Cool News
And now Eartha Kitt's purr has been silenced...
Hey folks, Harry here... I was at Christmas dinner with my family when during a lull in gorging, Yoko looks at her phone to be giddy with her new phone - and sees a FACEBOOK status message alerting folks that Eartha Kitt died. She shows me the screen and I announce, "Oh man, the coolest Catwoman is dead." And in unison, my dad, sister and her boyfriend proclaim... "Eartha Kitt died?"
It would have been funny had it not been so true.
From the beginning of her career she literally rocked the CASBAH, making her debut uncredited in that film dancing. Just yesterday I was listening to her "SANTA BABY" on XM's Holiday Traditional channel - and Yoko and I sat in the parking lot, stalling our shopping to enjoy her purrfect singing of that classy song. The earliest film of Ms Kitt's that I'm personally familiar with is ST LOUIS BLUES in 1958. Starring alongside Nat 'King' Cole, Cab Calloway and Ella Fitzgerald - as the fabulous Gogo Germaine. That was her biggest film mark - until she became the second television Cat Woman in the camp classic BATMAN with Adam West. Her Catwoman was feral and fun. I've never seen her DR FAUSTUS with Orson Welles, though I have always meant to, just haven't found a copy.
Her biggest impression was through Broadway and her Singing career. Though she continued work on film and television in everything from the Blaxploitation fun FRIDAY FOSTER to an episode of MIAMI VICE. You may remember her in ERIK THE VIKING or perhaps the idiotically fun ERNEST SCARED STUPID. Her biggest modern role was the voice of YZMA in THE EMPEROR'S NEW GROOVE - and as Madame Zeroni in HOLES.
But for me, she'll always be THE COOLEST CATWOMAN EVER, in that part she was always purrfect! Our thoughts go out to her friends and family this Christmas.
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Especially to go on a Holiday such as this.
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I have a feeling that the celebrity deaths are going to start piling up even more as we reach the last week of 2008. Kind of like traffic tickets- cops are always out the last week of the month so they meet their quota.
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but The Emperor's New Groove is AWESOME!
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She was the best to ever purr for Batman. This isn't right.
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The Emperor's New Groove was a farce.
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from Boomerang... "I don't have any panties on."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqIsZ8lTqvc
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Dec 26, 2008 12:19:48 AM CST
So Eartha Kitt, that playwright guy... but no Majel Barrett?
by cyber-tooth2
WTF, Harry? What do you have against Nurse Chapel?
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we had her obit up the morning she died, you missed it, not us.
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damn .............
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Bye-bye Kitty.
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I've been looking through the site for it since I saw that she died. Did you move it? Delete it? Do you have a link somewhere? I would love to read what you had to say.
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http://www.aintitcool.com/node/39503
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You're the best
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It's been a rough year for sex symbols. :(
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Harry has this deep emotional connection with ever goddamn celebrity that ever dies?
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or does Harry always seem to portray his wife as some giggling, bubble-headed, brainless moron?
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Isn't this true of all women?
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Coolest Catwoman Ever indeed
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And you will find only talkbackers wondering where their obits were. Harry you missed them, not us.
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Was well known and loved for decades
Too bad she died on Christmas -
Damn good SOB in Thief!
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Bettie, Majel and now Eartha. 3 incredible woman. One grim reaper. I'm grateful for all their contributions to this sad world.
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Eartha not only broke the color barrier as a Black sexy villianess, but gave the campy series a lil' cred along other guest appearances lik Vincent price,Bruce Lee,etc.She had a troubled childhood due to her being
biracial,(according to her Biogaphy; Yella Girl.) yet endured hardship to become a sucessful singer/actress.RIP Kitty. -
never saw that before. christmas? i can't think of a better day to die, honestly.
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putting the news paper under my arm and announcing I was about to take an "Eartha Kitt" this holiday season.
Good job Brad Pitt hasn't kicked it! -
And will forever be a part of our popular consciousness with her "Santa Baby" song, right up there with Bing, Doris Day, and the rest of 'em. Definitely a Catwoman in her own right.
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Man, I get up for a minute and THIS is what I find. . She was a true original and, like a lot of those who passed this year, irreplaceable. Thoughts and prayers to her family.
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Because 2008 is only beggining with its death toll.
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Could you imagine Newmar and Yvonne Craig as Babs Gordon scissoring on set? I have.
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the economy is in the crapper... and it seems an unusually large number of well liked and respected people from the public eye have passed away.
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She was the hottest Catwoman ever. Kitt's voice annoyed me. Still sad that she died.
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And Eartha Kitt was a big reason why.
