As we approach July, we have three anniversaries of movies that featured the Feline Fatale, all very important in their own right.
- The Dark Knight Rises, released 20 July 2012. Hard to believe that it’s been already a decade since this film came out, but time goes by quickly. Christopher Nolan’s Bat trilogy, which began in 2005, comes to its end here, and it is a well-done production. Anne Hathaway plays the Feline Fatale, as Selina Kyle. While she is not officially Catwoman here, we really know what she really is, and the costuming here is reminiscent of the Julie Newmar outfit of 1966. We have a top-notch cast, which also includes Tom Hardy, Marion Cotillard, Liam Neeson, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and the regulars (Christian Bale and Sir Michael Caine), as well as such supporting people as Chris Ellis and William Devane. The film was shot in several locations, notably Chicago, New York City and Pittsburgh, which made for some interesting viewing! I saw it twice: A regular movie house in Gates, NY, and then at an IMAX theatre in the Scranton, PA area.
- Batman Returns (1992): Released 19 June 1992, this movie was the second one with Michael Keaton as the Caped Crusader. It marked the first time Catwoman made a live-action appearance in 24 years! Unlike its predecessor, which had been filmed in the United Kingdom, this production was shot entirely in California. Danny DeVito also shows up as Oswald Cobblepot, AKA The Penguin, with Christopher Walken as Max Shreck. Catwoman’s origin seems to have been tampered with here, as she has a mother who is very much alive. Furthermore, she apparently dies, and then is brought back to life by cats, a technique reused in the 2004 Catwoman alternate universe movie.
The film has its funny moments, but it also has its gross ones, too. And tragic ones as well. But what helps is that this is when we start to see a more sympathetic side of Catwoman, which would lead to her transformation from villain to anti-heroine (and dirty ops soldier). This trend has lasted to today.
- And finally, the 1966 Batman movie, which was the Feline Fatale’s first entry on the silver screen. Julie Newmar was unavailable for the production, so Lee Meriwether (who had done, among other things, guest stints on The FBI in late 1965) took on the role. And Ms. Meriwether makes the role her own. Her masquerade as Miss Kitka is also a lot of fun to watch, and we have Adam West managing a fair amount of time as his alter ego Bruce Wayne. Debuting in Austin, Texas on 30 July 1966, this was a smash hit for ABC when it ran the movie on the network in July 1971. The network reran the movie that Labor Day weekend!
