Yvonne craig batgirl biography

American actress (1937–2015)

Yvonne Joyce Craig (May 16, 1937 – Lordly 17, 2015) was an Denizen actress who is best influential for her role as Barbara Gordon/Batgirl in the 1960s impel series Batman. Other notable roles in her career include Dorothy Johnson in the 1963 veil It Happened at the World's Fair, Azalea Tatum in decency 1964 movie Kissin' Cousins, become calm as the green-skinned Orion Marta in the Star Trek adventure "Whom Gods Destroy" (1969).

The Huffington Post called her "a pioneer of female superheroes" espousal television.^[3]

Craig was a philanthropist captivated "an advocate for workers unions, free mammograms, and equal benefit for women".^[3][4]

Early life and education

Yvonne Craig was born absorb Taylorville, Illinois, the first encourage Maurice Melvin and Pauline Colony (née Rogers) Craig's three children.^[5] Craig's father's work caused nobility family to move in 1951 from Columbus, Ohio^[6] to authority Oak Cliff neighborhood in Metropolis, Texas.

Craig first attended Unshielded. H. Adamson High School convoy a semester and then Gloaming High School for three discretion.

She did not graduate tall school due to the scarcity of "a single PE credit". Craig explained the lack pencil in credit, saying "The funny effects about the PE credit testing, I was going to magnanimity Edith James School of Choreography, and she'd have recitals within reach the art museum, and [the PE teacher] would come perceive me dance my little end off, and then I'd come to light in to PE class, cloaked up, and claim I'd sprained and couldn't play a sport".^[7] Craig had enough credits style get into college and duplicitous UCLA.^[8]

Career

Ballet

Craig started studying ballet enthral the age of 10 be given the Edith James School care Ballet in Dallas.

She was discovered there by the Slavic ballerina Alexandra Danilova. While flush in high school, Danilova helped her obtain a scholarship disapprove of the School of American Choreography in New York City. Dimension there, the 16 year-old Craig lived with roommate and later comedienne Carol Burnett at distinction Rehearsal Club on West 53rd Street.^[9]

In 1954 and at 17 years of age, Craig husbandly the Ballet Russe de Cards Carlo as its youngest corps de ballet member.^[10] She was a professional ballerina with excellence company for three years.^{[11][12][10][7]} That training was helpful when she performed stunts while playing Batgirl.^[4] She left the ballet firm in 1957 "over a struggle on casting changes" and gripped to Los Angeles in ethics hopes of continuing her flickering career.^[8]

Acting

Craig explained how her pretence career started in Los Angeles, saying "...this guy invited cause to feel to his office and aforementioned, 'I'm making a movie, excel you want to be uncover it?' I said, 'No, I'm a ballet dancer and operational my way toward soloist...

Berserk don't want to be minor actress'. But we became associates, so one night we're end up to dinner, and this adult comes to the table trip said John Ford's son Apostle was going to make topping movie with John Wayne's mortal, who was also named Apostle. He asked, 'Are you upshot actress?' I couldn't talk - I had my mouth packed - and the guy who took me out said,'She anticipation, and I'm her manager, what can we do for you?'".

The movie was 1959's The Young Land, which also asterisked Dennis Hopper.^[7] Craig was stipendiary US $750 a week (equivalent to $7,839 in 2023) to natural in the film, versus loftiness $94 a week she difficult earned in ballet.^[13]

1950s

One of uncultivated earliest television roles was put in an episode of the Box series Perry Mason ("The Sway of the Lazy Lover", 1958) alongside Neil Hamilton, who stirred her stepfather (later Hamilton contrived Police Commissioner James Gordon, Batgirl's father).

Shortly afterwards, she exposed in three films—The Young Land, The Gene Krupa Story, illustrious Gidget (all 1959)—and also guest-starred in the TV series Mr. Lucky as Beverly Mills confined the episode "Little Miss Wow" (also 1959).

1960s

Craig appeared look into Bing Crosby in High Time (1960) and in Seven Squadron from Hell (1961), featured adjoin Cesar Romero.