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It's a lot tougher than Ginger vs. Mary Anne. Mary Anne hands down, but I can't decide the catwomen, even, oh crap, name escapes me, the one who did it for the movie, and was in a few Trek episodes.
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Sure, it's sad to see a life end, but I think it's also important to recognize when one has had such an amazing journey too. I will say that they don't make performers like her anymore. She had a real fire burning inside.
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And James Dean said that he learned more about acting from her dance lessons than he did from any acting class.
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Julie Newmar is the One True Catwoman.
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That freaking song! Was just talking about it Christmas Eve and how it is the WORST Christmas song ever. Kind of creepy and materialistic, too. And why is it sad when someone in their 80's or 90's kicks the bucket? Damn lucky to be that old if you ask me.
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can't harry just give us the news. why must he always make it about himself somehow. very self centered, harry is.
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Whenever i hear the name Eartha Kitt I'll always think of the rhyming slang: EARTHA KITT / SHIT
ie. "I'm going for an Eartha"
and also i concur that Julie Newmar was the definative Catwoman, damn she was hot. -
R.I.P. Miss Kitt.. You had a great distinct voice... and I loved it. even as Ysma in the Emperors new groove/school etc. Great character and to think you were probably fighting cancer at the time makes it even more special.
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All I can picture is your family sitting around the table acting like the Klumps. Gorging and pigging out.Oh, and by the way, RIP to Eartha Kitt.
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...Kitt on Christmas day. 2009 can't come any sooner. What a depressing year. RIP E.K. You will be missed.
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James Dean at one time?
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Does this happen more during the Holidays...or do we just notice it more?
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Sorry, but Julie Newmar was the hottest Catwoman.
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Dec 26, 2008 10:56:23 AM CST
What a sad year.................................................
by crackerfarmboy
For REALLY OLD people to die. I mean who could have saw this coming?
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Eartha in her Catwoman outfit blows away Batgirl in hers.
And anyone who has never seen The Emperor's New Groove must. The most underrated Disney film there is, and Eartha Kitt as Yzma is hilarious. -
"Unique" has been used for many but this one deserves the word in big bold capital letters. There will never be anyone like her again. beautiful mischievous smile, pretty when she was young, lavishly scary when she was older. Always sexy. Oh and she also had a spectacular voice! RIP
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that was it. Catwoman # 3. She was better than Halle Berry anyway.
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Hottest buns ever
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Honestly, she put more seduction into it than either one of the others. And yes, the fact that she was black made her more exotic, I don't deny that.
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Let's face it: Kitt took over the role in the third season, where the budget was cut to the bone and the series went to one night per week, thereby eliminating the great "tune in tomorrow" cliffhangers and, in essence, cutting the plot time in half. Furthermore, because network TV simply didn't have the balls to show an interracial flirtation, let alone romance, the entire "Batman-Catwoman unrequited love subplot" was jettisoned.
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Good lord...Julie and Yvonne in a scissors match? Fuck...got wood for a week now.
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Wow. What sad news. She was so talented and meant so much to so many people. I hate that I'm going to have to share this news with my grandmother. May God bless her soul. A great talent, trailblazer, and inspiration. RIP and thank you Ms. Kitt.
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Have you seen pictures of her now? Still hot.
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Man, is she smokin' hot in that Nat King Cole clip. Such grace, style & class! A real lady.
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I beat it to Newmar more than I did to Kitt....ADVANTAGE: NUMAR!!!
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My wife was around her briefly a few years ago when she came to Cincinnati in a show. My wife said that of all the celebs that she had to guide around (she was in PR for the Broadway Series) that Ms. Kitt was, by far, the nicest and classiest. Yes, she was old. Still, there are so few real stars around now. She was one of them. Totally unique.
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...and that's Eartha Kitt, Julie Newmar & Lee Merriweather!" RIP
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First time I've ever posted but just wanted to say how sad I am at this news. She always seemed to 'be there' when I was growing up, what with her films, music and TV performances. God bless you Eartha and love and thoughts to your family.
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Spoiler!!!!!!!!!When she's turning into something and the shot is on her eyes, and then it pulls out to her as the little cat! "Is that my voice?" is the line I think. I've had plenty of laughs at Disney films, but rarely do I crack up. This killed me! And it's always stuck with me, even more than Eartha's smoking Catwoman. RIP.
