Mary Leona Gage
Encyclopedia
Mary Leona Gage was a beauty queen
from Maryland
who was crowned Miss USA 1957
, the first, and so far, only woman from that state to capture the Miss USA
crown. She was stripped of her title when it was revealed that she was 18, married, and the mother of two children.
. Her mother worked two jobs. Her father, paralyzed in an industrial accident, stayed home. She was 14 years old when she got married and had her first child. Her first husband was named Gene Ennis and he worked as an airman in the U.S. Air Force. Ennis was 24 when he met 13 year old Gage.
Soon, Gage became pregnant and attempted to write to Ennis after he was shipped out. He never responded. One day, a drugstore employee, who was getting married, suggested that she should get married with a volunteer groom. Gage agreed and they headed to Oklahoma for a double wedding. She married an airman named Edward Thacker. At her mother's insistence, the marriage to Thacker was annulled within the week.
When Ennis came back into her life in 1953, the still 14-year-old Mary married him in Wichita Falls; they moved to Manhattan Beach, Maryland (near Severna Park
). She had her second child at age 16. The marriage quickly unraveled. A doctor suggested that she get a job to ease her pain and prevent a nervous breakdown. She was working in a dress shop in Glen Burnie, Maryland
, when she met Barbara Mewshaw, a part-time model. Mewshaw introduced her to the Walters Modeling Agency and helped her enter the Miss Maryland USA
pageant. Gage wanted to be in the pageant in the hopes of working as a model. Once entered in the contest she won.
She told the head of the modeling agency that she was married and could not go to the Miss USA
pageant. One of the pageant officials told her to lie to the public. Pageant officials in Baltimore denies that they've told her to lie.
The two women flew to Long Beach, California
, for the Miss USA
pageant.
pageant. As soon as she won the title, rumors began to appear. She lied to reporters when they questioned her. A day later, she confessed the truth: she was a mother of two and a wife. She had also lied about her age, before admitting that she was actually 18, not 21. Her mother and mother in law confirmed to reporters that the rumors were true.
Being a mother of two and a wife violated the contest rules. Gage was stripped of her Miss USA
crown. Her crown and prizes went to first runner-up, Charlotte Sheffield
of Utah
. By the time the truth was revealed, it was too late for Miss Utah
to replace her in the Miss Universe pageant. Gage had already competed in the Miss Universe preliminary competition and been announced as one of the Top 15 semifinalists. Mónica Lamas of Argentina
, who had placed 16th, replaced Gage as a semifinalist. The Miss Universe title ultimately was won by Peru
's Gladys Zender
. Zender also nearly lost her crown when she was revealed to be only 17, therefore under the minimum age requirement. Pageant officials, however, allowed her to retain her title as it was customary at the time in Peru for those that had lived past their sixth month during their birth year, they unofficially could use the higher age. Zender was considered 18 having lived more than 6 months as a 17 year old.
was one of CBS's highest rated shows at the time. She also received hate mail.
with her two sons. She worked as a featured showgirl at the Hotel Tropicana
. In early 1958, Gage divorced Ennis. She briefly dated Frank Sinatra
at the age of 19 and met dancer Nick Covacevich, her third husband. In 1960, Gage was charged with child abuse. In 1961, she filed for divorce from Covacevich and moved to Los Angeles, California
, where she met her eventual fourth husband, an aspiring screenwriter, Gunther Peter Collatz.
In 1962, she appeared in the Roger Corman
film Tales Of Terror. In 1964, she had a tiny role in the film A House Is Not A Home
and got a divorce from Collatz. She engaged in LSD
and was seen with John Drew Barrymore
and Mickey Hargitay
.
s. She was 26 years old. Her suicide attempt and drug possession led her to spend three weeks at Camarillo State Hospital.
In 1965 her first book was published, My Name Is Leona Gage, Will Somebody Please Help Me? It was ghostwritten and the cover had a picture of Gage. At the end of 1965 she starred in the film Scream of the Butterfly. The film flopped. After an unsuccessful movie career she enrolled in hairdressing school. In 1966 she began work in strip clubs, but not as a stripper. She sang and danced in burlesque clubs, married for the fifth and sixth times, and had another son. She eventually lost custody of her children. Her comeback attempt in commercials was also unsuccessful. In the 1970s and 1980s she tried work in mainstream acting roles.
Gage lived in Southern California from the 1960s until her death. While in her 50s, she was diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
.
Beauty Queen
"Beauty Queen" is the second song from Roxy Music's second album, For Your Pleasure. The lyrics refer to Ferry's girlfriend, Valerie Leon, one-time UK beauty queen, B-movie actress and model working in the Newcastle area, circa 1973.-Musicians:...
from Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
who was crowned Miss USA 1957
Miss USA 1957
Miss USA 1957, the sixth Miss USA pageant, took place in Long Beach, California on July 17, 1957 during the run-up to the year's Miss Universe pageant...
, the first, and so far, only woman from that state to capture the Miss USA
Miss USA
The Miss USA beauty contest has been held annually since 1952 to select the United States entrant in the Miss Universe pageant. The Miss Universe Organization operates both pageants, as well as Miss Teen USA...
crown. She was stripped of her title when it was revealed that she was 18, married, and the mother of two children.
Early life
She was a toddler when her parents moved from Longview to Wichita Falls, TexasWichita Falls, Texas
Wichita Falls is a city in and the county seat of Wichita County, Texas, United States, United States. Wichita Falls is the principal city of the Wichita Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area, which encompasses all of Archer, Clay and Wichita counties. According to the U.S. Census estimate of 2010,...
. Her mother worked two jobs. Her father, paralyzed in an industrial accident, stayed home. She was 14 years old when she got married and had her first child. Her first husband was named Gene Ennis and he worked as an airman in the U.S. Air Force. Ennis was 24 when he met 13 year old Gage.
Soon, Gage became pregnant and attempted to write to Ennis after he was shipped out. He never responded. One day, a drugstore employee, who was getting married, suggested that she should get married with a volunteer groom. Gage agreed and they headed to Oklahoma for a double wedding. She married an airman named Edward Thacker. At her mother's insistence, the marriage to Thacker was annulled within the week.
When Ennis came back into her life in 1953, the still 14-year-old Mary married him in Wichita Falls; they moved to Manhattan Beach, Maryland (near Severna Park
Severna Park
Severna Park can refer to:*Severna Park, Maryland, a census-designated place in Maryland, United States*Severna Park , an American science-fiction author...
). She had her second child at age 16. The marriage quickly unraveled. A doctor suggested that she get a job to ease her pain and prevent a nervous breakdown. She was working in a dress shop in Glen Burnie, Maryland
Glen Burnie, Maryland
Glen Burnie is a census-designated place in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, United States, and is a suburb of Baltimore. The population was 67,639 at the 2010 census...
, when she met Barbara Mewshaw, a part-time model. Mewshaw introduced her to the Walters Modeling Agency and helped her enter the Miss Maryland USA
Miss Maryland USA
The Miss Maryland USA competition is the pageant that selects the representative for the state Maryland in the Miss USA pageant. The pageant is directed by D&D Investments....
pageant. Gage wanted to be in the pageant in the hopes of working as a model. Once entered in the contest she won.
She told the head of the modeling agency that she was married and could not go to the Miss USA
Miss USA
The Miss USA beauty contest has been held annually since 1952 to select the United States entrant in the Miss Universe pageant. The Miss Universe Organization operates both pageants, as well as Miss Teen USA...
pageant. One of the pageant officials told her to lie to the public. Pageant officials in Baltimore denies that they've told her to lie.
The two women flew to Long Beach, California
Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city situated in Los Angeles County in Southern California, on the Pacific coast of the United States. The city is the 36th-largest city in the nation and the seventh-largest in California. As of 2010, its population was 462,257...
, for the Miss USA
Miss USA 1957
Miss USA 1957, the sixth Miss USA pageant, took place in Long Beach, California on July 17, 1957 during the run-up to the year's Miss Universe pageant...
pageant.
Pageant scandal
In July 1957, Gage represented Maryland at the Miss USAMiss USA 1957
Miss USA 1957, the sixth Miss USA pageant, took place in Long Beach, California on July 17, 1957 during the run-up to the year's Miss Universe pageant...
pageant. As soon as she won the title, rumors began to appear. She lied to reporters when they questioned her. A day later, she confessed the truth: she was a mother of two and a wife. She had also lied about her age, before admitting that she was actually 18, not 21. Her mother and mother in law confirmed to reporters that the rumors were true.
Being a mother of two and a wife violated the contest rules. Gage was stripped of her Miss USA
Miss USA 1957
Miss USA 1957, the sixth Miss USA pageant, took place in Long Beach, California on July 17, 1957 during the run-up to the year's Miss Universe pageant...
crown. Her crown and prizes went to first runner-up, Charlotte Sheffield
Charlotte Sheffield
Charlotte Sheffield was Miss USA 1957.After winning the Miss Utah USA crown, Sheffield, from Salt Lake City, Utah went on to become Utah's first representative to achieve the title of Miss USA, when Mary Leona Gage was stripped of her title days later during the Miss Universe 1957 competition...
of Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
. By the time the truth was revealed, it was too late for Miss Utah
Miss Utah USA
The Miss Utah USA competition is the pageant who selects the representative for the state of Utah in the Miss USA pageant.Utah has been quite successful at Miss USA, with 20 placements as of 2009. Their most consistent period was in the 1950s and 1960s. Utah has produced one Miss USA in 1960...
to replace her in the Miss Universe pageant. Gage had already competed in the Miss Universe preliminary competition and been announced as one of the Top 15 semifinalists. Mónica Lamas of Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
, who had placed 16th, replaced Gage as a semifinalist. The Miss Universe title ultimately was won by Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
's Gladys Zender
Gladys Zender
Gladys Rosa Zender de Meier is a beauty queen from Peru who became the first Latin American woman to win the Miss Universe title.-Miss Universe:...
. Zender also nearly lost her crown when she was revealed to be only 17, therefore under the minimum age requirement. Pageant officials, however, allowed her to retain her title as it was customary at the time in Peru for those that had lived past their sixth month during their birth year, they unofficially could use the higher age. Zender was considered 18 having lived more than 6 months as a 17 year old.
Aftermath and later life
When news of Gage's marriage broke, she was showered with television appearances. Her subsequent appearance on The Ed Sullivan ShowThe Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show is an American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from Sunday June 20, 1948 to Sunday June 6, 1971, and was hosted by New York entertainment columnist Ed Sullivan....
was one of CBS's highest rated shows at the time. She also received hate mail.
1957-1964
In 1957, she moved to Las Vegas, NevadaLas Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
with her two sons. She worked as a featured showgirl at the Hotel Tropicana
Tropicana Resort & Casino
Tropicana Las Vegas is located on the Las Vegas Strip, in the township of Paradise, Nevada. It is owned by Tropicana Las Vegas Hotel and Resort Inc. and operated by Alex Yemenidjian's Armenco Holdings. It offers 1,658 rooms and is attached to a casino...
. In early 1958, Gage divorced Ennis. She briefly dated Frank Sinatra
Frank Sinatra
Francis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
at the age of 19 and met dancer Nick Covacevich, her third husband. In 1960, Gage was charged with child abuse. In 1961, she filed for divorce from Covacevich and moved to Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles, California
Los Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, where she met her eventual fourth husband, an aspiring screenwriter, Gunther Peter Collatz.
In 1962, she appeared in the Roger Corman
Roger Corman
Roger William Corman is an American film producer, director and actor. He has mostly worked on low-budget B movies. Some of Corman's work has an established critical reputation, such as his cycle of films adapted from the tales of Edgar Allan Poe, and in 2009 he won an Honorary Academy Award for...
film Tales Of Terror. In 1964, she had a tiny role in the film A House Is Not A Home
A House Is Not a Home (film)
A House Is Not a Home is a 1964 drama film loosely based on the 1953 autobiography by madam Polly Adler. The film stars Shelley Winters, Robert Taylor, Cesar Romero, and Kaye Ballard.Raquel Welch made her film debut in a small role as a prostitute.-Plot:...
and got a divorce from Collatz. She engaged in LSD
LSD
Lysergic acid diethylamide, abbreviated LSD or LSD-25, also known as lysergide and colloquially as acid, is a semisynthetic psychedelic drug of the ergoline family, well known for its psychological effects which can include altered thinking processes, closed and open eye visuals, synaesthesia, an...
and was seen with John Drew Barrymore
John Drew Barrymore
John Drew Barrymore was a member of the Barrymore family of actors, which included his father, John Barrymore, and his father's siblings, Lionel and Ethel...
and Mickey Hargitay
Mickey Hargitay
Miklós "Mickey" Hargitay was an actor and Mr. Universe 1955. Born in Budapest, Hungary, he was married to Jayne Mansfield, and the father of actress Mariska Hargitay...
.
1965-1980
In November 1965 Gage was found unconscious in a motel room, overdosed on barbiturateBarbiturate
Barbiturates are drugs that act as central nervous system depressants, and can therefore produce a wide spectrum of effects, from mild sedation to total anesthesia. They are also effective as anxiolytics, as hypnotics, and as anticonvulsants...
s. She was 26 years old. Her suicide attempt and drug possession led her to spend three weeks at Camarillo State Hospital.
In 1965 her first book was published, My Name Is Leona Gage, Will Somebody Please Help Me? It was ghostwritten and the cover had a picture of Gage. At the end of 1965 she starred in the film Scream of the Butterfly. The film flopped. After an unsuccessful movie career she enrolled in hairdressing school. In 1966 she began work in strip clubs, but not as a stripper. She sang and danced in burlesque clubs, married for the fifth and sixth times, and had another son. She eventually lost custody of her children. Her comeback attempt in commercials was also unsuccessful. In the 1970s and 1980s she tried work in mainstream acting roles.
Gage lived in Southern California from the 1960s until her death. While in her 50s, she was diagnosed with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease , also known as chronic obstructive lung disease , chronic obstructive airway disease , chronic airflow limitation and chronic obstructive respiratory disease , is the co-occurrence of chronic bronchitis and emphysema, a pair of commonly co-existing diseases...
.