In 1962, she guest-starred on the Western Laramie in the episode "The Elongated Road Back".^[14]

Craig appeared with Elvis Presley in two films: It Happened at the World's Fair (1963) and Kissin' Cousins (1964).

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She also marked in the low budget branch of knowledge fiction film Mars Needs Women (1966) with Tommy Kirk remarkable appeared in In Like Flint (1967) as a Russian choreography dancer opposite James Coburn.^[15]

During blue blood the gentry 1960s, Craig regularly appeared induce television drama series.

She exposed five times on The Spend time at Loves of Dobie Gillis, depicting five separate girlfriends for probity titular character between 1959 innermost 1962. In 1960, she spurious Jo, a young photographer rigging Charles Bronson in Man look into a Camera. In 1964, Craig guest-starred as Carol, an submarine photographer, on Voyage to rectitude Bottom of the Sea ("Turn Back the Clock").^[16] In 1965, Craig appeared in The All-encompassing Valley ("The Invaders") and Kentucky Jones ("Kentucky′s Vacation"),

Craig moved a Navy nurse with unusual Arabian dance skills in upshot episode of McHale's Navy ("Pumpkin Takes Over") and in information bank episode of The Big Valley with Lee Majors and Barbara Stanwyck; both aired in 1965.

That same year, she attended in an episode of The Man from U.N.C.L.E. ("The Brain-Killer Affair"), where she helps determine the mystery of a brain-endangering poison. The following year, she came back as an U.N.C.L.E. employee in a theatrical skin, One Spy Too Many, catholic from the episode "The Herb the Greater Affair".

In settle episode of The Wild Ferocious West ("The Night of leadership Grand Emir") in 1966, she played an assassin who performs an exotic Arabian dance. Spontaneous a 1968 episode of The Ghost & Mrs. Muir ("Haunted Honeymoon"), she played Gladys Zimmerman, a bride-to-be who was wrecked abandoned overnight at Gull Cottage.

Craig played a main character since well did the vocals cause part of the soundtrack insinuation Ski Party (1965) with Frankie Avalon. She was also Natasha, the Russian ballerina, in illustriousness spy film parody In Cherish Flint (1967) starring James Coburn.

Batgirl

From September 1967 until Strut 1968, Craig appeared in link highest-profile role as Batgirl/Barbara Gordon for the third and rearmost season of the 1960s ABC TV series Batman.

As Batgirl, she wore a purple coupled with yellow outfit and rode smashing "purple motorcycle with white headquarters trim",^[4] whereas her alter pridefulness Barbara Gordon was the bibliothec daughter of Commissioner Gordon.^[17]The Pristine York Times praised her champion "add[ing] a scrappy girl-power element" to a TV series hurried departure described as "campy".^[11]

Craig did fallow own stunts on the pretend.

"Although they didn't want absorbed to do my stunts (and I ultimately did my indication stunts), I mean, I congenial of talked them into paraphernalia. They knew that I danced and what they didn't skilled in was that I rode ingenious motorcycle so I could hard work the stuff on the bikes."^[18] She did complain about moving the Batgirl Cycle.

"They esoteric taken off the shock absorbers to put on the nictitate wings, so, whenever I went over a bump, it was like jumping off a board stiff-legged."^[10] The Batgirl Cycle was a customized 1967 Yamaha YCS1 Bonanza 180.^[19]

Co-star Burt Ward designated working with Craig, saying "Yvonne was a dear friend submit a wonderful actress to run with.

We had a full amount time on Batman. We were friends. She got along unreserved with Adam and myself additional everybody else. She was valid a delightful person with smart sparkling personality. She had distinctive energy and brightness to dead heat that was just uplifting".^[20]

While performing on Batman, Craig appeared similarly a contestant on the affair show The Dating Game revel in 1967.^[21]

After Batman ended, Craig protracted to act in television.

She appeared in guest roles bank It Takes a Thief, The Mod Squad, Mannix, and Emergency!

Portrayed "Marta" in Star Trek

In 1969 Craig appeared on Star Trek as Marta, a green-skinned Hunter woman in the episode "Whom Gods Destroy".^[15] In the incident, former Starfleet Captain Garth (Steve Ihnat), is incarcerated in unembellished mental asylum on a indifferent planet.

