Great beauty, big fun
Nearly every face at the 1955 Washington fashion show was famous: the senators and their wives, the sponsors, the high-ranking officials. Miss Betty Lane Cherry, S.C. runner up in the International Maid of Cotton Contest, had been dressed to the nines backstage. She wore a plaid, mini-skirted designer suit with a red, two-button coat.
Her instructor, Candy Jones, proprietor of a national chain of modeling studios, had last-minute advice: “First, walk all the way to the end of the runway, turn, and as you start back, unbutton the coat and stride so that the blouse will show. And keep smiling.”
Betty Lane obeyed, her beauty dazzling the famous, including Senators Olin Johnson and Strom Thurmond. Then, reaching for the button, she twisted. It would not pull through the buttonhole. Forcing a hold on the smile, she tugged and tugged, then turned and walked down again. Suddenly, it popped. Like a silent firecracker, the half-inch sized button broke from its thread fastening, fired out toward the first rows and hit its target, the nose of Senator Olin D. Johnson.
Did that turn the show on? Boy, did it ever! The audience guffawed, began applauding, then roaring. Senator Thurmond, who had been Johnson’s most bellicose enemy in an S.C. election, tried to keep his cool, but his sides shook. Still smiling, Betty Lane died inside, held hard to her expression and made room for the next model. The reporters could hardly wait to get back to their typewriters.
Years and many faux pas later, while escorting some of the best students from her school to the New York Modeling Association Convention, Betty Lane (now Gramling) indulged in her usual New York treat, a styling at world-famous “Mr. Kenneth’s” hair salon. Glancing over to the next booth, she recognized another world-famer, as a matter of fact, the most famous lady in the world, Jacquelyn Kennedy. With typical southern openness, she smiled and spoke, “Hello, how are you.”
The first lady did not return a greeting: Betty Lane’s beautician seemed to freeze. A few minutes later, when Mrs. Kennedy had left for the manicure salon, she said, “Mrs. Gramling, you’re not supposed to speak to her when she’s here.” Bridling, Betty Lane said: “I don’t know why not. Aren’t people supposed to be friendly to each other?”
“It made me mad.”
But fate had taken over the situation and plotted a happy ending. Completing her embellishments, the former Miss U.S.A. stepped into the small shop of elegant jewelry and female goodies at one side of the salon. The moment she did, she spied Mrs. Kennedy again, examining an item at the center counter. She looked up, spied the Carolina “Queen,” then raised her arm high and waved the slight sweep of the hand long practiced by Queen Elizabeth.
By this time, the Orangeburg Queen had become used to endless, big surprises, particularly meeting with the world’s rich and famous. In 1955 the Orangeburg County Farm Bureau asked her to compete in the local Maid of Cotton pageant at the Edisto River Pavilion. When she won, she became the local contestant at the state pageant at Clemson, which she also won. With this trophy, photos in state papers, and interviews, many of life’s glamorous rewards began flowing her way.
Another month and she was competing in the National Maid of Cotton Contest in Memphis, Tenn. She brought her prize high-fashion wardrobe of velveteen, corduroy and satin (all cotton) dresses, but unfortunately, not a drop of big experience for such a challenge. No matter. Candy Jones, there as coordinator, counseled all the candidates. In a first meeting with Miss S.C., she spoke bluntly, “Betty Lane, you walk like a duck.”
“She showed a special interest in me,” Betty Lane remembers, “coaching a model’s stride, strong smile and many other points of poise. Never having traveled far from Orangeburg, this touch with true glamour thrilled me to the core.” She won first runner up.
Thus the flashbulb world had its first exposure to Orangeburg’s homegrown beauty and began making offers. Now a junior at Columbia College, she had to postpone her first semester in order to accept an invitation to appear in the Miss U.S.A. contest in Long Beach, Calif. Her mother was thrilled; her father, not so sure. But the officials guaranteed them that each young lady would have her own chaperone and chauffeur. These were days when chivalry still ruled Dixie deportment.
Just before leaving for the Golden State, she flew to Virginia Beach to make a Pepsi Cola commercial and appear at the Smithfield Farms Anniversary Show starring Arthur Godfrey. As star singer Don Cherry hurried past her toward the stage, she raised an arm to wish him good luck. Her hand accidentally pushed his toupee to one side and he did not have time to adjust it, entering stage left somewhat unkempt.
