Which Catwoman Wore the Catsuit Best?

From Julie Newmar to Anne Hathaway, check out the actresses who made Batman say 'meow'


With the recently published first look at Anne Hathaway's Catwoman costume for Christopher Nolan's upcoming "The Dark Knight Rises," the question must be asked: Of all the women who have purred menacingly into Batman's ear, who was the sexiest feline villain? Let's take a look at how Catwoman has changed over the years.

Julie Newmar (1966): Many would call the statuesque actress the "original" Catwoman. Appearing in a dozen classic episodes of the live-action TV series (staring Adam West as the Caped Crusader and Burt Ward as Robin, the Boy Wonder), Julie Newmar rocked the skintight catsuit like no other. Oozing sexuality with every purr, Newmar helped create her sensual duds, using a semi-metallic yarn that clung to all the right places. Her provocative repartee with Adam West pushed the boundaries of 1960s censorship. At a recent "Batman" reunion at Comic-Con, Newmar was asked about her Catwoman getup, now owned by the Smithsonian. "Well, if you wear black, it takes 15 pounds off your body," the actress said. "When you put on the heels, which were four inches, it takes what — 5 pounds per inch off your body?" Not that the still-stunning Newmar ever needed help making herself more alluring to men — superheroes or otherwise.
Lee Meriwether (1966): When the creators of the "Batman" TV show decided to make a feature film about the Dynamic Duo, Julie Newmar was not available, so actress, model and former Miss America Lee Meriwether borrowed the famous kitty ears. Unlike the TV series, which usually featured just one guest villain per episode, Meriwether's Catwoman got to conspire with the sinister denizens of Gotham City's underworld: the Joker (Cesar Romero), the Riddler (Frank Gorshin) and the Penguin (Burgess Meredith). Considering she was the new kid on the block, Lee Meriwether deserves a lot of credit for bringing her own sultry spin to the character. And she filled out Newmar's costume beautifully. The actress is probably best known for her roles on the TV series "The Time Tunnel" and "Barnaby Jones" and still performs regularly on television and the stage.
Eartha Kitt (1968): In the third season of the kitschy TV show, the producers of "Batman" broke new ground by hiring Eartha Kitt to don Catwoman's whiskers. Kitt was the first African-American to take on such a role and, like her two predecessors, she wore the Catwoman costume quite well. With her distinctive voice already as close to a cat's purr as humanly possible, Kitt fit the role like a glove. The civil rights movement was in full swing during this time and race relations were strained in much of the country. This made the jittery producers tone down the sexual tension between Catwoman and Batman during Kitt's reign. It didn't matter — Eartha Kitt proved incapable of saying a single sentence without a sexy subtext. This was the woman, after all, who tried to seduce Jolly Old St. Nick himself in her risqué hit song "Santa Baby."

Michelle Pfeiffer (1992): Tim Burton's "Batman Returns" was a sequel to the first Batman film not based on the TV show. Actor Michael Keaton was back as Bruce Wayne/Batman and, for the first time, thanks to Michelle Pfeiffer's sizzling portrayal, we got an origin story for Catwoman. Starting out as Selina Kyle, a secretary for Max Schreck (Christopher Walken), Pfeiffer is thrown off the top of a building after she discovers Schreck's evil plans to take over Gotham City. Though left for dead, Pfeiffer is resuscitated by a group of alley cats and becomes the sensual creature we all know and love. Michelle Pfeiffer's costume veered dramatically from the TV version. Featuring a smooth rubber look and head mask, it had a decidedly kinky, S&M look to it. Actress Annette Bening had been signed to play Catwoman in this film but had to bow out when she became pregnant.
Halle Berry (2004): Though inspired by the same DC Comics character, the film "Catwoman" created a brand-new origin story: The owner of a cosmetics company named Patience Phillips drowns and is brought back to life by a mysterious Egyptian cat. This was a solo outing for Catwoman — Batman and Robin were nowhere to be found. Three years after becoming the first African-American woman to win a Best Actress Oscar, Halle Berry received a whopping $12.5 million to play the title role. Her Catwoman showed way more skin than the women who came before her, and she was a knockout. Unfortunately, the film bombed at the box office and Berry's performance was derided as one of the worst of the year. Being an excellent sport, Halle appeared at the Razzie Awards to collect her Worst Actress award herself, holding her Academy Award in one hand and the Razzie in the other.
Anne Hathaway (2012): The newest member of the Catwoman club is actress Anne Hathaway, who is currently filming "The Dark Knight Rises." Hathaway will sidle up to Christian Bale in his third Batman outing for Christopher Nolan. Returning to the original backstory, Hathaway will play the dual role of Selina Kyle and the feline temptress. Only one photo has been released of Hathaway in costume, producing a cacophony of catty responses. Hathaway defended her kitty threads, reassuring fans that the photo is limited. "What I am happy to say is, if you didn't like the photo, you only see about a 10th of what that suit can do," the actress told MTV. Hathaway said this is the most physically demanding role she's ever taken on, especially getting into the leather Catwoman gear.