Evelyn Corder

Eartha Kitt Born January 17, 1927 in North, South Carolina, USA Died December 25, 2008 in Weston, Connecticut, USA (colon cancer) Birth Name Eartha Mae Keith Nicknames Kitty Charles Mother Eartha Miss Kitt Catwoman Height 5' 2" (1.57 m) Mini Bio (1) An out-of-wedlock child, Eartha Kitt was born in the cotton fields of South Carolina. Kitt's mother was a sharecropper of African-American and Cherokee Native American descent. Her father's identity is unknown. Given away by her mother, she arrived in Harlem at age nine. At 15, she quit high school to work in a Brooklyn factory. As a teenager, Kitt lived in friends' homes and in the subways. However, by the 1950s, she had sung and danced her way out of poverty and into the spotlight: performing with the Katherine Dunham Dance Troupe on a European tour, soloing at a Paris nightclub and becoming the toast of the Continent. Orson Welles called her "the most exciting girl in the world". She also spoke out on hard issues. She took over the role of Catwoman for the third and final season of the television series Batman (1966), replacing Julie Newmar. Eartha Kitt died of colon cancer in her home in Weston, Connecticut, on Christmas Day 2008. - IMDb Mini Biography By: Tom Weaver Spouse (1) William O. McDonald (6 June 1960 - 26 March 1964) ( divorced) ( 1 child) Trivia (25) Daughter: Kitt McDonald. Grandchildren: Justin and Rachel Shapiro. Kitt's age was always a mystery, until 1998, when a group of students from her hometown in South Carolina unearthed her birth certificate. The document revealed that her true birthday is January 17, 1927. Ranked #89 on VH1's 100 Greatest Women of Rock N Roll Was virtually exiled from the United States after making anti-war statements during a White House luncheon with Lady Bird Johnson in 1968. However, she was welcomed back to the White House in 1978 by Jimmy Carter who took office in January 1977, after a successful return to Broadway in the original production of the musical Timbuktu!. Was nominated twice for Broadway's Tony Award: in 1978, as Best Actress (Musical) for "Timbuktu!"; and in 2000, as Best Actress (Featured Role - Musical) for "The Wild Party". Was inspired to go into show business after witnessing the wild applause that the audience gave José Ferrer after one of his stage performances as Cyrano de Bergerac in 1946. Her name can be seen on a marquee in the infamously terrible Edward D. Wood Jr. cult film Plan 9 from Outer Space (1957). Her husband, William O. McDonald, was a real estate developer. They were married from 1960 to 1965. They had one daughter: Kitt McDonald. She was awarded a Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame for Recording at 6656 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California on February 8, 1960. Replaced Chita Rivera for a time in the Broadway revival of the musical "Nine". In 1968, she suffered a substantial professional setback after she made anti-war statements during a White House luncheon. It was reported that she made Lady Bird Johnson, the First Lady at the time, cry when she bluntly told her, "You send the best of this country off to be shot and maimed. They rebel in the street. They don't want to go to school because they're going to be snatched off from their mothers to be shot in Vietnam." However, the public reaction to Kitt's statements was even more extreme both for and against her statements. Professionally exiled from the United States, she devoted her energies to overseas performances for nearly a decade. Became fluent in French during her long years performing in Europe. An aunt brought her to New York City where she attended the High School of Performing Arts, before dropping out to take on various menial jobs, including one in a factory. Among her liaisons with wealthy men included Charles Revson, the Revlon cosmetics founder, and actor Orson Welles, who spotted her in a Paris nightclub and cast her in his Paris stage production of "Faust". Was nominated in 1996 for a Grammy Award in traditional pop vocal performance for her album "Back in Business". She was awarded the 1996 Joseph Jefferson Award for Actress in a Principal Role in a Musical for "Lady Day at the Emerson's Bar & Grill" at the Broadway Productions and New Athenaeum Theatre in Chicago, Illinois. Well-known for her recordings of "Santa Baby" in the 1950s and 1960s. She died on Christmas Day 2008 at her home in Weston, Connecticut. Eartha Kitt passed away on December 25, 2008, three weeks away from what would have been her 82nd birthday on January 17, 2009. She was a staunch liberal Democrat. On March 13, 1953, she recorded with Henri Rene and his Orchestra the American version of the French song "C'est si bon" which was written in 1947 by Henri Betti (music) and André Hornez (lyrics). The English lyrics were written by Jerry Seelen in 1949 but Eartha Kitt sings the song in French. Eartha Kitt sang the song in New Faces (1954) and in The Nanny: A Pup in Paris (1996). Her cover version has been used in several American films and television advertisements. Friends with Freda Payne, and Dick Gregory. Holds two Daytime Emmy Award records. She is both the only performer to win the Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program award three times, as well as the only winner to win three consecutive awards. She died on the same date as actress Ann Savage. She was a year older than Adam West, making her the first actress to play Selina Kyle/Catwoman who is older than the actor opposite her playing Bruce Wayne/Batman. The only other actress to achieve this is Camren Bicondova who was two years older than David Masouz on Gotham (2014-2019). Started as a dancer with Katherine Dunham Group touring America, Mexico, and Europe. While in Paris in solo performance seen by Orson Welles who cast her as Helen of Troy. list image Screen Actors Guild Awards Memoriam 2008 a list of 43 people created 11 Mar 2019 list image Hercules 1997 premiere a list of 37 people created 24 Jul 2018 See all related lists » Share this page: