The Andrew Sisters, Diana Vreeland, Bianca Jagger and the Statue of Liberty — what do they all have in common? They’re among the sexiest women of 1974 — at least according to a WWD survey, which ran that year on Jan. 11. The paper asked 25 men and 25 women about their top picks and the results were certainly not predictable. Yes, bombshell Brigitte Bardot led the votes — but, surprisingly, only the female set selected her. Screenwriter George Axelrod cast his ballet for the Statue of Liberty (“She’s got a great behind and good-looking knocks”) while Hugh Hefner kept mum (“No comment”). Meanwhile, Gloria Vanderbilt voted for Cher, who voted for Lauren Hutton, who voted for “Pat Nixon, Mme. Chiang kai-Shek and Dale Evans.” Here, more of the year’s sexiest women and the reasons why.
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David Bailey: “Diana Vreeland because she’s unattainable.”
Mike Royko: “Nobody has turned me on since the Andrew Sisters. At my age, I’m getting pretty hard to impress.”
Norman Parkinson: “All women are so admirable. Miss Yvonne Smith from Hounslow, rather than Raquel Welch, because she’s an individual not shared by every Tom, Dick and Harry.”
Bob Guccione: “Candice P.D. Fitzgibbon-Soames, a student of accounting and the youngest woman don at the London School of Economics; Anna Maria Mortadella, an Italian actress, and Sarah J. Blumberger, a San Francisco sex therapist.”
Cecil Beaton: “Diana Vreeland because she knows all the arts of allure but retains complete innocence.”
Art Buchwald: “The Shah of Iran’s wife. She turns me on. The Sheik of Kuwait’s fourth wife. And Sally of National Airlines because she wants me to fly her.”
Dan Rather: “Caroline Johnson of Houston because she has a good mind, a tremendous tranquility and she’s beautiful in the physical sense. Eunice Martin — she has tremendous energy and self-confidence. Adele Alexander for a really good mind and the ability to put everybody at ease. And Georgie Packwood — she’s a superlooking person, not given to extremes, and she exudes integrity.”
Joel Oppenheimer: “For fundamental sexuality, my three are Pia Lindstrom (any woman who can get me aroused during the 1 o’clock news has my respect), Diana Rigg (the only one of the salable images I would want to go to bed with) and Anne Waldman, a young poet.”
Bob Evans: “To pick three women I know would be indiscreet, and unless I know the woman, I can’t say. A sexy woman is one with warmth and intelligence. You can be with the most beautiful woman in the world, but if she’s dumb, she’s a turn-off.”
Jack Valenti: “I have no doubt that the wise man will be silent.”
Duchess of Windsor: “I couldn’t possibly limit myself to just three women. I’d be forgetting so many other women.”
Zandra Rhodes: “It’s not necessarily someone whose dress falls off, is it? It’s an aura. Bianca Jagger has it; she’s sexy, scintillating but with poise.”
Helen Gurley Brown: “To me, a sexy woman is someone who enjoys sex. By that definition, I’d choose Elizabeth Taylor, Dinah Shore and Shana Alexander. But, people who know her intimately say Ali MacGraw is the sexiest woman in the world.”
Louise Nevelson: “Golda Meir — I think she’s the most sexy lady I know and I mean that. She has a face that registers everything, and in that head is one of the great brains — and that helps sex a bit.”
Nancy Reagan: “I’m attracted by charm, sensitivity, warmth and intelligence, which have nothing to do with physical qualities.”
Gloria Steinem: “Here’s a trio for you — Suzanne Langer, a philosopher; Nina Simone, and [feminist] Anselma Dell’Olio just for sheer vitality and aliveness.”
Rona Barrett: “I can’t think of three. Sophia Loren is the total embodiment of what a woman should be — the epitome of femaleness. Most of the young people today are just ironing boards.”
Lady Elizabeth Anson: “Brigitte Bardot because she was the first sex symbol to appear when I was beginning to realize what sex was.”
Maria Tallchief: “I love to look at Jackie O, but I wouldn’t call her sexy. I think Brigitte Bardot is very sexy, simply because she used to be a ballet dancer.” Lauren Bacall: “I don’t know, ask some fellah. The sexiest man in the world, by the way, is the one you can find.”