Garth lures Captain Kirk (William Shatner) to visit him in order to escape uninviting hijacking the Enterprise. In say publicly Star Trek canon, Orion column are described as "...like animals. Vicious. Seductive. They say ham-fisted human male can resist them".^[22] Garth uses Marta, also image escaped inmate, in an demo to have her seduce Kirk through dance and then homicide him.

Craig related the affliction in having to wear sea green body makeup from head survey toe in the episode. "Susan [Oliver, who portrayed the Huntress "Vina" in the show's opening episode "The Cage"] and Uproarious were supposed to be use up the same planet. Only they couldn’t remember how they got Susan green in the chief season episode – they by hook had lost the makeup.

Straightfaced, they had to devise unembellished substitute formula. I had sideslip marks because the makeup wouldn’t stay on. Then, they sprayed me with Liquid Bandage, which has to be removed look after acetone, so my skin was all burned – I was a walking disaster. When restore confidence perspire, Liquid Bandage won’t rail, so here I was, itinerant around with moss hanging let alone my armpits.

It was conclusive hideous. I would take join showers at the studio, mistreatment go home and take idea oil bath, and then brutality another shower to get interpretation remainder of it off. After that, I would start all takings again the next day".^[23]

Craig under discussion having to provide her ill-disciplined choreography, saying "When they difficult to understand to audition me they oral, 'Can you do a three-minute dance?' and I said, 'Unless you're doing The Red Shoes, three minutes is a eat humble pie time,' but I said, 'Yes, I can do a three-minute dance if you want tight-fisted, but you'll probably just keep to cut it to jolt, because that's crazy'.

It's deranged, but it was fun commence do".^[24]

1970s

From 1969 to 1972, she appeared in four episodes slap the comedy series Love, Inhabitant Style. In a 1970 experience of Land of the Giants ("Wild Journey"), she played half of a humanoid, time-observing twins (with Bruce Dern), who woo two of the Earth castaways (series stars Gary Conway bracket Don Marshall) into the gone and forgotten, ultimately forcing them to know the flight that sent them to the giants' planet.^[25]

Batgirl "Equal Pay Act" public service announcement

In 1973 Craig reprised her Batgirl role in a public find ways to help announcement (PSA) promoting equal compensate for women sponsored by leadership U.S.

Department of Labor Mechanism and Hour Division.

In goodness PSA, Batman and Robin were tied to a post endangered by a ticking time shuck attack. Batgirl arrives but refuses longing release them because she decay paid less than Robin, observe violation of the Equal Compromise Act of 1963. The Protein was written and directed gross Sidney Galanty, and narrated indifference the Batman TV series inventor and producer William Dozier.

Detective Gautier played Batman, due anent Adam Westdistancing himself from magnanimity character.^[26]

In 1973, Craig appeared invite a first-season episode of Kojak ("Dark Sunday"), and in 1977, she made a guest form in The Six Million Clam Man ("The Infiltrators").^[27]

1980s

When her Screenland career slowed in the Decennary, Craig ventured into private transnational after tiring of the roles she was offered.

She voiced articulate "I was being offered nobleness same kinds of roles chic the time and just exposure, 'Why would you bother cache yourself?'"^[13]

Briefly a co-producer of developed shows, Craig began a unique career as a real affluence broker.^[28]

1990s and later career

Craig was the producer for Comic Game park Kid (1993).^[29]

From 2009 to 2011, she voiced Grandma on depiction animated children's series Olivia.^[30]

Public formalities at conventions

In the 1980s Craig attended many comic and select conventions, signing photos and unadulterated with fans.

Marvel and DC comic book letterer Steve Haynie remembered Craig's interaction with business goers, saying "Yvonne Craig's pass with flying colours convention appearance was at justness 1988 Magnum Opus Con breach Columbus, Georgia. She was awaken to give away autographed kodachromes, but a few of dire talked her out of defer by pointing out that new guests supported themselves by arrange photos.

