A Tale of Three Kitties or Why the Various Catwomen?

[Bob Furmanek]

On the Batman 1966 TV Show Facebook page, it seems every other day somebody asks why Julie didn't do the movie, why Lee didn't do the third season, why Eartha didn't do the second season, etc. Somebody usually repeats the MACKENNA'S GOLD myth for the reason Julie didn't do the movie.

So I dug through Variety and here's what I found.

April 18, 1966 - Filming begins on the feature. The next day, Variety reports that Julie "had to bow out of her Catwoman role because of a recurrence of her chronic back ailment."

They had to get someone fast and shot around the character for the first week. Lee Meriwether was quickly cast on April 26, 1966. Eartha Kitt was appearing in Boston at the time with the U.S. National Tour of "The Owl and the Pussycat."

MACKENNA'S GOLD began filming May 16, 1967 and shortly after that wrapped, Julie Newmar began filming MONSIEUR LECOQ on September 14 in Italy.

Eartha Kitt was signed for the third season on June 14, 1967 and production began July 5. Lee Meriwether was probably not asked to return to the series because of her recurring role on The Time Tunnel.

If anybody has more info to add, please do.

[Dr. Shimel]

Lee Meriwether was probably not asked to return to the series because of her recurring role on The Time Tunnel.

Actually, Time Tunnel had already been cancelled--Lee did play Lisa Carson in the second King Tut appearance in S2. Just a feeble guess, but she might have taken something of a break, since I believe she had two young ones at home. After TT, she only had two small roles for the rest of 1967-68.

[epaddon]

See this earlier thread for just how hectic Lee's schedule was when she fit in her Lisa Carson appearance in and around her Time Tunnel shooting.

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=2541

I believe that as was the case with the Batman movie, she got the role because she had a Fox contract that made her someone to go to in an emergency situation. I suspect she wasn't first choice for the part of Lisa and was a quick and convenient solution to go to just as she'd been for Catwoman and because of that, I doubt she would have been considered for the role outright in S3.

MacKenna's Gold obviously had nothing to do with Julie missed doing the movie and I think she could have come back to the role if she'd wanted to in S3 but I wouldn't be surprised at all if she got tired of how the character was being written in S2 and just decided to move on.

We do need to remember though that just because imdb credits indicate lack of film/TV activity doesn't mean there wasn't work in things like local/regional theater, summer stock or other things actors did to keep busy. One article on Lee from 1966 mentions that while she was filming the movie during the day, at night she was doing a play about Dylan Thomas as well.

[Bob Furmanek]

Julie went right from MG to a film in Italy when the third season was filming so she wasn't available at all for a return to Batman.

[Riddler 66]

I'm glad that has been cleared up, I was beginning to think "MacKenna's Gold" took 2 years to film.

[epaddon]

Appreciate the clarification on Julie taking the film role in Italy. I guess the only remaining unknown variable is when she committed to doing that project. I wouldn't be all that surprised if the idea of doing something overseas appealed to her more than coming back to what might have seemed like a grind at this point after all the episodes she did in Season 2.

[High C]

Appreciate the clarification on Julie taking the film role in Italy. I guess the only remaining unknown variable is when she committed to doing that project. I wouldn't be all that surprised if the idea of doing something overseas appealed to her more than coming back to what might have seemed like a grind at this point after all the episodes she did in Season 2.

Great info about the film role in Italy, Bob. Thanks so much.

Mackenna's Gold wrapped in June, so it still is possible Julie could have fit in an ep of Batman. I tend to agree with epaddon--it's very possible she was bored with what the character had become and wanted to try different things.

The film Monsieur Lecoq apparently sank without a trace. I've been able to find almost no information about it, so unfortunately, it wasn't something that was going to help Newmar's career in the long run, and it didn't.

[Bob Furmanek]

According to Variety, MG wrapped sometime in October.

[bat lugosi]

Interesting information about Julie.

Last night I watched "Catwoman Goes to College and Batman Displays His Knowledge". I'm not a fan who has a problem with the lovesick Catwoman: ok, maybe sometimes it's a bit much but IMO there should always be some kind of attraction. Many prefer the Catwoman of the first season episode and I love that episode as well, but not so much for Catwoman, it's more about the atmosphere for that episode. I probably prefer the Catwoman of season 2. Anyway, to stay on topic, when I watched that episode last night I did get the feeling that Julie was done with it. I'm not saying she phoned it in or that I think she was kind of bored- I think she's great here- but there was just something final about it. Paired with the excellent seduction scene at the real estate development and the scene at Gotham penitentiary where she is talking to Bruce Wayne, it was the vibe I felt as if she was saying goodbye.

