Yvonne Craig

Yvonne Joyce Craig (born May 16, 1937) is an American ballet dancer and actress best known for her role as Batgirl from the 1960s TV series Batman, and as the Orion Marta in the Star Trek: The Original Series episode “Whom Gods Destroy”.

Early life and career

Yvonne Craig was born in Taylorville, Illinois and grew up in Columbus, Ohio for the first 14 years of her life.^{[citation needed]} She originally trained to be a ballet dancer and was a member of the corps de ballet of the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo in the 1950s.^[1] Gradually, she moved into acting, and in 1959 appeared in three films: The Young Land, The Gene Krupa Story, and Gidget. In 1960, she appeared as a busty young coed with Bing Crosby in High Time, where she met and married singer/actor Jimmy Boyd.^{[citation needed]} In the following year, she appeared with Cesar Romero in Seven Women from Hell. Romero would later play the Joker in Batman. Another connection to Batman occurred when Craig appeared in "The Case of the Lazy Lover", a 1958 episode of the television series Perry Mason, which also featured Neil Hamilton as her stepfather. Hamilton would later play her father, Commissioner Gordon, in Batman.

After divorcing Boyd in 1962^{[citation needed]}, Yvonne starred in several films, including roles with Elvis Presley in It Happened At The World's Fair and Kissin' Cousins and with Dennis Hopper, and appeared in In Like Flint as a Russian Ballet dancer opposite James Coburn.

Move into television

In the mid-1960s, with film roles beginning to taper off, she moved into television, appearing in several shows including The Barbara Stanwyck Show and Death Valley Days. One of her more memorable roles came in 1968 when Craig appeared on Star Trek as Marta, a green-skinned Orion slave girl in the third season episode "Whom Gods Destroy" (1968).

In a 1965 episode of The Man from U.N.C.L.E. ("The Brain Killer Affair"), she helps solve the mystery of a brain-endangering poison.^[2] In 1966 U.N.C.L.E. released a theatrical film, One Spy Too Many. This was made from a two-part episode with added footage depicting more violence and risque content than seen on television.^{[citation needed]} Craig was hired to do a semi-nude sunbathing scene and carry on a flirtatious relationship with Napoleon Solo.^{[citation needed]}

In a 1966 episode of The Wild Wild West ("The Night of the Grand Emir"), she plays an assassin who performs an exotic Arabian dance. She also played an exotic dancer in an episode of McHale's Navy ("Pumpkin Takes Over", 1965). She appeared in an episode of The Big Valley with Lee Majors and Barbara Stanwyck.

In a 1968 episode of The Ghost & Mrs. Muir ("Haunted Honeymoon"), she plays a bride-to-be stranded overnight at Gull Cottage.

But her highest profile^{[citation needed]} would come with the cult 1960s television series Batman as Batgirl.

Batman

Yvonne Craig as Batgirl in 1967.

Most famously, in Batman, she had the role of Batgirl (and her alter ego, librarian Barbara Gordon, Commissioner Gordon's daughter). She appeared in the final 1967–1968 season.^[3] Batgirl's true identity was unknown to Batman and Robin, and their true identities were unknown to her; only Alfred, the butler for Bruce Wayne/Batman, was aware of Batgirl's identity.

Craig felt some connection to the character and complained to DC Comics about her fate after Barbara Gordon was shot/paralyzed by The Joker in the 1988 graphic novel, Batman: The Killing Joke.^[4]

Later career

After Batman, Yvonne Craig continued to act sporadically in movies and television. Notably, she appeared in guest roles in Love, American Style (the first episode), Kentucky Jones, It Takes a Thief, The Mod Squad, and Emergency! From 1969–1972, she appeared in four episodes of the comedy series Love, American Style. She also did a guest role on The Six Million Dollar Man (1974). She also has made appearances as herself on some celebrity editions of Family Feud (1976-1985 version).^[5]

Craig eventually moved into private business. For a time, she was a coproducer of industrial shows, after which she worked successfully in the real estate business. She maintains her own internet website.

Craig appears in the documentary Ballets Russes.^[5]

Since 2009, Craig has provided the voice of Grandma on the animated children's show Olivia.^[5]

Selected filmography

As Orion slave girl "Marta" in the 1968 Star Trek original series episode "Whom Gods Destroy".

• Eighteen and Anxious (1957)
• The Young Land (1959)
• Gidget (1959)
• The Gene Krupa Story (1959)
• High Time (1960)
• By Love Possessed (1961)
• Seven Women from Hell (1961)
• It Happened at the World's Fair (1963)
• Kissin' Cousins (1964)
• Ski Party (1965)
• Mars Needs Women (1966)
• One Spy Too Many (1966)
• In Like Flint (1967)
• How to Frame a Figg (1971)

Bibliography

• Craig, Yvonne (2000). From Ballet to the Batcave and Beyond. New York: Kudu Press. ISBN 0-9678075-6-5. 
• Erickson, Hal (2007). "Yvonne Craig". Allmovie. New York Times. http://movies2.nytimes.com/gst/movies/filmography.html?p_id=15578. Retrieved 2007-06-27. 
• McLeod, Mike (2007). "It's African Mask for TV's Batgirl". The Celebrity Collector. http://www.go-star.com/antiquing/batgirl.htm. Retrieved 2007-06-27. 

References

External links

• Yvonne Craig's Official Personal Home Page
• Ty's Yvonne Craig Homepage
• MSN Entertainment - Yvonne Craig
• Yvonne Craig at the Internet Movie Database
• Yvonne Craig at TV.com
• Bat-Bios - Yvonne Craig
• Yvonne Craig as Batgirl
• Yvonne Craig Interview at Elvis2001.net
• Yvonne Craig at Memory Alpha (a Star Trek wiki)

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