Proving that an indelible performance stands the test of time, Eartha Kitt was the easy winner in the recent favorite Catwoman poll. Eartha definitely chose an apt surname because even when she wasn't playing Catwoman she had that "feline thing" about her.Starting slowly but picking up steam as the poll progressed was the support for Michelle Pfeiffer. I didn't see all of "Batman Returns" so I can't judge her performance. However, if the one scene I remember of her kicking ass in an alley is any indication, I would say she did just fine.
The actress who I thought was going to come in 1st or 2nd (Julie Newmar) finished respectably in 3rd place. My reasoning behind thinking Julie would finish higher is because she was the first actress to portray Catwoman onscreen and because she appeared in the role more than anyone else.
Although the movie tanked at the box office, Halle Berry's portrayal of Catwoman had her share of fans and made a decent showing in 4th place. Even though I don't like watching feature films on commercial TV, I might make an effort to check out "Catwoman" because the Oxygen Channel has been showing it lately.
I was glad to see Lee Meriwether get at least one vote in the poll. Her 5th place finish in the poll didn't surprise me given that her one appearance as "Catwoman" (in the 1966 film "Batman") isn't as well known today as the other actresses' portrayals.
Here are the final results:
Eartha Kitt- 39%
Michelle Pfeiffer- 23%
Julie Newmar- 18%
Halle Berry- 15%
Lee Meriwether- 2%
Below is a clip from the series "Batman" featuring Eartha Kitt as Catwoman:
6 comments:
I must say that I am surprised. I was banking the Pfeiffer would win because she first brought the character to the big screen. Eartha Kitt is so old school that I didn't expect most of your readers to remember her. Never underestimate the public (lol).
You must check out Halle's performance. She was the most 'catlike' in my opinion and unlike the other women, she kicked some serious ass literally. I really enjoyed her as Catwoman and I beg to differ with someone who commented that Halle does not make a credible action figure. She was just as good, although not quite as campy as her predecessors. Isn't she Storm in the X-Men series?
I think this may have to do with the age of the voters...if I think Catwoman, the first person that comes to mind is Eartha Kitt, however, I still preferred Julie Newmar in the role.....
Gotta love Eartha! She's truly a diva.
Yeah! Eartha!
I actually recommend you checking out Michelle's characterization of Catwoman...it is quite deep and gives a good background explanation and psychology...what kind of anger and pain would cause a Catwoman...
I've never seen Halle Berry's performance and I will watch for it on Oxygen.
Hey...you know we did manage to see the movie you recommended with Peter Faulk and Sidney Poitier about he therapy and the facist...it was excellent and an unusual ending. Thank you!
It's impossible to front on a 70+ woman who still shows her legs successfully.
Pjazzy: The results of these polls never cease to amaze me.
When the Mad Hatter commented in the orig. post that Halle Berry wasn't an action actress, I told her that many people would beg to differ because of her role as Storm in the X-Men movies.
As a heads up, Lee Meriwether was the first actress to bring Catwoman to the big screen.
The Rock Chick: There is no doubt in my mind that age played a factor in the results of this poll (as well as previous ones). Other factors that play a part in these polls are race/culture and gender.
In the past, I have omitted certain choices because I thought they wouldn't be remembered by many and therefore wouldn't get any votes. I don't know if you remember the "cross dressing comedy" poll I did last year, but I was surprised that the oldest movie on the list (1959's "Some Like It Hot") emerged as the winner.
Mistress of the D: My favorite story about Eartha Kitt is one time back in the 50s or 60s she was having trouble getting a hotel room because she was Black. To get around that fact, she said that she was Spanish or Puerto Rican. When the desk clerk rudely asked her to prove she was Spanish by speaking the language, Eartha allegedly responded by saying "Adios motherfucker!"
Candy: I have heard that "Batman Returns" got into the psychological aspect of Catwoman. How someone came to be what they are always interests me so I will keep my eye out for that movie.
Thanks for letting me know what you thought of the Sidney Poitier/Bobby Darin movie "Pressure Point". I don't know if you noticed it, but none of the characters had names. I think I picked that up either on a subsequent viewing or when I looked up the movie on imdb.com.
Thembi: I don't know if Eartha has written one, but if she did I would love to read her autobiography. Can you imagine the stories she could tell?!
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