Who's The Sexiest Catwoman from the 1960s Batman TV series?

[RandyS]

I didn't like Kitt at all. And, before I'm slammed for being a racist, her being black had nothing to do with it.

Wikipedia says:

Her mother was of Cherokee and African-American descent and her father of German or Dutch descent.

That is only 25%. End of story. No need to bring up race. We are talking sex appeal by acting & visually.

Here I specifically say I am not a racist in order to keep from being slammed, and I get slammed for pointing that out.

God, I love irony.

And, if we're talking sex appeal, then my opinion stands, since Lee Merriwether wins in that categpry hands down..

 

[Christopher]

Yeah, but Meriwether actually sounds like purring. Say it out loud: "merrrrrriwethhherrrr".

No, it sounds like cheerful meteorological conditions. Something with four syllables and only two R sounds doesn't sound like purring.

 

[Greg Cox]

Lee Meriwether. When I was a boy, and I saw her in that costume, she made my trousers feel funny.

She was in 'Time Tuinnel' too.

And Star Trek. She did the episode "That Which Survives".

So did Newmar in "Friday's Child." And I still think it's a crying shame that the one time Newmar appeared on STAR TREK they had her stuck in a pregnancy fat-suit the whole episode. Talk about a missed opportunity!

 

[Trekker4747]

Newmar by far. I'd put Meriwether second.

 

[DarKush]

I didn't like Kitt at all. And, before I'm slammed for being a racist, her being balck had nothing to do with it.

Wikipedia says:

Her mother was of Cherokee and African-American descent and her father of German or Dutch descent.

That is only 25%. End of story. No need to bring up race. We are talking sex appeal by acting & visually.

So, 25% makes her less black? Many in the African-American community, who considered Ms. Kitt an icon and mourned her passing certainly didn't think so. Unfortunately, sex appeal has been, and still is, tied to race or ethnicity, so I don't think its an open and shut case. Not saying that Jeffriestube doesn't have the right to pick who he wants and not get slammed for it out of hand, unless of course there is some corroborating evidence that his pick is based on racial/ethnic bias.

I liked Julie Newmar on the old show, but thought that Eartha Kitt had the best voice of any Catwoman, past or present. No one could say 'purrfect' like her. Though if I had to choose of all the Catwomen, I would go with Halle Berry on pure looks, but Michelle Pfieffer (sp) just had a raw sexuality that Newmar could only hint at.

So here's my picks:

60s:
1. Julie Newmar
2. Eartha Kitt
3. Lee Meriwether

Past and Present:
1. Halle Berry
2. Michelle Pfieffer
3. Julie Newmar
4. Eartha Kitt
5. Adrienne Barbeau (I think she was the Catwoman on BTAS)
6. Lee Meriwether (I can barely remember the Batman movie so I can't rate her all that high)

 

[Christopher]

I don't consider race a factor where my assessment of Eartha Kitt is concerned. Heck, I think Halle Berry is fifty times hotter than Michelle Pfeiffer. I also think Freema Agyeman is somewhat hotter than Billie Piper. Ms. Kitt just didn't have a particularly beautiful face, that's all. Her features were too angular and severe. That's got nothing to do with her ethnicity.

She certainly did have a terrific voice, though, and made excellent use of her trademark purr. That's the one respect in which she surpassed Newmar and Meriwether (though as I said, Meriwether's cat-in-heat moaning in the movie was intensely sexy -- and I love Newmar's voice even though she didn't have a specific gimmick like that).

And yes, you're right about Adrienne Barbeau being the voice of Catwoman on B:TAS and TNBA. Additionally, Gina Gershon did her voice in The Batman and Nika Futterman (aka Asajj Ventress in Star Wars: The Clone Wars) does her voice in Batman: The Brave and the Bold. And in Filmation's New Adventures of Batman in the '70s, she was voiced by Melendy Britt (who would later play She-Ra).

 

[Keith1701]

Julie Newmar, obviously.

I wasn't a fan of Eartha Kitt.

I must agree, as well!!!

 

[DarKush]

Let me clarify and say that sex appeal is not always tied to race or ethnicity, but both do continue to play a factor in determining what is physically/sexually attractive or appealing for a lot of people. I think my previous statement might make people think I meant that is always the case. I don't think it is, but I'm not naive enough to think that it is completely off the table each and every time either.

Oh and Christopher thanks for the info on the other Catwomen. I vaguely recall Gina Gershon, but I didn't know about the others, or that one also did the voice for Asajj Ventress. I think she does a good job as Ventress.

 

[Bloodwhiner]

Guess I'm an oddball but Eartha Kitt defined the role to me.

(and this thread really, really needs pictures)

 

[byron lomax]

I like them all, but my vote goes to Newmar.

I can see difficulties of putting Catwoman in Nolan's film universe, but I really would love to see the character done justice on the big screen. She badly needs it.

 

[MeanJoePhaser]

Julie Newmar.

The problem with Kitt's Catwoman was that, IIRC, the previous romance/attraction to Batman was ignored. It didn't make the character consistent over 3 actresses.

 

[The Badger]

I actually met Eartha Kitt once. So long ago that I don't actually remember it, but my parents have told me about it. She was on tour in Britain and had gone ice skating in Manchester. My family was there at the time. I fell over on the ice, and she helped me up. So I can honestly say that I was picked up by Catwoman!

Personally though, my favourite was Julie Newmar. Funny and sexy. If only the technology existed back then to put her in a Pfieffer style rubber catsuit...

I can see difficulties of putting Catwoman in Nolan's film universe, but I really would love to see the character done justice on the big screen. She badly needs it.

Agreed. Handled right she could be great.

 

[Christopher]

I can see difficulties of putting Catwoman in Nolan's film universe, but I really would love to see the character done justice on the big screen. She badly needs it.

I don't think it would be hard at all. Just feature a cunning catburglar named Selina Kyle, maybe have her help out the fugitive Batman. Maybe have one character allude to her as "that Cat woman" at one point in the film and then never use the name again, like they did with "Two-Face" in The Dark Knight.

Personally though, my favourite was Julie Newmar. Funny and sexy. If only the technology existed back then to put her in a Pfieffer style rubber catsuit...

Ugh. The outfit she did wear was far sexier than that monstrosity.

 

[Nathan_Heller]

With her long dancer's legs, Julie Newmar hands down.

 

[Zachary Smith]

Julie Newmar.

BTW, I recall reading somewhere that in the 1950's Julie Newmar and Tina Louise (Ginger from "Gilligan's Island") shared a dressing room during the run of a play. OH!! To have been a fly on that wall . . .

 

[Emher]

Julie Newmar, obviously.

I wasn't a fan of Eartha Kitt.

........


I'm sorry, what?

 

[Enterprise is Great]

Julie Newmar without a doubt.

 

[ITL]

A thousand times Julie Newmar. Best. Legs. Ever.

 

[Trekker4747]

A thousand times Julie Newmar. Best. Legs. Ever.

She has legs?

 

[ITL]

A thousand times Julie Newmar. Best. Legs. Ever.

She has legs?

The gams underneath the peach.