Happy 90th, Julie Newmar

One of these days I’m going to turn more of this blog’s attention to the 1960s Batman television show. Obviously, my pop culture loves range far and wide, so it’s hard to squeeze them all in here, but Batman was critical to my childhood, my love of comic books, and my development into a scholar of pop culture. The reason I’m thinking of it now is because one of its greatest stars is turning 90 today.

In recent years we’ve lost Adam West (Batman) and Yvonne Craig (Batgirl), and many of the rogues gallery have passed as well, including Caesar Romero (Joker) and Frank Gorshin (Riddler). One of the series biggest and most popular actors is still high-kicking it as she enters her nonagenarian years though, and that’s the original Catwoman, Julie Newmar.

In a series that featured three excellent actresses slipping into the sparkly, skintight latex Catwoman costume, Newmar will always be the one that has my heart. I love Lee Meriwether—who played the Cat in the Batman (1966) theatrical film when Newmar couldn’t due to other commitments—and Earth Kitt—who replaced Newmar in the third and final season of the series—was a living legend and gave it her all, but when it comes to the OG Catwoman, it’s Julie Newmar all day, every day.

Newmar’s performance was deliciously sexy and saucy, and she and Adam West had palpable chemistry and an awful lot of fun with the dialogue’s constant sexual innuendo—which flew right over my head as a little kid! Julie’s purr was purrfect and she moved like a cat too, elegantly and gracefully. Her portrayal elevated the character into the larger public consciousness and established a model against which all future performances would be measured.

A quarter-century later, Michelle Pfeiffer portrayed a different sort of Catwoman on the big screen in Batman Returns, but one that’s just as iconic as Newmar’s take. Michelle made it abundantly clear in interviews that she grew up adoring Julie’s Catwoman. This influence is felt in the ways Michelle brought the same sort of scorching hot sex appeal and wicked sense of humor to the role. In my opinion, she’s the only actress in live action film or television to do complete justice to Catwoman the character and to match Newmar’s excellence.

Julie Newmar has had a long, thriving career in show biz of course, before and after Catwoman. Heck, she even kicks ass playing a prostitute with a heart of gold in the 1985 cult classic Streetwalkin’. She’s always fabulous, no matter how big or obscure the part.

Happy birthday, Julie Newmar, thanks for everything.

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Seems like the appropriate time to once again share my recent illustrated love letter to Julie Newmar’s Catwoman.