Remembering Yvonne Craig (1937 - 2015)

From Yvonne Craig's Official Website

Yvonne Craig passed away at her home in Pacific Palisades, surrounded by her immediate family and comforted by Hospice yesterday night. She died from complications brought about from breast cancer that had metastasized to her liver. She is survived by her husband, Kenneth Aldrich, her sister Meridel Carson and nephews Christopher and Todd Carson. In lieu of flowers, please make donations to: The Angeles Clinic Foundation by mail at 2001 Santa Monica Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90404 or by going into their website at www.theangelesclinicfoundation.org and following the “Donate” link.

Yvonne Craig began her theatrical career as the youngest member of The Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and toured for three years when she was accidentally discovered by John Ford’s son Patrick and cast for the lead in the movie The Young Land.

This was quickly followed by many years of film and television including two movies with Elvis Presley (It Happened at the World’s Fair and Kissin Cousins). However, she is probably best known for originating the role as Batgirl in the 1966 TV series of Batman, or for her character “Marta” from the third season of Star Trek in the episode Whom God’s Destroy where she played the well remembered insane green Orion Slave Girl who wanted to kill Captain Kirk.

Over a span of years she appeared as a guest star in many television series, including The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, The Six Million Dollar Man,Land of the Giants, Mod Squad, Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Love American Style, Emergency, and Courtship of Eddie’s Father just to name a few and worked opposite Bing Crosby, Sal Mineo, Don Knotts, George Hamilton, Dwayne Hickman, Dennis Hopper as well as Elvis Presley and James Coburn.  READ MORE

Meeting The Original Batgirl

Above, Yvonne Craig as Barbara Gordon and her alter ego, Batgirl.

Meeting The Original Batgirl

by Armand Vaquer

One of the nicest dividends in getting involved in Superman (or any cinema) fandom is the opportunity to meet various celebrites, past and present.

One such opportunity came in November 2005 at Noel Neill's (she's the original Lois Lane, in case you forgot) 85th birthday party (below) at the Beverly Garland Holiday Inn, in Studio City, California.



Noel's party was sort of like a mini-superhero gathering. Lou Ferrigno, the original Incredible Hulk was there, as were Jack Larson (Jimmy Olsen of the Adventures of Superman) and Yvonne Craig, the original Batgirl from the Batman television series starring Adam West and Burt Ward. Patti Andrews, of the famous Andrews Sisters, was also in attendance.

Batgirl was debuted in Detective Comics #359 (cover date January 1967). Barbara Gordon, the daughter of Gotham City's police Commissioner Jim Gordon, took on the guise as Batgirl. William Dozier, the producer of the television series, asked DC Comics for a new female character to use in the show. So editor Julius Schwartz and artist Carmine Infantino created the Barbara Gordon Batgirl.

Batgirl was introduced in Batman's final season in 1967 with Craig as Barbara Gordon/Batgirl. Although the show was campy, Craig's version of Batgirl remains to this day a fan favorite.

Craig starred in several films, which included roles with Elvis Presley in It Happened At The World's Fair and Kissin' Cousins and In Like Flint (the sequel to Our Man Flint, both with James Coburn) as a Russian Ballet dancer.

Above, a swimsuit shot of Craig from the 1960s.

Along with Batman, she also appeared in other television series such as McHale's Navy, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., The Big Valley and Wild, Wild West, amongst others. She appeared covered in green make-up in an episode of Star Trek.

When her acting career slowed down, Craig co-produced industrial shows and worked in real estate.

Now 72, Craig runs her own website where fans may obtain autographed photos and read about her career with a 1960s feel.