{"id":5385627,"date":"2025-11-14T18:45:17","date_gmt":"2025-11-14T18:45:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.life.com\/?p=5385627"},"modified":"2025-11-14T18:45:20","modified_gmt":"2025-11-14T18:45:20","slug":"the-glamorous-anita-ekberg-in-life","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.life.com\/arts-entertainment\/the-glamorous-anita-ekberg-in-life\/","title":{"rendered":"The Glamorous Anita Ekberg in LIFE"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Anita_Ekberg\">Anita Ekberg<\/a> was twenty years old when she first appeared in LIFE magazine. In 1951 the magazine breathlessly introduced this relative unknown model to readers in a story headlined &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/books.google.com\/books?id=jFQEAAAAMBAJ&amp;pg=RA1-PA133&amp;dq=anita+ekberg&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjI772H-uyQAxVwhIkEHf0PNaA4ChDoAXoECAwQAw#v=onepage&amp;q=anita%20ekberg&amp;f=true\">Beautiful Maid of Malmo<\/a>.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p>The most photographed, most pursued, and most popular girl at the most recent Miss America contest in Atlantic City was the blue-eyed blonde shown above, who boasts a sunny face and a stunning figure, a five-word English vocabulary\u2014<em>ya, no, hamboorger, El Morocco, ice cream<\/em>\u2014and was not eligible for the contest. The beautiful blonde was 20-year-old Anita Ekberg who, as Miss Sweden, was a guest of honor.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p>The gist of the story was that Ekberg, hot off being named Miss Sweden, had come to the United States to further her modeling career. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.life.com\/photographer\/lisa-larsen\/\">LIFE photographer Lisa Larsen<\/a> captured Ekberg meeting with a titan of that business, <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Eileen_Ford\">Eileen Ford<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The magazine was clearly among those impressed with the young Swede. Mere months later Ekberg posed in Los Angeles for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.life.com\/people\/allan-grant-life-magazines-great-chronicler-of-hollywood\/\">another LIFE photographer, Allan Grant<\/a>. And she would pose for Grant again in 1956.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In addition to modeling, Ekberg soon launched an acting career. She picked up small parts in films beginning in 1953, including playing an alien in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=5an-EDaw81Q\">Abbott and Costello Go to Mars<\/a>. In 1955 staff photographer <a href=\"https:\/\/www.life.com\/photographer\/loomis-dean\/\">Loomis Dean<\/a> captured Ekberg&#8217;s appearance on the short-lived <a href=\"https:\/\/www.life.com\/arts-entertainment\/did-you-know-casablanca-was-also-a-tv-show\/\">television version of Casablanca<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In 1956 Ekberg then debuted on <a href=\"https:\/\/books.google.com\/books?id=fz8EAAAAMBAJ&amp;printsec=frontcover&amp;source=gbs_ge_summary_r&amp;cad=0#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false\">the cover of LIFE<\/a>, when the magazine wrote about the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0049934\/\">film adaptation of War and Peace<\/a>. Ekberg had a supporting role\u2014the female lead in the movie was played by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.life.com\/people\/audrey-hepburn-1953\/\">Audrey Hepburn<\/a>\u2014but that didn&#8217;t stop LIFE from devoting a major feature to her, photographed by<a href=\"https:\/\/www.life.com\/photographer\/james-whitmore\/\"> James Whitmore<\/a>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The headline of that story, &#8220;<a href=\"https:\/\/books.google.com\/books?id=fz8EAAAAMBAJ&amp;pg=PA90&amp;source=gbs_toc_r&amp;cad=2#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false\">Malmo Maid Makes Good<\/a>,&#8221; celebrated how far the young model had come from her first appearance in the magazine.<\/p>\n\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_d939e14ef6a31004c4fd5c612d97238d\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5385637 desc=\"\" caption=\"Lisa Larsen\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock\" title=\"Anita Ekberg made her first appearance in LIFE at age 20, in 1951, when she was an aspiring model. In this photo she wore a hostess hat from Scandanavian Airlines.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/12143705\/05556690-784x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Anita Ekberg made her first appearance in LIFE at age 20, in 1951, when she was an aspiring model. In this photo she wore a hostess hat from Scandanavian Airlines.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Lisa Larsen\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_98b8ac6631901e979b80bb5b29ab2b54\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5385638 desc=\"\" caption=\"Lisa Larsen\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock\" title=\"Anita Ekberg made her first appearance in LIFE at age 20, in 1951. In this photo, as she looked to advance her modeling career, she was having her hips measured by agency executive Eileen Ford, 1951.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/12143708\/05556694-676x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Anita Ekberg made her first appearance in LIFE at age 20, in 1951. In this photo, as she looked to advance her modeling career, she was having her hips measured by agency executive Eileen Ford, 1951.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Lisa Larsen\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_ac6b0ad684f4c1784b29414194c09a51\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5385636 desc=\"\" caption=\"Lisa Larsen\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock\" title=\"Anita Ekberg made her first appearance in LIFE at age 20, in 1951.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/12143703\/05556686-761x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Anita Ekberg made her first appearance in LIFE at age 20, in 1951.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Lisa Larsen\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_c7b2c7a98fb652f5ca85532444abd727\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5385635 desc=\"\" caption=\"Lisa Larsen\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock\" title=\"Anita Ekberg made her first appearance in LIFE at age 20, in 1951.