers Miss Texas Chaperone
- Myrna Fahey Miss Utah Chaperone
- Barbara Dodd Miss New Jersey Chaperone
- Charlie Douglas Miss Indiana (uncredited)
- Bob Harks Photographer (uncredited)
- Patricia Barry Kay Earnshaw
- Mario Machado TV Announcer
- Ryan MacDonald Elliot
- Susan Anton Betty Sue Allen - Last Year's Queen
- Larry Wilcox Joe Bunch
Show all 31 cast members Show fewer cast members
- Julie Mannix Shirley
- Vernon Scott Newsman #1
- Barbi Benton Miss Iowa
- Carol Bagdasarian Mary Lou
- Joan Crosby Female Judge #1
- Mady Maguire Lib Girl
- Will Tusher Newsman #2
- Valerie Fitzgerald Lib Girl
- Norma Lee Browning Female Judge #2
- Morton Moss Male Judge #1
- Joe Pilcher Male Judge #2
More from Robert Day
More films directed by Robert Day: Fire! Trapped on the 37th Floor, Higher Ground, The Quick and the Dead and Diary of a Perfect Murder.
The Great American Beauty Contest Plot Summary
What happens in The Great American Beauty Contest from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 12 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 1-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
In a sharp, satirical look at pageant culture, Gloria Rockwell enters a beauty contest with a clear mission: to seize the finale as a platform to speak out against exploitation and sexism.
Meanwhile, pageant runners Peggy Lowery [Eleanor Parker] and Dan Carson [Robert Cummings] navigate their own troubles: Peggy is displeased when Ralph Dupree [Louis Jourdan], a lecherous movie producer, attends as a last-minute replacement judge, and Dan worries the contest could be rigged.
Full summary
The whole story of The Great American Beauty Contest, scene by scene
How Well Do You Know The Great American Beauty Contest?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
What is Gloria Rockwell's stated reason for entering the beauty contest?
The Great American Beauty Contest Also Known As
Also known as “Concurso de belleza”.
- Also known as
-
- Concurso de belleza
Seen The Great American Beauty Contest?
Movies Like The Great American Beauty Contest
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Miss All-American Beauty, Crowned and Dangerous and Beauty’s Worth.
-
Miss All-American Beauty 1982 -
Crowned and Dangerous 1997 -
Beauty’s Worth 1922 -
Miss Nude America 1976 -
Scandal Sheet 1985 -
Beauty and the Bus 1933 -
The Great American Broadcast 1941 -
Living Dolls: The Making of a Child Beauty Queen 2001 -
Drop Dead Gorgeous 1999 -
The Good, The Bad, and the Beautiful 1996 -
The Great Mom Swap 1995 -
Beauty Marks 2021
The Great American Beauty Contest FAQ: Cast & Runtime
Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of The Great American Beauty Contest, each answered in a sentence.
How long is The Great American Beauty Contest?
The Great American Beauty Contest runs 1 hour 14 minutes (74 minutes).
When was The Great American Beauty Contest released?
The Great American Beauty Contest was released on February 13, 1973.
Who directed The Great American Beauty Contest?
The Great American Beauty Contest was directed by Robert Day.
More films by Robert Day Who is in the cast of The Great American Beauty Contest?
The Great American Beauty Contest stars JoAnna Cameron as Miss Oklahoma, Gloria Rockwell, Eleanor Parker as Peggy Lowery and Robert Cummings as Dan Carson (as Bob Cummings), among 31 credited actors.
Does The Great American Beauty Contest have a post-credit scene?
No. The Great American Beauty Contest has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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