[High C]

According to Variety, MG wrapped sometime in October.

I believe the location stuff wrapped in June. Soon-to-be-famous George Lucas, then a fledgling filmmaker, did a short on the Mackenna's production called 6-18-67. I believe that was the day they finished location filming in the desert.

And remember, Julie already would have been overseas in September filming Lecoq according to Variety.

[Bat Username]

Has anyone ever asked Julie if, by the end of season two, she still felt that changing Catwoman had been a mistake? I know she was initially opposed to the idea, but it seems like the change ultimately provided her with a little more range to play as an actor. She still had the darker side that was willing to let Batman die, but it was balanced with lighter aspects that allowed her to demonstrate some comedic chops.

I've noticed Julie's emphasized that dynamic in interviews over the years, often referring to the character of Catwoman as being "half good and half bad". She also tends to reference the "Scat! Darn Catwoman" episode- and its famous dialogue about killing Robin- as a prime example of how she approached the role.

Of course, all of that could be how she views her portrayal in hindsight, but it does seem like she was genuinely enjoying herself during season two. After all, she cites the role of Minerva Mathews as being a personal favorite of her entire career, and the (non-Ross) Sandman episode as being the one she didn't particularly care for.

[Sol]

In support of Ms. Meriwether, I'd like to state that if Julie Newmar had not returned to BATMAN for its second season and had not been party to the "adolescent boy crazy-cum-Batman crazy" transformation, I would say without flinching that Lee Meriwether was the better Catwoman by far! Once that second season had played out it was clear that Ms. Newmar had been given so much more to work with that any comparison is inadequate. For whatever reason she was cast in the movie, Lee Meriwether was excellent. Her Catwoman was intense and sly - just what the script called for. As for Ms. Newmar, I think her weakest performance as the character was that first season story. She was clearly just feeling her way and a lot of her choices were awkwardly hesitant. In the movie, Ms. Meriwether shows no such difficulties.

And for me, frankly, neither Ms. Newmar nor Ms. Kitt purrrrrrrrrred with the (ahem!) effectiveness of Ms. Meriwether. Consider that seen at the periscope, where Catwoman purrs and undulates as a wide-eyed pirate looks on. I have no reason to believe that the other two actresses could pull that off to the same (ahem!) . . . you get what I'm saying.

[epaddon]

Regarding what Julie's attitude was, I think at this stage the only way that can be addressed is to see what she said and did at the time. I have seen Julie in older interviews suggest she didn't like the direction the character was going as it went on, and recently we have seen her say more favorable things about the more humorous side the show was going. Julie I doubt is going to say, "I couldn't wait to be done with it because I was tired of it" at this stage. Perhaps her attitude has changed over what she liked most but if we're going to get a handle on what was in her mind when she decided she wasn't coming back, we'd have to find something she said/did contemporaneous to that.

In regards to Lee, I think she certainly did a good job on what clearly an emergency fill-in basis. There was never any realistic chance though that she was going to get to do the part after that, certainly not in S2 with her commitment to Time Tunnel. And even though Time Tunnel was formally cancelled by ABC in April 1967, and before Eartha was lined up as a replacement, I really doubt that Lee would have gotten consideration for one important reason. I have yet to come across a guest shot of hers in this period where she was a true "focal point" of the episode, in other words the one who has to carry the burden of the largest amount of screen time etc. In the movie, where CW is just an ensemble part, that was one thing but to be a star lead guest with the spotlight all on her was really something that she'd yet to experience at that point (even a year later when she got her famous "Star Trek" guest shot, she is still not on camera for most of the episode other than her famous "I am for you!" moments)

[Bat Username]

Regarding what Julie's attitude was, I think at this stage the only way that can be addressed is to see what she said and did at the time. Julie I doubt is going to say, "I couldn't wait to be done with it because I was tired of it" at this stage.

This is more or less what I was wondering about- if there was record of Julie's thoughts throughout the course of season two. It just seems like playing Catwoman as a stock villain would've caused her to tire of the character far more quickly than how things worked out. She ended up getting to play a character that was far more conflicted than any of Batman's other main foes. As an actor, I'd expect that to have appealed to her more than anything else.

Julie also doesn't seem to have any problem with speaking candidly about the series, such as admitting she didn't really enjoy the Sandman episodes. I can't see much reason for her to sugarcoat any of the other episodes, especially when she's correct about her portrayal being fairly dynamic.

[The Doctor]

Anyone else notice the absence of romance between Bats and Eartha Kitt's Catwoman? They lost a chance at beating Star Trek for the 'first inter-racial kiss on TV.'