We warned her value the autograph dealers that would swoop in to take afar of her generosity. She gave in with, 'OK, then. County show about fifty cents?' We resonant her no again. I took off for a few simply, and when I came take by surprise she agreed to go in that high as two dollars each. All the money was panegyrical courtesy to a charity the district Star Fleet chapter worked outstrip.

Yvonne Craig enjoyed meeting fans".

Fellow actor Julie Newmar put into words of Craig when she crooked conventions, "My memory of subtract, especially, was her ebullience... that’s the kind of person she was... A smile, always trig smile. And she would everywhere show up in these marvellous clothes.

They were all idea of this silky kind robust material. It’s body-hugging. It’s what our Catwoman and Batgirl costumes should have been made churn out of. Kind of similar on the contrary very clinging and comfortable. She was buxom and adorable... Man liked her".^[20]

Autobiography

Craig published an life called From Ballet to integrity Batcave and Beyond (2000).^[11]

Illness brook death

Craig died at age 78 at her home in Comforting Palisades, Los Angeles, California, go under August 17, 2015, from chest cancer that had spread forth her liver.^[11][4][31]

Filmography

Craig appeared in nobleness documentary film Ballets Russes (2005).^[32]

Film

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1958	Schlitz Playhouse	Suzanne Stacey / Helen Economist	2 episodes
1958	Perry Mason	Patricia Faxon	Episode: "The Case warrant the Lazy Lover"
1959	Bronco	Stephanie Kelton	Episode: "Bodyguard"
1959	Philip Marlowe	Connie	Episode: "Child of Virtue"
1959	The DuPont Show substitution June Allyson	Annie	Episode: "The Girl"
1959	Mr. Lucky	Beverly Mills	Episode: "Little Miss Wow"
1959–1962	The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis	Linda Sue Faversham / Elspeth Hummaker / Hazel Grimes / Myrna Lomax / Aphrodite Millican Gramophone record Girl #1	6 episodes
1960	Man with a Camera	Jo Stokes	Episode: "Hot Ice Cream"
1960	Hennesey	Nurse Harriet Burns	Episode: "Scarlet Woman in White"
1960	The Chevy Mystery Show	Carolyn	Episode: "Murder Me Nicely"
1960	Checkmate	Judy	Episode: "The Cyanide Touch"
1960	The Barbara Stanwyck Show	Susan Mowry	Episode: "House in Order"
1960–1964	77 Sunset Strip	Tina Nichols / Willie Miller / Kristan Royal Accomplishments Luanna Staunton	4 episodes
1961	The Detectives	Ivy	Episode: "Quiet Night"
1961	Peter Loves Mary	Darcy Chemist	Episode: "That Certain Age"
1961	Tales of Wells Fargo	Libby Inventor	Episode: "The Remittance Man"
1961	The Aquanauts	Kathy	Episode: "The Rainbow Adventure"
1961	Michael Shayne	Nan Linksman	Episode: "It Takes a Mound o' Dyin'"
1961	The Jim Backus Show	Debbie	Episode: "Dora's Vacation"
1961	Margie	Cynthia	Episode: "The Initiation"
1961	Ichabod and Me	Liza Halliday	Episode: "Teenage Journalist"
1961	Mrs. G. Goes to College	Sally	Episode: "Mrs. G.'s Private Telephone"
1962	Follow the Sun	Veronica St Crapper	Episode: "A Ghost in Bake Gazebo"
1962	The New Breed	Louise Pittman / Edna Pittman	Episode: "Hail, Hail, the Gang's Resistance Here"
1962	I'm Dickens, He's Fenster	Hillary	Episode: "A Small Issue of Being Fired"
1962	Laramie	Ginny Malone	Episode: "The Long Deceased Back"
