If you were a kid or teenager in early 1966, you likely remember rushing to the TV at 7:30 on Wednesday and Thursday nights to watch the latest episode of the Batman TV show, featuring Adam West as the titular hero and Burt Ward as Robin, the Boy Wonder.
If that sounds familiar, you probably also have fond memories of the show’s memorable villains, particularly Catwoman, portrayed by Julie Newmar. Now at 90 years young, Newmar has enjoyed an incredible seven-decade career filled with numerous films and TV appearances.
What’s truly remarkable is that she only appeared in 12 episodes of Batman, yet her striking style, confidence, and ability to captivate audiences have made a lasting impression. This speaks volumes about her charisma and talent.
Geoffrey Mark, a pop culture historian, actor, and author of The Lucy Book, notes, “For Baby Boomers or anyone who has ever watched a rerun of Batman, her performance is unforgettable.
Because of her demeanor, body language, distinctive outfits, and the way she portrayed the character, Catwoman was transformed in comic books. That’s how significant her influence was.”
Yet, that’s just a small part of who Julie Newmar is. After all, 12 appearances on a television show from 1966 to 1967 hardly encompass her remarkable 70-year career.
In addition to her iconic role as Catwoman, Newmar has starred in 43 movies, made 45 guest appearances on various TV shows, headlined her own series, and graced the stage in 13 different productions. Join us as we explore the extraordinary life of Julie Newmar.
#1. Julie’s Early Days
Julie Chalene Newmeyer was born on August 16, 1933, to a Swedish-French fashion designer mother and a father who was a professional football player and the Head of Physical Education at Los Angeles City College.
“Julie entered show business in a unique way,” Geoffrey explains. “Born in Los Angeles, she didn’t follow the traditional path of pursuing theater, classical music, or ballet on the West Coast. Instead, she combined those interests. Her early exposure came as a ballerina with the LA Opera, where she caught the eye of industry insiders.”
At just 15 years old, Newmar was already a striking presence, standing at five feet, eleven inches tall, with remarkable ballet skills. “Julie was an exceptional dancer,” Geoffrey adds. “Her statuesque beauty and talent drew the attention of both MGM and Universal Studios. She performed at MGM and served as a choreographer at Universal.”
Newmar’s film career began modestly, with 12 uncredited roles spanning from 1952’s She’s Working Her Way Through College to 1954’s Demetrius and the Gladiators. However, 1954 marked a turning point for her when she landed her first credited role as Dorcas Gaylen in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers, a musical set in 1850 Oregon.
The film was a critical success, winning the Academy Award for Best Scoring of a Musical Picture and earning nominations for four other Oscars, including Best Picture. That same year, Newmar also appeared in Deep in My Heart, where she was credited simply as “Vamp.”
Next, Newmar transitioned to Broadway, starring in the 1955 musical Silk Stockings, which featured music and lyrics by Cole Porter in his final stage production. In 1956, she took the lead in Ziegfeld Follies, but unfortunately, the show closed during its tour.
Newmar first gained significant attention for her role as Stupefyin’ Jones in the 1956 musical Li’l Abner, based on the comic strip created by Al Capp. She reprised this role in the 1959 film adaptation.
“Although the character was primarily based on her looks, she was on stage for less than 10 minutes in the entire two-and-a-half-hour show,” Geoffrey notes.
“Despite her brief appearance, she made such a lasting impression that everyone took notice. The other stunning performer in the show was Tina Louise, who famously played Ginger Grant on Gilligan’s Island.”
Newmar returned to the stage in the 1958 sex comedy The Marriage-Go-Round, where she played the role of Katrin Sveg, a character she would reprise in the 1961 film adaptation.
“What’s truly impressive,” Geoffrey observes, “is that Julie embodies a character that is highly sexualized without crossing into vulgarity. Maintaining that balance is very challenging.
Marilyn Monroe often struggled with this; for example, her role in There’s No Business Like Show Business was seen as too vulgar, leading her husband to walk off the set. Personally, I agree with that sentiment. In contrast, I never found Julie, either in her personal life or her roles, to be in bad taste. It takes a strong character and a talented actor to achieve that.”
In between her performances in The Marriage-Go-Round, Julie starred in the 1959 comedy film The Rookie, alongside Tommy Noonan and Peter Marshall, who would later host The Hollywood Squares.
During the early 1960s, Newmar not only continued her film career but also began making guest appearances on various television shows, including The Defenders, Route 66, The Twilight Zone, and The Danny Kaye Show. She became one of those versatile actors who seamlessly transitioned between the stage, big screen, and television, showcasing her wide-ranging talent.
#2. Julie Newmar the jet-setter
“Doing that had been unusual in the ’30s and ’40s,” Geoffrey notes. “But by the time the ’50s rolled around and major studios began to decline, it became common for actors to move between California for films and Broadway back East.
Stars like Katharine Hepburn and Bette Davis were doing it. Many actors became bi-coastal, leveraging their movie success to ensure a potential hit on Broadway.
Geoffrey adds, “Given that Julie was trained for the stage, it’s no surprise she effortlessly bounced back and forth. In fact, she appeared in at least two hit Broadway shows, and when those were adapted into films, she reprised her roles on screen.”
“Another thing to keep in mind,” Geoffrey adds, “is that in those days TV and movies paid a whole lot better.
Even the great Ethel Merman at the apex of her career in Gypsy was making $5,000 a week and that was good money, but you made more money doing other things. And how many Ethel Mermans are there? What she was getting was top payment, which is not what everybody got.”