“I don’t think he liked me very much after that,” she says. He, by the way, later married a Miss America, Sharon Kay Richie.
Then came Betty Lane’s big step, up into the illuminated world of show biz, the Miss U.S.A.-Miss Universe Contest.
“Keep in mind that I had never been farther from home than Memphis. The pace of the event kept my brain spinning. We contestants furnished our own clothes except for the bathing suits provided by the Catalina Company. Mine had rhinestones sparkling on pink fabric, a one piece design considered ’appropriate’ in those days.
“Because of all the activities planned we had agreed to stay out there for two weeks. To keep us entertained and well-exposed to the press, they staged a special outing every day. We went to the Universal-International Studios to see some of the movie making and meet the stars. In that one day I was introduced to Jeff Chandler, Fred McMurray, Dorothy Malone and Maureen O’Hara.
“When a break came, hosted by Conrad Hilton, my assigned date – you won’t believe this – was Rock Hudson, and – you won’t believe this either – at the last minute he could not make the plane connection. The managers, on their toes, found substitutes on the spot; mine, Sal Mineo and Jose Ferrer, who later married Rosemary Clooney.
“Then, I did it again. Chosen one of six finalists the next night, I learned I would be called on to make a short speech … to 5,000 people! I found just enough time to get a few lines on paper about ’the woman in American history I would like to have been.’ My choice: Abigail Adams from a school history course. Talk about scared. Facing the vast audience, I croaked out a few lines before going blank. Then, in complete panic, suddenly found myself singing, ’Gimmie that old time religion, gimmie that old time religion …’ A totally unplanned reaction, it became an act of providence. The stage managers must have panicked until the audience, first a few and then the thousands begin chiming in. Result: a press explosion. I made runner up again. Several nights later, when the winner, Carol Morris of Iowa won the Miss Universe title, I became Miss U.S.A.
“From then on, the reporters stayed just outside my door, followed closely by a crowd of onlookers. I had signed a contract with the promoters to remain in Hollywood for interviews at the studios and with commercial companies.
“Invited to a huge banquet held by Conrad Hilton honoring the contestants, I was escorted by his son, Nicky, only recently divorced from none other than Elizabeth Taylor.
“I went to Paramount Studios (for I don’t remember exactly what) and a talked with Bob Hope. He said he thought I could become a star! I went to Warner Brothers to test for a picture with Tony Curtis and Burt Lancaster. Still spouting my native ”you alls“ and such, I was told by the managers they could iron away my accent in three weeks. One said I could be the next Kim Novak.
“Having agreed to be in the ’Miss World’ Pageant, I flew to London in October. Oh yes, I still had a full-time chaperone. Serving on the judges committee were Sterling Moss and Anita Ekberg, perhaps the most beautiful woman I ever met. During the rehearsals, they placed me between Miss Germany and Miss Israel, who had become bitter enemies. No overseas TV existed in those days. Mother and Daddy back in Orangeburg had to get their information in The T&D until they could see me in a newsreel at the local movie.
“Called out on the stage for the final judging, I felt somebody push a sash over my head and shoulders and assumed each girl had one. It turned out to be the sash for the winner who had not been named yet. Anita moaned with frustration, but I came in second after Miss Germany, and never mind, my picture was in every newspaper in Europe, and I was already Miss U.S.A. Appearances in half the European countries followed, including the international horse show and cat show, and best of all, designer shows in Paris.
“Continuously reviewing Hollywood possibilities, I realized that I had missed six months of college, and my friends there, and that more than anything I wanted my degree. When back at Columbia, offers kept coming. Dr. Wright Spears, the college president, was generous with excuses from classes.
“When I agreed to be a representative for the National Peach Council, my bookings included an appearance on NBC’s ’The Today Show.’ Wearing a hoop-skirted gown with frilled pantalets, and carrying a basket of peaches, I was interviewed by Jack Lescoulie.
“Spying the peaches, the show’s mascot, a chimpanzee named J. Fred Muggs, sauntered over and began climbing up my legs and under my skirt. I stopped answering questions and tried to push him away but he kept climbing until his keeper came. By this time, I had acquired enough experience not to be embarrassed. I had learned that with fame and notoriety also come a few setbacks.”
Retired editor and public relations executive Thomas Langford’s column is titled “Some Edisto stories.” Let him know if you have stories to share: 803-534-2097.
