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Here we will have a look at all the actresses who have played the Comic Book Super Villain, Catwoman over the years in all the different Batman series and movies. Just like the comic book superhero, Superman has his love interest so does Comic Book Hero, Batman his just happens to be bad girl Catwoman.
Julie Newmar
The first actress who played the comic book bad girl Catwoman and set the bar was the sexy siren Julie Newmar. Her father was a former football player (Los Angeles Buccaneers) and her mother was a retired Ziegfeld dancer from the '20s. Newmar not only had beauty but the brains as well, graduating at the age of 15 can attest to that. Julie Newmar's first few movies were either unaccredited or under the name Newmeyer. The most notable of this time was her appearance in Serpent of the Nile (1953) where she appeared in nothing but gold paint. Then her popularity rose even more in '54 with Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. After this, she hit Broadway with Ziegfeld's follies playing in Silk Stockings in '55 then in Lil Abner as Stupefying Jones in '56 and in The Marriage Go Round. Julie Newmar also played in both film production of Lil Abner and The Marriage Go Round as well, for which she won a Tony Award for Best Supporting Actress. During the next few years, Julie Newmar appeared in a number of TV series such as Route 66 (1962), The Twilight Zone (1963), Beverly Hillbillies (1966) and Star Trek (1967). Julie Newmar also played Rhonda the robot in the cult classic My Living Doll from '64 - '65 but her real fame came when she became Catwoman in the 1966 version of Batman which she played until 1968. After her run as Catwoman, her acting career took a downward motion only playing bit roles in a few shows such as Get Smart, Bewitched, The Bionic Woman, The Love Boat, Fantasy Island and Hart to Hart.
Lee Meriwether
Miss America was Catwoman
Who would have thought that the comic book super villainess, Catwoman would start out first as Miss America in 1955? Well Lee Meriwether did at least. Yes, I know what you're saying. Lee Meriwether wasn't the second Catwoman, Eartha Kitt was, but no, she wasn't. Lee Meriwether played Catwoman aka Kitka in the Batman movie which came out in 1966 (prior commitments prevented Julie Newmar from playing in the movie) and Eartha Kitt was not Catwoman until the final season of the Batman series which was in 1967. This made Kitt the third face to play Comic Book Super villainess.
Eartha Kitt
Earth Kitt established herself in film, theatre, cabaret, music and on television. By the time she was 20, Eartha Kitt was a featured dancer and vocalist in the Katherine Dunham Dance Troupe and touring Europe where she was seen my Orson Wells who was quoted as calling her "the most exciting woman in the world" and had hired her to play Helen of Troy in his production of Dr. Faust. When she got back to the States Leonard Stillman, who included her in New Faces of 1952, saw her. This lasted for a year and ended up leading her into recording contracts. Some of her more famous songs were Love for Sale, I Want to Be Evil and Santa Baby. Kitt made her film debut in 1957 in The Mark of the Hawk with Sidney Poitier. Other of her movies during this time was Anna Lucasta with Sammy Davis, Jr. and St Louis Blues with Nat King Cole. During this time, Eartha Kitt also published her first autobiography called Thursday's Child. Then in 1967, Kitt became the third actress to play Catwoman after Julie Newmar was unable to continue for the third season of Batman.
