Yvonne Joyce Craig 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. 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. Gradually, she moved into acting, and in 1959 appeared in three
films: The Young Land, The Gene Krupa Story, and Gidget. She also had a guest role as Beverly
Mills in the 1959 episode "Little Miss Wow" of the television series Mr. Lucky. In 1960,
she appeared with Bing Crosby in High Time. 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.Voyage to the Bottom of
the Sea - S01E07 - Turn Back the Clock Yvonne starred in roles with Elvis Presley
in two films: It Happened at the World's Fair and Kissin' Cousins. She also appeared with
Dennis Hopper and appeared in In Like Flint as a Russian ballet dancer opposite James
Coburn. Move into television
In the 1960s, with film roles beginning to taper off, she moved into television, appearing
in several shows, including The Barbara Stanwyck Show, Death Valley Days, Hennesey, and My
Three Sons. Craig appeared five times on The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, portraying five
separate girlfriends for the titular character between 1959 and 1962. One of her more memorable
roles came in 1969 when Craig appeared on Star Trek as Marta, a green-skinned Orion
slave girl in the third-season episode "Whom Gods Destroy".
In a 1965 episode of The Man from U.N.C.L.E., she helps solve the mystery of a brain-endangering
poison. In 1966, she appeared as an U.N.C.L.E. employee in a theatrical film, One Spy Too
Many. In a 1966 episode of The Wild Wild West, she
plays an assassin who performs an exotic Arabian dance. She also played a US Navy Nurse with
exotic Arabian dance skills in an episode of McHale's Navy. She appeared in an episode
of The Big Valley with Lee Majors and Barbara Stanwyck.
In a 1968 episode of The Ghost & Mrs. Muir, she plays a bride-to-be stranded overnight
at Gull Cottage. Batman
Craig's highest profile would come with the cult 1960s television series Batman as Batgirl.
She appeared in the final season. 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.
Later career After Batman, Yvonne Craig continued to act
sporadically in movies and television. Notably, she appeared in guest roles in Love, American
Style, Kentucky Jones,The Big Valley, It Takes a Thief, The Mod Squad, Kojak and Emergency!.
From 1969 to 1972, she appeared in four episodes of the comedy series Love, American Style.
In 1973 she appeared in a season 1 episode of Kojak called 'Dark Sunday' and in 1977
made a guest appearance in The Six Million Dollar Man. She also made appearances as herself
on some celebrity editions of Family Feud. Craig eventually moved into private business.
For a time, she was a co-producer 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. Since 2009, Craig has provided the voice of
Grandma on the animated children's show Olivia. Craig was portrayed by actress Erin Carufel
in the made for TV movie Return to the Batcave: The Misadventures of Adam and Burt in 2003.
Selected filmography
Eighteen and Anxious The Young Land
Gidget The Gene Krupa Story
High Time By Love Possessed
Seven Women from Hell It Happened at the World's Fair
Kissin' Cousins Ski Party
Mars Needs Women One Spy Too Many
In Like Flint How to Frame a Figg
Bibliography Craig, Yvonne. From Ballet to the Batcave
and Beyond. New York: Kudu Press. ISBN 0-9678075-6-5. Erickson, Hal. "Yvonne Craig". Allmovie. New
York Times. Retrieved 2007-06-27. McLeod, Mike. "It's African Mask for TV's
Batgirl". The Celebrity Collector. Retrieved 2007-06-27.
References
External links www.yvonnecraig.com — The Official Yvonne
Craig Website Ty's Yvonne Craig Homepage
MSN Entertainment — Yvonne Craig Yvonne Craig at TV.com
Bat-Bios — Yvonne Craig Yvonne Craig as Batgirl
Yvonne Craig interview at Elvis2001.net Yvonne Craig at the Internet Movie Database