Tuesday, February 18, 2020

Mondo 'Black History' Trivia: Eartha Kitt's Final Batman Episode (and its Historical Significance)

Well, I've already connected the Show to the Sharon Tate/La Bianca Murders, so I might as well connect it to Politics...

For the third Season of Batman, Julie Newmar had left, but Catwoman had more appearances to make.  Enter Eartha Kitt...
 She last appeared in a 2-Part Episode (without a Cliffhanger, weirdly enough) alongside The Joker.

To add extra intrigue, the 2nd Episode featured Pierre Salinger, a former Press Secretary for JFK and LBJ.  There's a reason I mention this...
The Episode aired on January 4, 1968.
This Month would be very notable for Kitt besides just this appearance, however...

She appeared at a White House Luncheon and spoke to the First Lady (Lady Bird Johnson).  She spoke candidly about the War in Vietnam saying "You send the best of this country off to be shot and maimed. No wonder the kids rebel and take pot."

Furthermore, she took a question about Vietnam during a Q&A later and said the following...

"The children of America are not rebelling for no reason. They are not hippies for no reason at all. We don't have what we have on Sunset Blvd. for no reason. They are rebelling against something. There are so many things burning the people of this country, particularly mothers. They feel they are going to raise sons – and I know what it's like, and you have children of your own, Mrs. Johnson – we raise children and send them to war."

This didn't end well for Mrs. Kitt as she was blacklisted for nearly a Decade!  She even had a secret file on her courtesy of the CIA (which branded her a 'sadistic nymphomaniac')!

Granted- the Show wouldn't get a 4th Season on NBC, so this would be her final appearance regardless of the controversy.  

Even so, her candid and honest comments led to this being the last time anyone saw her for a while...

There's alot more history to that Show where a paunchy guy in a cape punched people in silly wigs, huh?  Bam!

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