On a seaside holiday in Weston-Super-Mare, pretty mousy Bristol typist Shirley Freeman (Janette Scott, the daughter of television comedienne Thora Hird) enters a rather tawdry beauty contest.
When she wins, local journalist Dan Mackenzie (Ian Hendry, on the verge of becoming a star) persuades her to give up her job and become a full-time beauty contestant, even though this means offending her strict, puritanical father (Norman Bird).
Ditching her predictable wet-blanket fiancé, Harry (David Weston), Shirley moves to London, where she finds continuing success and wins the “Rose of England” contest.
On the eve of “Miss Globe,” Shirley sleeps with one of the organisers of the contest but still does not win, largely because the cosmetic company sponsoring the contest wants to expand their business in South America and so rig the result in favour of Miss Peru.
Edmund Purdom is excellent as Rex Carrick, a near-has-been international star who realises his fame and reputation are fast becoming an international joke.
Produced in CinemaScope and colour and directed by Val Guest, the film was released in some markets as Contest Girl.
Don Mackenzie
Ian Hendry Shirley Freeman
Janette Scott Walter Carey
Ronald Fraser Rex Carrick
Edmund Purdom Armand
Jean Claudio Charlie Dorton
Tommy Trinder Mrs Freeman
Kay Walsh Mr Freeman
Norman Bird Elaine Freeman
Janina Faye Harry
David Weston Lucius
Peter Ashmore Butlin’s Judge
Sidney James Jean Watson
Jacqueline Jones Barbara Lawton
Jackie White Swimming Pool MC
Jerry Desmonde
Director
Val Guest
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Ditching her predictable wet-blanket fiancé, Harry (David Weston), Shirley moves to London, where she finds continuing success and wins the “Rose of England” contest.
Don Mackenzie
Mrs Freeman