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5. Halle Berry (because the movie sucked)
4. Lee Merriweather (lame Julie Newmar substitute)
3. Eartha Kitt (if Catwoman were a Black Panther)
2. Michele Pfeiffer (the 1st kickass Catwoman)
1. Julie Newmar (she was born to be Catwoman)
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Dec 26, 2008 5:45:08 PM CST
I went to see TDK but it was sold out, but a live EK show was go
by catbarf the 12th
Over the summer I missed out on TDK but wound up seeing Catwoman do cabaret instead. She still had the persona, the voice, the legs (yikes) and the trademark growl. I had no idea she was already sick, because for an octogenarian, she appeared to be as healthy as a leopard in heat. She gently shook my hand at the end of the show and it felt like being electrically shocked by a very expensive leather couch. I mean that as a compliment, though I guess it doesn't sound like one. The woman was classy, mature, and soooo aliiiiiive!!!
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... that was the rest of my subject line above. Sorry
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This was/is...an incredible woman and spirit, who was at the center of the lives of two of Hollywood's biggest icons. She was their confidant, counsel, and best
friend. Her's will make an amazing bio-pic film--let's hope they do justice to that film when it arrives.Eartha, you are brlliant...and I loved your every interview. You stood-up as a humanitarian to help others and to stop the Vietnam War, and for that, you were blacklisted by a
U.S. President, no less...and still kept your head high.--something that I just learned last night; No good deed going unpunished, as they say. Thank you for all you did, and have done, in your life. You were abandoned as a child, and discriminated against by both black and white, but you kept your head-up and gave back to a world that rejected you, in order to make this world, a better place...and you have. Thank you very much Eartha Kitt!!!Given that "Santa Baby"
is your signature song and made you a mega star and a icon, worldwide, I think it appropriate that if you had to leave, that it would be on Christmas Day.I wish you a peaceful journey...to Heaven, our true Home!!! Love you, and God Bless!!!!! -
This was/is...an incredible woman and spirit, who was at the center of the lives of two of Hollywood's biggest icons. She was their confidant, counsel, and best
friend. Her's will make an amazing bio-pic film--let's hope they do justice to that film when it arrives.Eartha, you are brlliant...and I loved your every interview. You stood-up as a humanitarian to help others and to stop the Vietnam War, and for that, you were blacklisted by a
U.S. President, no less...and still kept your head high.--something that I just learned last night; No good deed going unpunished, as they say. Thank you for all you did, and have done, in your life. You were abandoned as a child, and discriminated against by both black and white, but you kept your head-up and gave back to a world that rejected you, in order to make this world, a better place...and you have. Thank you very much Eartha Kitt!!!Given that "Santa Baby"
is your signature song and made you a mega star and a icon, worldwide, I think it appropriate that if you had to leave, that it would be on Christmas Day.I wish you a peaceful journey...to Heaven, our true Home!!! Love you, and God Bless!!!!! -
What hurt Kitt was they held down the flirting between her and West. I was curious if they did that because it was still more of a taboo when the show was on.
She was far more sexier than Julie. -
"head for the bathroom and my wife says, "AWWW FUCK!" - I say, "What sweetie?" -- -- "BETTIE PAGE DIED" "
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if you call that pussywhipped, you are a confused feller...
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Not sure an Eartha Kitt obit should devolve into a debate on the relative merits of the various women who portrayed the Catwoman.But since it has already, I'm surprised no animation fans have spoken up yet.Julie Newmar, definitive; the role and costume are hers. 2nd place, Eartha Kitt, the best purr ever. Then Adrienne Barbeau (Batman: The Animated Series) for line deliveries that made you imagine her in her prime squeezed into that costume. Then Gina Gerson (The Batman) for a playful personna (and a cuter design). Then Pfeiffer, Berry and Meriweather in no specific order, though I mention Lee Meriweather last for bringing nothing to the movie to compete with or compare to Newmar or Kitt.
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When I die, I'd like all my gay friends to gather together, get stinking drunk, and try to outdo each other imitating my campy line delivery.
Queer wakes make it all seem worthwhile, no kidding. I'm still working on mine. -
Sad news of her passing
I never did like her as Catwoman...she was my least favorite version of Catwoman (IMHO) -
Kitt was more of a fill-in
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very cool.. told me she catwoman and purred at me. this sucks.
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Surprised nobody quoted this line from Boomerang where Kitt has arguably the funniest line of the whole film.
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What kind of handle is that anyway? A kind of "leftover"? I happen to prefer Julie Newmar's Catwoman as well, but would never say so in an Eartha Kitt obit thread subject line. Ms. Kitt was an EXCELLENT Catwoman, more than an adequate replacement, with a BETTER "Puurrr.... AND she was SO much more than just Catwoman, you tool. I just have a "thing" for Julie Newmar in general, otherwise I would call you an ASSHOLE. Sweet dreams Eartha baby...
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Who here, besides Harry, has jerked off to Eartha? Raise yah hands!!!!!!!!!
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but Eartha Kitt was a true legend in her own right. She will be missed.
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