Julia Chalene Newmeyer was born on August 16, 1933 in Los Angeles, California, the eldest of three children. Her father, Don, was a one-time professional football player (LA Buccaneers, 1926), her mother, Helen Jesmer, was a star of the Follies of 1920, who later became a fashion designer under the professional name of “Chalene”. From an early age, Julie studied piano, dance and classical ballet. She graduated from high school at the age of 15, and spent a year touring Europe with her mother and brother. She became prima ballerina for the Los Angeles Opera. She attended UCLA studying classical piano, philosophy and French.
Newmar went to New York and tried out for Broadway musicals; in 1955, she made her Broadway debut as the ballerina in “Silk Stockings”. Julie won acclaim for her role as Stupefyin’ Jones in “Li’l Abner”. Though audiences and critics alike were stupefied by her good looks, that was not the compliment Julie wanted.
Julie wanted to be known for her comedy, as she told the New York Times: “Tell me I’m funny, and it’s the greatest compliment in the world.” She had beauty, brains and a fantastic sense of humor. Promoting her various Broadway and off-Broadway show appearances, she often posed as a pin-up girl. Making the transition to television, Julie appeared in Rod Serling’s science fiction series The Twilight Zone (1959), playing Miss Devlin (devil). As physical perfection, Julie was perfect to play Rhoda the Robot in My Living Doll (1964), the sitcom had an enthusiastic cult following. In 1966, urged on by her friends, she would try out for and be cast as Catwoman (a character she had never heard of) in the wildly popular television series Batman (1966) Due to a movie commitment, Julie was unavailable to play Catwoman in the third season (her part was taken by Eartha Kitt).
Julie was very busy in the 1960s and 1970s, making guest appearances in many television series and several television movies. She toured the country in stage productions of “Damn Yankees” and “Dames at Sea” and others. Becoming an entrepreneur, in 1977, Julie turned up in People Magazine wearing her new invention “Nudemar” pantyhose. In the 1980s, Julie appeared in nine films while she was busy raising her son and working in the real estate business. Julie went back to UCLA to take a few real estate courses. In 1991, Julie toured in a stage production of “The Women”. Still very active, and very beautiful, she has appeared at fan conventions occasionally.
