‘All About Gemma’

When Gemma Cruz won the Miss International title in 1964, a book titled All About Gemma was published shortly thereafter.

Photos taken during the pageant in Long Beach, California accompanied the articles written by such famous names as Quijano de Manila, Alfredo Roces, Jose Guevara, J.V. Cruz, Rodolfo Tupas, Federico Mangahas and Yay Marking.

Remember when? uses photos taken in Long Beach and the August 15 report of Associated Press, titled: ‘Regal air earns nod of judges.’

It reads:

A girl who has everything — beauty, brains and social standing — Saturday reigns as Miss International.

Miss Gemma Teresa Guerrero Cruz, a 21-year-old historical writer at the National Museum, Manila, the Philippines, won the International Beauty Congress top prize Friday night.

With the title came a $10,000 cash award.

But Miss Cruz, member of a wealthy Filipino family, donated all her winnings to:

‘The building of homes to house the children who are sleeping in the streets of Manila.’

Actress Arlene Dahl, a member of the panel of judges, said it was touch-and-go (very close), among the first three but added:

‘Miss Philippines had an unmistakable air of class that set her apart from the others. I think that regality, so evident in her breeding and bearing is what gave her the judges’ nod.’

The black-haired, black-eyed beauty is 5 feet 10, weighs 135 pounds and measures 37-25-37.

Second place went to the American Beauty, Linda Ann Taylor, 18 of San Diego, California. She was followed by Miss Brazil, Vera Lucia Couto dos Santos, a 20-year-old Rio de Janeiro college student; Miss England, Tracy Ingram, 21, a model from Newcastle-on-Tyne; and Miss Finland, Maila Maria Ostring, 21, a student, from Tampere.

Miss Cruz, pretty enough to be in the movies, is not the least bit anxious to pursue an acting career  — although she has had offers.

‘From here,’ she said, ‘I will go to the University of Mexico where I have a year’s scholarship and will continue with my studies.’

She is a graduate of Manila’s Maryknoll College, where she received a bachelor of arts degree in 1963.

All the contestants were to spend Saturday touring Southern California, including a visit to actor Glenn Ford’s $400,000 home. — RKC