Ms. Kitt as Catwoman in the 1960s series Batman
Eartha Mae Kitt (January 17, 1927 – December 25, 2008) was an American singer, actress, activist and voice actress, known for her highly distinctive singing style and her 1953 recordings of "
C'est si bon" and the enduring Christmas novelty smash "
Santa Baby", which were both US Top 10 hits. She starred in 1967 as
Catwoman, in the third and final season of the television series
Batman.
Orson Welles once called her the "most exciting woman in the world".
"In 1968, during
Lyndon B. Johnson's administration, Kitt encountered a substantial professional setback after she made
anti-war statements during a
White House luncheon. Kitt was invited to the White House luncheon and was asked by
Lady Bird Johnson about the
Vietnam War.
[citation needed] She replied: "You send the best of this country off to be shot and maimed. No wonder the kids rebel and take
pot."
Her remarks reportedly caused Mrs. Johnson to burst into tears and led to a derailment in Kitt's career. The public reaction to Kitt's statements was extreme, both pro and con. Publicly ostracized in the United States, she devoted her energies to performances in Europe and Asia. It is said that Kitt's career in the United States was ended following her comments about the Vietnam War, after which she was branded "a sadistic
nymphomaniac" by the CIA.
"
