Julie Newmar

Career

Julia Chailin Newmeyer was born on August 16, 1933 in Los Angeles and was the eldest of three children in the family. Her mother, Helen Jesmer, was a dancer on the Siegfeld’s Madness show, and her father Donald Newmeyer was a teacher and real estate investor. At the beginning of her career, she played the role of "dancer-killer" in the show "Slaves of Babylon" (1953), as well as the "gilded girl" in "Snake of the Nile" (1953). As a dancer, she appeared in several films, including Theater Wagon (1953) and Demetrius and Gladiators (1954), and even participated in the ballet troupe of the Los Angeles Opera House for some time. Then Julie was taken to the film company Universal Studios , where she became a choreographer and dancer.

Her first major role was in the film " Seven Brides for Seven Brothers " (1954), in which she played one of the brides. In 1956, in the Broadway musical "Baby Abner," Julie played the role of Stapfin Jones, and in 1959 she got the same role in the movie of the same name.

In 1958, Julie appeared in the Broadway play "Marriage Walks in Circles," where Claudette Colbert played the main role. A year later, this role brought her the Tony Award in the nomination for Best Actress in a Play. Later, Julie participated in the national tour of the musical “Stop the World - I Want to Get Out,” and she also got the role of Lola in “Damned Yankees!”.

The popularity of the actress brought her work on television, in particular the role of Catwoman in the television series "Batman", which she played from 1966 to 1967. Julie has also appeared on TV shows such as The Twilight Zone, The Defenders, Beverly Hills Hillbilly, The Greatest Show on Earth, and Star Trek .

In the 1980s and 1990s, Julie starred in several low-budget films; in addition, in 1992, she appeared in George Michael ’s video “Too Funky”, and also in the role of herself in the film “ Wong Foo, thanks for everything!” Julie Newmar "(1995) and in one of the episodes of the television series" Melrose Place "(1996).

Own business and personal life

In the 1970s and 1980s , Julie was selling her own brand of tights. After graduating from the University of California at Los Angeles in the early 1980s , she started her own real estate investment business.

On November 2, 2004, Newmar was sued by her neighbor James Belushi in the amount of four million dollars. Belushi claimed that she constantly bothered him, including loud music, scolding his neighbors and even destroying his property. Julie, on the contrary, claimed to be the victim of an ill-mannered and arrogant Belusha. Nevertheless, in January 2006, the conflict was peacefully resolved, and the actress even appeared in the episode of the Belusha sitcom, "As Jim Said."

In the early 1950s , Julie had a relationship with the novelist Louis L'Amour. In 1977, she married lawyer Jay Holt Smith, whom she divorced seven years later. They had one child, John Jewle Smith, who was born with Down Syndrome and was also deaf. ^[one]

• Theatrical Wagon ( 1953 ) - Model in the Salon / Chorus Girl (uncredited)
• Demetrius and the gladiators ( 1954 ) - Dancer (uncredited)
• Seven Brides for the Seven Brothers ( 1954 ) - Dorcas Gelen
• Baby Abner ( 1959 ) - Stapfin Jones
• Mackenna Gold ( 1969 ) - Hash Ke
• Mother ( 1970 ) - Director of Toy Company / Mother
• Colombo: Double Strike (TV) ( 1973 ) - Lisa Chambers
• The Oldest Profession ( 1985 ) - Queen Bee
• Deep Space ( 1988 ) - Lady Elaine Wentworth
• Ghosts Don't ( 1990 ) - Angel
• Oblivion ( 1994 ) - Miss Kitty
• Wong Fu, thanks for everything! Julie Newmar ( 1995 ) - Herself
• City of Oblivion ( 1996 ) - Miss Kitty
• Bad Genes ( 1999 ) - Mom Judy

• Official site
• Official Stories from my Life website
• Julie Newmar at the Internet Movie Database
• Julie Newmar at the Internet Broadway Database