Line #21 Music/EarthaKitt


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ekitt.jpg]]
2	->''"The audience has always been my best director."''
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4	Eartha Kitt (born Eartha Mae Keith; January 17, 1927 – December 25, 2008) was an American singer and actress.
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6	She began her career in 1943, joining the Katherine Dunham Company, who toured worldwide. When the company eventually returned to the United States, she chose to remain in Paris as a nightclub singer. It was here that she was discovered by director Creator/OrsonWelles, who gave her her first leading role as Helen of Troy in his play ''Doctor Faustus'' in 1950.
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8	From there, Kitt became a regular on Broadway, and recorded many of her notable songs, with perhaps her most famous being the Christmas standard, "Santa Baby." Kitt's most famous TV role is the ComicBook/{{Catwoman}} in the third season of ''Series/Batman1966'', where she wasn't allowed to have the established [[DatingCatwoman underlying sexual tension]] with the white title character, but infused an appealing cat-like slinkiness to her role.
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10	Things came to an abrupt stop in 1968, however, when, during a visit to the White House, she made several statements opposing UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar. The incident led to her being blacklisted in the United States, and she was relegated to touring in Europe for the better part of the 1970s.
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12	Her career was eventually revived after a starring role in the 1978 musical ''Timbuktu'', for which she was nominated for a Tony Award. She would continue to sing and act until her death from colon cancer in 2008.
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14	!!Notable acting roles:
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16	* ''Film/{{Heart of Darkness\|1958}}'' (1958) as the Queen
17	* ''Series/{{Batman\|1966}}'' (1967-1968) as Catwoman
18	* ''Film/ErnestScaredStupid'' (1991) as Old Lady Hackmore
19	* ''Film/{{Boomerang\|1992}}'' (1992) as Lady Eloise
20	* ''Franchise/TheEmperorsNewGroove'' franchise (2000–2008) as Yzma (voice)
21	** ''WesternAnimation/TheEmperorsNewGroove'' (2000)
22	** ''VideoGame/TheEmperorsNewGroove'' video game (2000)
23	** ''WesternAnimation/KronksNewGroove'' (2005)
24	** ''WesternAnimation/TheEmperorsNewSchool'' (2006-2008)
25	* ''WesternAnimation/MyLifeAsATeenageRobot'' (2002-2006) as Vexus (voice)
26	* ''Film/{{Holes}}'' (2003) as Madame Zeroni
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29	!!Her work contains examples of:
30	* ChristmasSongs: She was known for writing and initially performing "Santa Baby", and even did a "sequel" record called "This Year's Santa Baby" in which she bemoans the condition of the previous year's goodies and asks Santa for a new batch.
31	* EvilIsPetty: "I Want To Be Evil" differs from standard Villain Songs in that she doesn't sing about riches, power, or triumphing over the hero, just everyday Jerkassery and slightly unwholesome behavior.
32	* GoldDigger: A subject of a couple of her songs. "Santa Baby" has the narrator asking Santa for various luxury goods in a sultry manner, while "Just an Old Fashioned Girl" has the subject disguising her expensive demands as simple requests.
33	* NakedInMink: [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppYGHqxwCuk One notable performance]] of "Santa Baby" had her barely covered by a length of white fur.
34	* RefugeInAudacity: In "Santa Baby," she seductively croons to Santa that because she has been a good girl all year, he should gift her with increasingly extravagant gifts like a '54 convertible, a duplex and checks, and the deed to a platinum mine.
35	* VillainSong: "I Want To Be Evil" is about a GirlNextDoor who wants to become evil and set aside her frills to become a FemmeFatale.
36	* WordSchmord: One of her well-known songs is called "Mink Schmink".

Context Music / EarthaKitt