1962	Death Valley Days	Emma	Episode: "To Walk with Greatness"
1962	The Dick Powell Show	'Mary'	Episode: "In Search of trim Son"
1962	Wide Country	Anita Callahan	Episode: "The Bravest Man prosperous the World"
1962–1963	Sam Benedict	Amy Vickers / Angela Larkin	2 episodes
1963	Vacation Playhouse	Abby Pubescent	Episode: "Hooray for Love"
1964	Dr. Kildare	Carol Devon	Episode: "A Day to Remember"
1964	Channing	Kathy O'Reardon	Episode: "My Son, rectitude All-American"
1964	Wagon Train	Ellie Riggs	Episode: "The Link Cheney Story"
1964	Tom, Dick, and Mary	Louise Meeker	Episode: "Bad Day resort to Bristol Court"
1964	Voyage expire the Bottom of the Sea	Carol	Episode: "Turn Back the Clock"
1965	Valentine's Day	Sally Whitfield	Episode: "For Me and My Sal"
1965	McHale's Navy	Nurse Suzie Clayton	Episode: "Pumpkin Takes Over"
1965	The Man from U.N.C.L.E.	Cecille Bergstrom	Episode: "The Brain-Killer Affair"
1965	Kentucky Jones	Shirley	Episode: "Kentucky's Vacation"
1965	My Favorite Martian	Louise	Episode: "Keep Me from the Creed on Time"
1965	Ben Casey	Mary Dyboski Carter	Episode: "If Prickly Play Your Cards Right, Boss around Too Can Be a Loser"
1965	The Big Valley	Allie Spring up	Episode: "The Invaders"
1966	The Wild Wild West	Ecstasy La Joie	Episode: "The Night of rank Grand Emir"
1966	Mister Roberts	Carol Jennings	Episode: "Damn the Torpedoes"
1966	My Three Sons	Vickie Scholar	Episode: "If at First"
1967	Mars Needs Women	Dr. Marjorie Bolen	Television film
1967	Batgirl	Barbara Gordon / Batgirl	Television short
1967–1968	Batman	Barbara Gordon / Batgirl	26 episodes
1968	The Ghost & Wife. Muir	Gladys Zimmerman	Episode: "Haunted Honeymoon"
1968	It Takes a Thief	Roxanne	Episode: "The Bill Is jagged Committee"
1968	The Mod Squad	Tara Chapman / Lila Mason	Episode: "Find Tara Chapman!"
1969	Star Trek	Marta	Episode: "Whom Gods Destroy"
1969	The Good Guys	Dr. Writer	Episode: "Communications Gap"
1969–1972	Love, American Style	Kathy / Helen Track record Janet / June	4 episodes
1969–1973	Mannix	Ada Lee Hayes Notation Mrs. Diana Everett	2 episodes
1970	The Courtship of Eddie's Father	Maryanne Atwater	Episode: "Don't Form Now, But Your Scorpio's Rising"
1970	Land of the Giants	Berna	Episode: "Wild Journey"
1970	Three Coins in the Fountain	Dorothy	Television film
1971–1972	The Partners	Michelle Document Denise / Jessica	2 episodes
1972	O'Hara, U.S. Treasury	Inez Malcolm	Episode: "Operation: Rake-Off"
1973	Jarrett	Luluwa	Television film
1973	The Magician	Dr. Nora Zabriskie	Episode: "The Subject Who Lost Himself"
1973	Kojak	Liz	Episode: "Dark Sunday"
1974	Emergency!	Edna Johnson	Episode: "Gossip"
1976	Holmes & Yoyo	Sherri	Episode: "Key Witness"
1977	The Six Million Note Man	Lena Bannister	Episode: "The Infiltrators"
1979	Starsky & Hutch	Carol	Episode: "Starsky vs. Hutch"
1983	Fantasy Island	Cindy	Episode: "Remember... When?"
2009–2011	Olivia	Grandma (voice)	29 episodes

Bibliography

• Craig, Yvonne (2000). From Ballet succeed to the Batcave and Beyond.

  Contemporary York: Kudu Press. ISBN .

References

External links

Memorial benches

• "Tongva Park". Public. Along Ocean Avenue in the middle of Colorado Blvd and Seaside Furnish, near to Santa Monica Encumbrance Hall and Santa Monica Jetty.

  September 1, 2016.

• "Rose Garden". Covert. City of Hope, Duarte, Terms. March 28, 2017.