Review of 1966 Catwoman Julie Newmar statue

Introduction

Anyone that knows me knows I love all things Batman, including the 1966 television show.  For years, the word on the street was that there would never be any licensed product based on the show because of all the insane legal hoops that one had to jump through - it was impossible. Never say never however, especially when crazed fanboys are involved. This is a great article on what happened to make the licensing deals possible, and I for one am very glad someone was crazy enough to make the Herculean effort to get it all done.

As it is with any property that's languished for years (think Indiana Jones), companies rushed to suddenly produce every possible collectible and novelty based on the show. Rather than start slow and build, they flooded the market right out of the gate, pretty much drowning fans with a fire hose spray of big figures, little figures, statues, busts, prop replicas...it was all available, all at once. Again, think Indiana Jones.

Some of the product was not so good. And some of the product was outstanding - which brings me to tonight's review of the Tweeterhead Julie Newmar Catwoman. There were two actresses who portrayed Catwoman in the old show: Earth Kitt, who played the role in 5 episodes, and Julie Newmar, who played the feline fatale in 13 episodes.  A third actress, the lovely Lee Merriweather, was the kitty with claws in the 1966 movie. The story goes that Ms. Newmar couldn't be in the film because she had not been told in advance that they'd be doing it (the original idea for the film was as a pilot to the show, but they ended up filming it between seasons 1 and 2), and had already made other acting commitments for the time between seasons.

Tweeterhead selected this version of Catwoman as their first release in their line of sixth scale (approximately) statues based on the original show. She is currently shipping, and runs around $250, depending on the retailer.  They have already announced both Batman and Robin for release later this year, as well as an Yvonne Craig Batgirl in 2016, and I have my fingers crossed that we'll get at least a Romero Joker and Meredith Penguin before they are done.

One of the unique features that Tweeterhead offers is a signed COA with a very limited number of the statues, available only through them. They've done this for all three so far, and they initially cost a little more. For example, Catwoman was $249 for the regular release on their site, while the Signature Series/Emerald version was $279.  This 'Emerald Edition' with Ms. Newmar's autograph was limited to 300 pieces.

Packaging - ***
The boxes are fairly basic and straight forward, with sturdy eggshell foam trays inside to keep the statue safe. This is a two piece arrangement, with Catwoman separate from the large cat base in the box. This is a VERY heavy statue, with all the pieces made of solid polyresin.

The box does not have any sort of numbering, and I was disappointed that the base of the statue does not include any numbering or edition size either. I suppose I should have expected that, since the same was true with Herman Munster and Elvira. Apparently the use of an edition size is only for the Signature Series, but at this price point, I expect something similar with the regular version. No edition size also means no Certificate of Authenticity.

Sculpting - ****
There have been plenty of women don the cat ears over the years: the three I already mentioned have been joined by Michelle Pfeiffer, Anne Hathaway, and most recently, the youthful Camryn Bicondova. The only thing all six have in common is that they are beautiful, strong women, and it was critical for Tweeterhead to capture that here.  On a side note, they've also announced they are doing a Pfeiffer Catwoman, hopefully to be revealed at SDCC.

Trevor Grove did the sculpting, and he did himself proud. The face is very much Ms. Newmar, and the work on the textured mask and costume is excellent. The proportions and lines of the body are beautiful, and the style and design of the overall pose and base were terrific choices. Does that giant cat look familiar? I do think going without the mask - or having a swappable head - would have been a fantastic idea, but that's more of a suggestion than a complaint.

The large cat looks great, but it's the Swarovski Elements jewel in her right hand that really sets it off. You have to attach her to the cat by way of a metal post, but take extra care. It's a tight fit, and you don't want to damage the fingers or the high heel of her resting foot.

My one issue is with the hair.  It's not as detailed as I think it could have been, with most of the stranding and texturing is pretty light, especially at the top of the head. I think it's done in a very 'standard statue' style, whereas going a bit further would have given this attractive collectible an even more realistic appearance. It's also a bit long, although the length did vary over the course of the couple seasons.

The marketing documents say she stands 11 1/2" tall, but I have her at closer to 12", not including the base.  With her relaxed pose, that makes her a bit big for sixth scale, but it's a minor nit, and only a problem if you intend on using her with the Hot Toys Batman and Robin. I've included a shot with Batman so you can judge.

Paint - ***1/2
The paint work is extremely nice, particularly for a statue. We've seen some outstanding work in the sixth scale figure market, but that's due in large part to advancements in how skin tones are used with the softer, porous materials. With a non-porous statue like this, you're held back a bit when it comes to that spooky realism.

The lines are very clean, however, and the lips are even and attractive. The eyes are lined up nicely, and there is very little bleed into the whites.  There's a little wash in the hair to bring out out some of the detail, and the matte black costume looks terrific.

As I said, this isn't quite at the level of realism that you'll get with the best sixth scale figures on the market right now, but if you compare it to other statues made from similar materials, you'll see the quality is extremely good.

Value - **
The Signature Series was originally $280, and has jumped in price exponentially on the after market. You can't argue with that - I suspect that the majority of the Signature Series releases will increase in value over time.

But the regular release, with no documented edition size and no COA, is going to have a harder time at $250. Making the regular release a documented run would have made the high price point a bit more palatable within the statue market. I'm betting that you'll be able to pick her up - at least in the beginning - for $200 - $225 on the after market, which would bring her up a half star here to an average value.

Things to Watch Out For -
As I mentioned earlier, the statue comes in two pieces - Catwoman, and the large cat/marble floor base. She attaches to the cat at the back of her thigh, where she is leaning against him. It's a tight fit - as it should be to avoid accidents when handling - but the tiny fingers of her left hand and the thin high heel on her boot can be damaged if you aren't careful.  A slow steady pressure will get her to seat properly, and should avoid any problems.

Overall - ***1/2
I'm a huge Bat-nerd, and yet I was still very hesitant about picking this up.  Perhaps I was holding out hope that Hot Toys would give us a larger breadth of characters...perhaps the $250 price tag was just too much for me. Either way, I skipped the Signature Series, and now I regret it.  I picked up the regular edition of Ms. Newmar once she started to ship because my curiosity got the better of me, and she really is a beautiful statue.  I've since ordered both Batman and Robin, and can't wait to see the final painted Yvonne Craig Batgirl.  A Joker, Riddler and Penguin seem like obvious choices here, but what about an Egghead? Pretty please?

Score Recap (out of ****):
Packaging - ***
Sculpting - ****
Paint - ***1/2
Value - **
Overall - ***1/2

Where to Buy 
Online options include these site sponsors:

- Tweeterhead still has the regular available for $249.

- Sideshow has the regular for $250 as well.

- Entertainment Earth has her for $250

- or you can search ebay for a deal.

Related Links -
If you're looking for other 1966 Batman goodies, check out the 1/4 scale figures of Robin and Batman from NECA, as well as the Hot Toys sixth scale Batman and Robin. If you're into prop replicas, check out the Batbelt from Mattel.

Mattel has done a series or two of 6" scale figures as well. Check out the Batmobile and action figures from Mattel, including Batman and Robin two pack, the Joker,  and the first wave of figures that included Batman, Riddler, and the Penguin.

Other Tweeterhead items include Herman Munster and Elvira.

You should also hit the Search Reviews page, in case any other applicable reviews were done after this one was published.

Discussion:
Want to chat about this review?  Try out one of these terrific forums where I'll be discussing it!

Enjoyed this review? Be sure to head back to the main page to find thousands more just like it!