Favorite Catwoman Actress?

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Favorite Catwoman Actress:

Julie Newmar
20
69%
Lee Meriwether
6
21%
Eartha Kitt
3
10%
 
Total votes: 29

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vintagematt
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Favorite Catwoman Actress?

Post by vintagematt »

I'm really curious to see what your opinions are. Personally, I prefer Julie Newmar!
"Batman told him a super funny joke. When the creature didn't laugh, that was proof!"
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dell
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Re: Favorite Catwoman Actress?

Post by dell »

Julie is my favorite, but Lee and Eartha both did a great job. I used to have Lee at number two, but watching the series on DVD I now put Eartha in the number two spot on my list.

Julie just had fun with the role and it really shows. She could be nasty one second and then seductive the next; just like a real cat. She could be nonchalant about trying to kill Batman or turning his brains into mush, or she could really be enjoying dropping Robin into a pit of tigers.

Lee always played it intense, maybe a little too intense? We never saw the more flippant side of Catwoman that Julie and Eartha often used. I did like her Miss Kitka character and she played it well. Regarding alter egos, I never cared for the way Julie played her alter egos (Minerva Matthews, dance instructor, and woman in nightgown). Eartha did not have an alter ego.

Eartha plays it more like Julie with her flippant, almost care-free attitude. Lines such as when she coos, "I remit myself into your muscular custody Batman", and the nasty overtones with, "In any comparison between Batgirl and myself, she runs a poor third" are delivered perfectly. And of course, you have to love the way she literally hisses at Batgirl.
dell
Blue Meanie
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Re: Favorite Catwoman Actress?

Post by Blue Meanie »

My ranking:

#1 Julie Newmar
#2 Lee Meriwether
#3 Eartha Kitt
elmrgraham
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Re: Favorite Catwoman Actress?

Post by elmrgraham »

To me,Eartha Kitt and Lee Meriwether tied for second.
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tenderheart bear
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Re: Favorite Catwoman Actress?

Post by tenderheart bear »

Julie all the way. Even in the recent animated movies she's the definitive Catwoman.

Even so, I still think that Lee and Eartha did great jobs. Maybe if they'd been the first version instead I'd think differently. Lee only had one shot at the role, and the movie is a bit of a different beast to the show. Her Catwoman is also written differently to Julie's, a bit like how Lazenby's Bond isn't really the same as Connery's.

I think Eartha's could have been better. She was still great as I say, but the quality of the scripts and poor production values were letting everyone down by that point.
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Jimmy L. 66
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Re: Favorite Catwoman Actress?

Post by Jimmy L. 66 »

Lee Merriwether has always been my favorite.'
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John Mack
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Re: Favorite Catwoman Actress?

Post by John Mack »

batrunner1966 wrote: Mon Jun 10, 2019 12:42 am Lee Merriwether has always been my favorite.'
Odd, she has no votes. Vote for her.
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vintagematt
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Re: Favorite Catwoman Actress?

Post by vintagematt »

I’m a little surprised, I thought that there were more Lee fans because of the “I’m Glad Julie Didn’t Do the Movie” thread.
"Batman told him a super funny joke. When the creature didn't laugh, that was proof!"
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AndyFish
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Re: Favorite Catwoman Actress?

Post by AndyFish »

Put me down as a Lee fan-- she was closer in spirit to the first appearances of Catwoman that Julie did, and she brought an air of sinister to the role. She seemed dangerous, while Julie's later appearances are really childish. Eartha is like a whole new character. I like her for what she did but like most of the third season she's a weaker version of the originals.

I think if Julie had stopped for some reason after Episodes 19/20 I'd have given it to her.
Less is more.

Lee
Julie
Eartha
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SprangFan
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Re: Favorite Catwoman Actress?

Post by SprangFan »

That's a tough one. Julie starred in my favorite episode of the entire series, "The Purr-fect Crime/Better Luck Next Time," but as Andy says, each subsequent appearance chipped away more and more at that strong start (not her fault, but the writers'). On the other hand, Lee was more the way I always imagined Catwoman; ruthless and not above using her beauty as a weapon. I suppose it's kind of cute that Julie's version has a crush on Batman, and there's certainly precedent for a flirtation/attraction in the comics, but in my mind Catwoman's true passion is larceny and the only lust she feels is for riches. Lee's version nails that: you get the impression it's not just Bruce, but men in general she doesn't particularly care about at all, aside from what they can get her. It doesn't hurt Lee's also a brunette like the "real" Selina Kyle of the comics. On the other hand, in general I think the movie is inferior to any number of TV episodes, and it's a constant distraction wondering why Batman doesn't recognize Ms Kitka and Catwoman as the same person (forget they've met before on the show; how could Catwoman have served time in prison without ever having to remove her mask????).

Eartha was fun (that voice!!), but while the "malt shop" goo-goo eyes excess of the Julie eps was exasperating, the complete lack of a romantic subtext in the Eartha run reduced her to just another baddie.

So I guess I'll leave it at: Julie got the best story, but Lee's still my favorite.

As an aside, the one thing that always bugged me as a kid was that all the Catwomen actively tried to kill Batman. The real Catwoman stood out in the comics as a villain who didn't kill. Or else Batman wouldn't have been attracted to her for a second.
"You were right again, Batman. We might have been killed."
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Dr. Shimel
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Re: Favorite Catwoman Actress?

Post by Dr. Shimel »

I would have been shocked if it was anyone but Julie. The other two were fine, but most people's perception of each is, "Oh yeah, she replaced Julie."
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Jimmy L. 66
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Re: Favorite Catwoman Actress?

Post by Jimmy L. 66 »

John Mack wrote: Mon Jun 10, 2019 1:22 am
batrunner1966 wrote: Mon Jun 10, 2019 12:42 am Lee Merriwether has always been my favorite.'
Odd, she has no votes. Vote for her.
I just did, thanks John.

Ok, TO be clear, I do not think any of the lovely ladies did a bad job.

I go
Lee : I liked that the character was a little more fleshed out. Secret identity, using her wiles to seduce Bruce.
Eartha: liked what was there, wanted to see more of this character/ VERSION.
Julie: as mentioned above each performance is weaker- AS far as that character. Again, writers not her.

All that being said, they are all better than anyone since (Live action)
elmrgraham
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Re: Favorite Catwoman Actress?

Post by elmrgraham »

All three Catwomen were EVIL,SEXY,and WILY.
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John Mack
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Re: Favorite Catwoman Actress?

Post by John Mack »

I have to admit, I was never big on Eartha as Catwoman when I was a kid. But as I've grown to love Victor as Tut, I too have grown to enjoy Eartha. When I was younger I'd moan and grown at a Tut episode or an Eartha one. Today, with it being on DVD, I actively search those out.
Music. BAT! Music.
cammy85
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Re: Favorite Catwoman Actress?

Post by cammy85 »

Julie did it perfectly, but Eartha carried it well in the third season. Julie's final appearance was "Batman Displays His Knowledge" where she finally had enough of Batman double crossing her; and their last time appearing together (aside from Bruce Wayne as her parole officer) involved her trying to seduce Batman while wearing poisoned lipstick. There was no way she was coming back from that; and it set the stage for Eartha's no nonsense approach in Season 3. Note: The animated movies released later don't count. Those are in their own timeline.
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