Eartha Kitt, a sultry presence whether singing, dancing or acting, died in New York at age 81. She had been suffering from colon cancer. Known for her hit "Santa Baby" and as Catwoman on the TV series Batman, Kitt was called "the most exciting woman alive" by Orson Welles (see her discuss how Welles bit her onstage in his excitement). She was also controversial after denouncing the Vietnam War—at a White House luncheon given by Lady Bird Johnson (allegedly making the First Lady cry). The NY Times obituary notes how Kitt influenced many, including Diana Ross, and that critics loved mentioning her feline qualities (the purr of her voice, the slink of her walk—see her perform "C'est Si Bon.") As a child, she was sent to Harlem to live with an aunt: "Though she was given piano and dance lessons, a pattern of abuse developed there as well: Ms. Kitt would be beaten, run away and return. By her early teenage years she was working in a factory and sleeping in subways and on the roofs of unlocked buildings." more ›

You don't have to wear a seat-belt! more ›

Hollywood is all aflutter about the future of a Catwoman movie. Ever since Tim Burton's moody Batman Returns gave us Michelle Pffeifer slinking around with a whip, Catwoman seemed ideal for a franchise spin-off. Nine years later, Ashley Judd was tipped to be Catwoman last year, but now it officialshe won't be. Who's the next in line? Why Oscar nominee Nicole Kidman. (Yes, she was Chase Meridian in Batman Forever, but that was directed by Joel Schumacher and therefore I don't count it.) Coming Attractions thinks the project is in development hell, but I hope not - Owen Wilson is supposed to play a detective. I've read that the Catwoman movie will have a different backstory from Selina Kyle/Catwoman of Batman Returns - different name, different occupation. Which is cool, since Batman: The Animated Series gives a different backstory for Catwoman, though she was still Selina Kyle. And what's a Catwoman post without mentions of Julie Newmar and Eartha Kitt?
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