She wasn’t the only Catwoman, but Julie Newmar holds the title as the very first.
Born Julia Chalene Newmeyer, American actress and entrepreneur Julie Newmar has never been far from the stage. Both her mother, a Ziegfeld Follies chorus girl, and her father, an engineering professor and head football coach at Los Angeles City College, encouraged young Newmar to pursue creative endeavors. At the age of 17 she had already graduated high school, spent a year in Europe, been accepted into UCLA and attained a position with Universal Studios as a choreographer and dance-double.
Newmar made her Broadway debut in Silk Stockings at the age of 19. She also performed in Li’l Abner and then in the comedy Marriage-Go-Round, for which she won a Tony.
Newmar became well-known for her voluptuous figure; this led to her being cast in a number of “temptress” roles. After signing a contract with 20th Century Fox, her legs were insured for $10 million.
She appeared in the television series Route 66 and Twilight Zone, as well as on numerous variety-style shows. From 1964 to 1965, she was cast as Rhoda the Robot in the cult classic sitcom My Living Doll.
In 1966, Newmar made her debut appearance in Batman as Catwoman, the role for which she is most widely known. Catwoman, Gotham City’s seductive villainess, wears a hip-hugging, black bodysuit and black cat ears to match. She is woman in form but distinctly feline in demeanor. She enjoys the occasional cat nap, drives a “Catillac,” hangs out at The Pink Sandbox dance club and even has an affection for milk. When roused, particularly when she is near Batman, she begins to meow and purr.
Indeed, Catwoman and Batman share a sort of forbidden attraction, though their conflicting morals and behaviors will never allow them to be together.
The role of Catwoman was hammed up by many others in later years — Lee Meriwether, Eartha Kitt, Michelle Pfeiffer, Halle Berry and Anne Hathaway.
Over the next few decades, Newmar broadened her professional horizons. While she continued to appear in several films and television shows, she also received three U.S. patents for a new pantyhose design, dubbed “Nudemar.” In the 1980s, she began investing in Los Angeles real estate. She developed a passion for design and gardening. Now in her 80s, Newmar hosts many of L.A.’s top charity events.
In 2011 she released The Conscious Catwoman, a biographical book of wit and wisdom.