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Miss America is a documentary film directed by Lisa Ades that takes its viewer on a journey from the very beginnings of the Miss America pageant in 1921 to the present-day pageant while exploring how the pageant has reflected the country’s views and where the country was moving towards by whom it chose as its winners each year. As the categories became more substantial and the requirements to participate more rigorous, the Miss America Pageant became much more than just a national contest to be America’s female representative to the world. The pageant, hosted in Atlantic City every year since it started, transformed into a place where sexual politics as well as the position of women were subtly fought and battles against anti-semitism and racism were won. This documentary was released as an episode of American Experience season 14 in January 2002.
Original Release
01/27/2002
US Release
01/27/2002
Cast
| Name | Character |
|---|
| Cherry Jones | Narrator |
| Julia Álvarez | Self |
| Sarah Banet-Weiser | Self |
| Margaret Cho | Self |
| Kimberly Clarice Aiken | Self - Miss America 1994 |
| Ric Ferentz | Self |
| William Goldman | Self |
| Vicki Gold Levi | Self |
| Leonard Horn | Self |
| Lee Meriwether | Self - Miss America 1955 |
Directors
Writers
Cast
| Name | Character |
|---|
| Cherry Jones | Narrator |
| Julia Álvarez | Self |
| Sarah Banet-Weiser | Self |
| Margaret Cho | Self |
| Kimberly Clarice Aiken | Self - Miss America 1994 |
| Ric Ferentz | Self |
| William Goldman | Self |
| Vicki Gold Levi | Self |
| Leonard Horn | Self |
| Lee Meriwether | Self - Miss America 1955 |
| Isaac Mizrahi | Self |
| Mary Ann Mobley | Self - Miss America 1959 |
| Robin Morgan | Self |
| Kathy Peiss | Self |
| Tricia Rose | Self |
| Kate Shindle | Self - Miss America 1998 |
| Gloria Steinem | Self |
| Bert Parks | Original Host |
| Margaret Gorman | Miss America 1921 |
| Norma Smallwood | Miss America 1926 |
Producers
| Name | Role |
|---|
| Margaret Drain | Executive Producer |
| Jeanne Houck | Executive Producer |
| Lola Van Wagenen | Executive Producer |
| Lisa Ades | Producer |
| Sharon Grimberg | Producer |
| Lesli Klainberg | Producer |
| Sarah Kramer | Producer |
| Cara Mertes | Producer |
| Susan Mottau | Producer |
| Mark Samels | Producer |
| Cheryl Teetzel-Moore | Producer |
