ST. LOUIS -- Nearly a month of whirlwind promotional appearances and preliminary competitions will end Monday night for 80 Miss Universe contestants in the finale of the annual beauty pageant.
Miss Switzerland, Lolita Morena, already has been picked by photographers covering the pageant as Miss Photogenic. Abby Janneh, Miss Gambia, has been chosen by her fellow contestants as Miss Congenial.
A few incidents have marred what Miss Universe Inc. says has been an otherwise well-conducted pageant.
Press credentials of two newspaper reporters from Kansas City were revoked after pageant officials complained of 'anti-pageant' questions and a fixation on the financial details of the contest.
St. Louis Mayor Vincent Schoemehl demanded Wednesday night that the credentials of the reporters from the Kansas City Star and the Kansas City Times be restored. He urged pageant President Harold L. Glasser to apologize to Claudia Kuehl of the Star and Karen Uhlenhuth of the Times.
On Thursday, contest officials said they were 'happy to restore' the credentials.
Miss Indonesia displeased some Indonesian government officials after she appeared in the pageant's swimsuit competition. A government spokesman said Moslem beliefs banned the wearing of such apparel.
However, 17-year-old Andi Botenri declined to drop out of the competition, indicating she was having a good time and, anyway, many women in Indonesia wear swimsuits.
City officials, who spruced up the venerable Kiel Auditorium for the event, are ecstatic about what they feel will be the favorable publicity St. Louis will receive from the pageant. An estimated 600 million people will watch the finals in a worldwide telecast.
Veteran game-show host Bob Barker will emcee the finals. Celebrity judges include Ruby Keeler and Stan Musial.
The contestant named Miss Universe will receive $150,000 in prizes, including $90,000 cash, a $10,000 wardrobe, and use of an elegant New York City apartment and a chauffeur-driven limousine for the year of her reign.