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/12143659\/05556685-760x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Anita Ekberg made her first appearance in LIFE at age 20, in 1951.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Lisa Larsen\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_bf624d34e4be3dc647fe022b21dc3978\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5385634 desc=\"\" caption=\"Lisa Larsen\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock\" title=\"Anita Ekberg made her first appearance in LIFE at age 20, in 1951.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/12143656\/05556682-807x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Anita Ekberg made her first appearance in LIFE at age 20, in 1951.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Lisa Larsen\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_84c9fe5c74d4f6f7857bd12de2f9e946\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5385640 desc=\"\" caption=\"Allan Grant\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock\" title=\"Anita Ekberg in Los Angeles, 1951.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/12143717\/05556771-802x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Anita Ekberg in Los Angeles, 1951.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Allan Grant\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_e26f8812a865157bbd22d281bc7dd246\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5385642 desc=\"\" caption=\"Allan Grant\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock\" title=\"Anita Ekberg in Los Angeles, 1951.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/12143723\/112848164-661x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Anita Ekberg in Los Angeles, 1951.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Allan Grant\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_a14f4c79c7d9c97e13c66c75b0e366e8\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5385641 desc=\"\" caption=\"Allan Grant\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock\" title=\"Anita Ekberg in Los Angeles, 1951.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/12143720\/112848157-661x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Anita Ekberg in Los Angeles, 1951.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Allan Grant\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_b1de0aa0687831649b8fdb39c4a8979e\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5385648 desc=\"\" caption=\"Allan Grant\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock\n\" title=\"Anita Ekberg in Los Angeles, 1951.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/12143740\/112848324-661x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Anita Ekberg in Los Angeles, 1951.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Allan Grant\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock\n<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_ea5cbf2217abade1337a1934fc36abe6\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5385647 desc=\"\" caption=\"Allan Grant\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock\" title=\"Anita Ekberg in Los Angeles, 1951.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/12143737\/112848310-661x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Anita Ekberg in Los Angeles, 1951.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Allan Grant\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_9a5662edcfd0b89492a8c792520afe5b\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5385644 desc=\"\" caption=\"Allan Grant\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock\" title=\"Anita Ekberg in Los Angeles, 1951.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/12143729\/112848212-661x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Anita Ekberg in Los Angeles, 1951.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Allan Grant\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_4a0d1dcdf44f80d8acc5da6d3a40d414\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5385645 desc=\"\" caption=\"Allan Grant\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock\" title=\"Anita Ekberg in Los Angeles, 1951.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/12143732\/112848273-661x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Anita Ekberg in Los Angeles, 1951.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Allan Grant\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_ee48815232cece762812bc077c496247\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5385650 desc=\"\" caption=\"Allan Grant\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock\" title=\"Model and actress Anita Ekberg posed for LIFE in 1955.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/12143746\/113108634-1024x802.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Model and actress Anita Ekberg posed for LIFE in 1955.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Allan Grant\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_2f6532c23833d8b6f663fde77eafa910\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5385649 desc=\"\" caption=\"Allan Grant\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock\" title=\"Model and actress Anita Ekberg posed for LIFE in 1955.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/12143743\/113108633-1024x815.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Model and actress Anita Ekberg posed for LIFE in 1955.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Allan Grant\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_fa6c523c054aabec9642a31bb094eb8a\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5385633 desc=\"\" caption=\"Allan Grant\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock\" title=\"Model and actress Anita Ekberg posed for LIFE in 1955.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/12143645\/01143541-1024x998.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Model and actress Anita Ekberg posed for LIFE in 1955.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Allan Grant\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_6b9a5d94a94cedebd6cdab127e63b6b7\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5385631 desc=\"\" caption=\"Allan Grant\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock\" title=\"Model and actress Anita Ekberg posed for LIFE in 1955.