The Catwomen

A further style revision

1 September 2010

Catwoman made her film portrayal in 1966 when Julie Newmar donned the catsuit and ears in the Batman television series. While her feline character has not changed, her portrayal has. Bob Kane created her character to appeal to his female audience, and fans of both sexes enjoy the Feline Fatale.

Technically, her creation came about when Suzanne Lloyd donned a cat dress in the 1959 episode of The Twilight Zone, "Perchance to Dream." She was not available when Batman went on the air seven years later, because she was residing in England. But the similarities to her Maya the Cat Girl and Catwoman are considerable, so that we have included her.

Three ladies—Ms. Newmar, Lee Meriwether and Eartha Kitt—have played the Feline Fatale in the 1966 Batman series and accompanying movie. Lesley Gore played a memorable sidekick, Pussycat, in an early 1967 episode. That episode saw the debut of Ms. Gore's single, "California Nights."

After the series ended, Catwoman would be seen in two animated cartoons, one airing in 1968-70, and the other around 1977. No live-action Catwoman would be seen again until 1992, when Michelle Pfeiffer donned a full-bodied Catsuit in Batman Returns. That same year, Adrienne Barbeau voiced the Feline Fatale in Batman: The Animated Series (1992-95) and in Batman: Gotham Knights (1997-99).

And the number of those WHO WOULD BE Catwoman continues to grow, given the number of Gotham-based productions.