Geoffrey emphasizes that many people often overlook a key aspect of an actor’s career: just because someone like Julie Newmar is appearing in movies and TV shows doesn’t necessarily mean they are wealthy.
“Actors need to earn a living,” he explains. “Julie accepted the roles that came her way. If there was a gap in her film or television work, she turned to the stage. Likewise, if stage opportunities dried up, she sought out roles in TV or movies—anything that would provide an income and help advance her career.”
He adds, “Many actors never turn down any opportunity because they want to keep working. For Julie, taking on various roles was simply about finding what was available, especially as a woman who was nearly six feet tall and exceptionally beautiful.”
#3. From ‘My Living Doll’ to ‘Batman’
In 1964, Newmar joined the cast of My Living Doll, the only television series where she was a regular. In this show, she portrayed Rhoda Miller, a lifelike android given to psychiatrist Dr. Bob McDonald (played by Bob Cummings) to keep her out of the hands of America’s enemies.
My Living Doll was part of a trend in 1960s sitcoms that embraced fantasy elements, joining the ranks of shows like My Favorite Martian (produced by the same team), Mister Ed, Bewitched, I Dream of Jeannie, The Munsters, and The Addams Family.
Despite its intriguing premise, the show struggled to gain traction and was canceled after just one season. Geoffrey attributes its short run to various factors.
“It was under-directed, under-written and underwhelming,” Geoffrey says matter of factly of My Living Doll. “I don’t care how wonderful an actor you are, if it’s not on the page, it ain’t on the stage.
And then Bob Cummings jumped ship halfway through the season, and the show got even worse, because another rule of television is that you can’t be funny in a vacuum.
You have to have strong people around you. Lucille Ball is the absolute best performer on a sitcom ever, but she needed Desi Arnaz and William Frawley and Vivian Vance and Bill Asher to direct her and her brilliant writers to write for her.
After the cancellation of My Living Doll, Julie Newmar quickly rebounded by taking on the iconic role of Catwoman in Batman, a character that became synonymous with her image for many fans. She appeared in 12 episodes of the series, which aired from 1966 to 1969.
My Living Doll became a hiccup for her, because she became so tremendously popular from the Batman TV show,” Geoffrey states. “And Julie wisely realized that Catwoman could be a career-maker, but it could also be a career-breaker in terms of typecasting.
It’s why she didn’t do the 1966 Batman film or more episodes than she did. She went in, she made the kill and gave her career that huge boost, and then got out to do other things.”
In the years following her role in Batman, Julie Newmar continued to make her mark on both film and television. She appeared in movies like the Western Mackenna’s Gold and the comedy The Maltese Bippy (both released in 1969).
Additionally, she starred in TV movies such as The Feminist and the Nerd (1971), A Very Missing Person (1972), and Fools, Females and Fun. Newmar also made guest appearances on a variety of popular shows, including The Monkees, Star Trek, Bewitched, and Columbo.
Although her credits continued to grow until 2017, her personal life began to shift in the early 1970s.
#4. Love, Marriage and a Son
Julie Newmar had notable romantic relationships prior to her marriage, including an engagement to novelist Louis L’Amour and affairs with actor Ken Scott and comedian Mort Sahl.
In 1977, she married lawyer J. Holt Smith, and the couple moved to Fort Worth, Texas. They welcomed their son, John Jewl Smith, in 1981, who was born with a hearing impairment and Down syndrome. Unfortunately, their marriage ended in divorce in 1984.
“She is a wonderful mother,” enthuses Geoffrey. “I’ve met him and although he’s challenged, he radiates sweetness.
And when you see them together, you can see how much they love each other and what a good job she did for him. And with all of the responsibilities on her, she did not hand her special needs child over to a nanny and say, ‘Bye-bye.’
And when she did want to work, she had to deal with the fact that she was now a middle-aged woman in a town that was then and is now very ageist. At the same time, she was also taking the money she earned and became a really smart business woman.”
In the 1970s, Julie Newmar patented “Nudemar,” a line of pantyhose and bras marketed as “nearly invisible.” Additionally, during the 1980s, she ventured into Los Angeles real estate, reportedly amassing a significant fortune through her investments.
As time went on, she continued to accept various roles to maintain her presence in the industry. Geoffrey notes, “Many women in their 40s find that roles become scarcer.
However, Julie transitioned away from being the love interest and reached a point where she could selectively choose the roles she wanted to pursue as an actress.”
One project that Julie Newmar embraced was Return to the Batcave: The Misadventures of Adam and Burt, a 2003 biopic exploring the chaotic experiences surrounding the Batman TV show and its impact on stars Adam West and Burt Ward.
Julie joined in on the nostalgia, alongside Frank Gorshin, who portrayed the Riddler. Additionally, she lent her voice to the character of Catwoman in two animated films: Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders (2016) and Batman vs. Two-Face (2017).
#5. Julie Newmar today
Geoffrey is continually amazed by Julie Newmar’s resilience and generosity, especially at 90 years old. Not only is she still thriving, but she actively supports LGBT rights, a cause close to her heart due to her brother John being gay.
“She also takes care of her son, who has special needs,” he notes. “At comedian Rip Taylor’s memorial service in 2019, Julie brought her son along. Watching her interact with him in public was nothing short of inspiring. You could feel the love between them; there was never a moment of pity or embarrassment. It made me think, ‘I am so fortunate to know this woman.’
“Even today, when you sit near her and share a meal, her beauty is striking. Her face hasn’t changed; it’s still the same captivating visage. It may sound cliché,” Geoffrey concludes, “but while God blessed her with incredible looks, perhaps the real reason she fascinates us is that her soul is even more beautiful.”
