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Julie Newmar (born August 16, 1933 as Julia Charlene Newmeyer) is an American actress, dancer, and singer.

Overview

Julie was born in Los Angeles, California. She is the oldest of three children and her mother was a Ziegfeld Follies dancer, her father was a teacher and real estate investor. Her first appearances, before she changed her name, were as the "dancer-assassin" in Slaves of Babylon (1953) and as "the gilded girl" in Serpent of the Nile (1953) in which she was clad only in gold paint. She also danced in several other films including The Band Wagon and Demetrius and the Gladiators.

Her first major role, billed as "Julie Newmeyer", was as one of the brides in Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954). Her show-stopping 90-second Broadway appearance as "Stupefyin' Jones" in Li'l Abner in 1956 led to a reprise in the 1959 film version.

Newmar also appeared on Broadway in the non-musical 1961 play, The Marriage-Go-Round, which starred Claudette Colbert. Newmar re-developed the stock character role of the sexy Swedish vixen and won a Tony Award for Best Supporting Actress.

Newmar starred as the sexy 'Rhoda the Robot' in the short-lived cult TV series My Living Doll. She is best known for her recurring role on the 1960s TV series Batman as the villainous Catwoman (portrayed in the final season by Eartha Kitt). She appeared on stage with the late Anthony Newley in a national tour of Stop the World - I Want to Get Off, and as "Lola" in Damn Yankees!. She also gueststarred on The Twilight Zone.

In the 1980s and early 1990s, Newmar appeared in several low-budget films. She also guest-starred on tv shows including The Love Boat, Hart to Hart, CHiPs, Fantasy Island, and Melrose Place.

Newmar's beauty was so legendary that it was even paid tribute in the title of a film, To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar. Newmar makes a cameo appearance at the end of the film.

On November 2, 2004, Newmar was sued by next-door neighbor and TV comedian, James Belushi, for the sum of $4,000,000. Belushi claimed that Newmar had been harassing him and actively trying to force him to move through such acts as destroying his property, blaring loud music directed at his home, and bad-mouthing him to neighbours. Newmar countered that she was the victim of the boorish and arrogant Belushi. However, as of January 2006, the dispute has been settled, and Newmar is scheduled to appear on an upcoming episode of Belushi's sitcom, According to Jim.

Marriage

Julie Newmar was married just once, to J. Holt Smith on August 5, 1977. The marriage was dissolved in 1983. By that marriage she gave birth to her only child, a son named John, who is deaf and has Down Syndrome.

Pantyhose Inventor and Real Estate Investor

Newmar invented and marketed her own brand of pantyhose, "Nudemar," in the 1970s & 1980s. She holds three U.S. patents: 3,914,799 and 4,003,094 for "Pantyhose with shaping band for Cheeky derriere relief" and 3,935,865 for "Brassiere." In addition, after obtaining further education at UCLA in the early 1980s Newmar began investing in Los Angeles real estate which, after two decades, has provided her with financial security.

Quotation

  • "Tell me I'm beautiful, it's nothing. Tell me I'm intellectual, I know it. Tell me I'm funny and it's the greatest compliment in the world anyone could give me." — Julie Newmar, New York Times interview.

Filmography

Television Work

External links

1933 births | Living people | Star Trek: The Original Series actors | People from Los Angeles | American television actors | Actresses who portrayed Catwoman (Batman) | Worst Supporting Actress Razzie nominees | American film actors

Julie Newmar | Julie Newmar

 

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the "Julie Newmar".

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