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/12143634\/01143537-998x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Model and actress Anita Ekberg posed for LIFE in 1955.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Allan Grant\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_9dd4f8e53159592595e2b06cdb3402c8\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5385630 desc=\"\" caption=\"Allan Grant\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock\" title=\"Model and actress Anita Ekberg posed for LIFE in 1955.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/12143628\/01143531-1006x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Model and actress Anita Ekberg posed for LIFE in 1955.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Allan Grant\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_9df2224daea9fad95e10376249a8aadc\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5385632 desc=\"\" caption=\"Allan Grant\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock\" title=\"Model and actress Anita Ekberg posed for LIFE in 1955.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/12143639\/01143539-1024x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Model and actress Anita Ekberg posed for LIFE in 1955.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Allan Grant\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_6b7995c349a3ffe7ceb64b99446d533d\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5385628 desc=\"\" caption=\"Allan Grant\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock\" title=\"Model and actress Anita Ekberg posed for LIFE in 1955.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/12143615\/01143515-1024x1020.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Model and actress Anita Ekberg posed for LIFE in 1955.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Allan Grant\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_05bdf625af819f12cabd9c9de3b9761c\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5385625 desc=\"\" caption=\"Loomis Dean\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock\" title=\"Anita Ekberg and Clarence Muse appeared in the television version of Casablanca, which ran for ten episodes from 1955-56.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/11160331\/110741189-823x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Anita Ekberg and Clarence Muse appeared in the television version of Casablanca, which ran for ten episodes from 1955-56.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Loomis Dean\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_fe60390655aff2c010135706de8933a7\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5385623 desc=\"\" caption=\"Loomis Dean\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock\" title=\"Anita Ekberg appeared in the 1950s television version of Casablanca.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/11160325\/110741180-661x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Anita Ekberg appeared in the 1950s television version of Casablanca.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Loomis Dean\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_1a669a4bf9d2db1ed2dd65844b21a910\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5385652 desc=\"\" caption=\"James Whitmore\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock\" title=\"Anita Ekberg appeared in the 1956 film version of War and Peace.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/12154752\/110776055-661x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Anita Ekberg appeared in the 1956 film version of War and Peace.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">James Whitmore\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n<blockquote id=\"single-block_7af7891dc450e66f0c740e02fd0039ec\" class=\"single-image \">\n    <section>\n                        <img decoding=\"async\" data=\"block-image\" data-id=5385651 desc=\"\" caption=\"James Whitmore\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock\" title=\"Anita Ekberg appeared in the 1956 film version of War and Peace.\" src=\"https:\/\/static.life.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/12154748\/110776030-661x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" \/>\n                <div class=\"image-info\">\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">Anita Ekberg appeared in the 1956 film version of War and Peace.<\/p>\n            <p class=\"image-caption\">James Whitmore\/Life Picture Collection\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n        <\/div>\n    <\/section>\n<\/blockquote>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Anita Ekberg was twenty years old when she first appeared in LIFE magazine. In 1951 the magazine breathlessly introduced this relative unknown model to readers in a story headlined &#8220;Beautiful Maid of Malmo.&#8221; The most photographed, most pursued, and most popular girl at the most recent Miss America contest in Atlantic City was the blue-eyed &#8230; <a title=\"The Glamorous Anita Ekberg in LIFE\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.life.com\/arts-entertainment\/the-glamorous-anita-ekberg-in-life\/\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":5385650,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":true,"footnotes":""},"categories":[24],"tags":[237,2651,913,1040,1051,2654],"class_list":["post-5385627","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-arts-entertainment","tag-allan-grant","tag-anita-ekberg","tag-james-whitmore","tag-lisa-larsen","tag-loomis-dean","tag-war-and-peace"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>The Glamorous Anita Ekberg in LIFE - LIFE<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.life.com\/arts-entertainment\/the-glamorous-anita-ekberg-in-life\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The Glamorous Anita Ekberg in LIFE - LIFE\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Anita Ekberg was twenty years old when she first appeared in LIFE magazine. In 1951 the magazine breathlessly introduced this relative unknown model to readers in a story headlined &#8220;Beautiful Maid of Malmo.&#8221; The most photographed, most pursued, and most popular girl at the most recent Miss America contest in Atlantic City was the blue-eyed ... 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