Julie Newmar, Catwoman and Inventor

Her birth name is Julia Chalene Newmeyer and she was first billed as "Julie Newmeyer" as one of the brides in "Seven Brides for Seven Brothers" (1954).

But the role Julie Newmar is best known for is her stint as Catwoman on the 1960s television series "Batman," a role to which she brought a certain amount of sex appeal.

Because of her on-screen chemistry, Newmar has always been able to find acting work. She guest-starred on The Monkees, Get Smart, Twilight Zone, F-Troop, The Beverly Hillbillies, Star Trek, Columbo and The Bionic Woman.

"To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar" (1995) paid homage to the actress, herself making an appearance near the end of the film. Starring the late Patrick Swayze, Wesley Snipes and John Leguizamo, "To Wong Foo" follow three drag queens traveling cross-country for the drag-queen finals in Hollywood. Newmar is one of only a handful of actors whose name appears in a movie title.

With Helen Jesmer for a mother, Newmar was destined for star-studded Hollywood. Jesmer was a Ziegfeld Follies girl, said to have the most beautiful legs in the Follies. Newmar studied classical piano and other dance forms. She graduated high school at the age of fifteen and spent a year in Europe with her mother and brother.

Newmar applied to attend UCLA and scored a 99 on her entrance exam. It was no wonder when her father, Donald Newmeyer was an engineering professor, head of the Physical Education Department and head football coach for LACC. He was also on the U.C. Berkeley Wonder Team.

Newmar attended UCLA for six weeks, the, went to Universal Studios where she worked as a choreographer and dance double. Not yet eighteen years old, Newmar danced in "Serpent of the Nile" (1954) where she was a gold-painted statue come to life, some ten years prior to the gold-painted sex kitten in "Gold finger (1964).

At the age of 19, Newmar appeared in her first Broadway role in "Silk Stockings." She won a Tony for her role in the comedy "Marriage-Go-Round." Her legs were insured for $10 million (except in the event of theft).

But one role Newmar played which few people know about is that of inventor. She created "Nudemar" a new pantyhose designed to enhance women's derrieres; specifically "pantyhose with shaping band for cheeky derriere relief."

The description from Patent No. 3,914,799 reads, in part: The present invention provides pantyhose of a semi-elastic fabric which enhance natural shape of a wearer's derriere giving it cheeky relief, rather than boardlike flatness. [1]

Newmar also holds Patent No. 4,003,094, also for pantyhose and Patent No. 3,935,865 for "Brassiere." Further details of these patents were unobtainable.

Newmar was briefly engaged to Western novelist Louis L'Amour in the early fifties. She married J. Holt Smith in 1977. Newmar gave birth at the age of 48 to a one son, John Jewl Smith who is deaf and has Downs Syndrome. The Smiths were divorced in 1984.

A legal battle with neighbor Jim Belushi, younger brother of John Belushi, ended so amicably that Newmar was invited to guest star on an episode of his sitcom "According to Jim" which poked fun at the dispute.

Newmar continues making personal appearances and still gets stopped on the street by people who recognize her. Men especially are quick to inform Newmar that she was their first "turn-on." To that remark, Newmar usually asks them how old they were.

This situation actually inspired Newmar to collect stories for a writing project: a book on first fantasies. She currently has her own website which highlights her writing, www.julienewmarwrites.com.

One admirer pulled up his pants leg to show her his Catwoman tattoo. But it wasn't a tattoo of the comic book character. It was an actual tattoo of Julie Newmar herself as Catwoman.

But it didn't bother Newmar. She was actually honored.

"It's an honor - it really is - that something stays for so long with people in the sweet depths of their feelings," she said. [2]

[1] Google Patents
[2] New York Times