'Batman' star Julie Newmar explains why Burt Ward was 'absolutely perfect' to play Robin

Fox News

2 days ago

For this Catwoman, watching Batman and Robin's bond grow on set was pure purr-fection.
Julie Newmar, who played the feline villain in the '60s series "Batman," told Fox News Digital that Burt Ward was a real catch to play the Caped Crusader's trusty sidekick. She starred alongside Adam West as superhero Batman, and Ward as Robin the Boy Wonder.
"Give the producer William Dozier and 20th Century Fox credit for making the absolutely perfect decision to cast Burt Ward as Robin," said Newmar.
"He even annoyed Adam West a bit — not out of malice, but out of the sheer admiration one has for an adored [hero]."
"Batman, watch his copy-cat behavior," Newmar shared, referring to Ward perfectly keeping up with West.
"Burt is sublime as Robin," Newmar gushed. "The studio got him at a bargain weekly price, but Burt capitalized admirably on this lucky break."
Fox News Digital reached out to Ward, 80, for comment.
Newmar's statement came after Ward was recently asked by Remind Magazine about his favorite Catwoman.
"I like all of them," Ward insisted to the outlet. "They all brought something different, and all did a great job."
"Batman" ran for three seasons from 1966 to 1968, People magazine reported. According to the outlet, Newmar starred in 13 episodes. Lee Meriwether and Eartha Kitt went on to slip into the iconic curve-hugging catsuit for the campy sitcom.
Ward landed his iconic role with his first-ever audition in 1965, People shared.
WATCH: VAL KILMER, STAR OF 'TOP GUN' AND 'BATMAN FOREVER,' DEAD AT 65
"Every episode included somebody that I idolized, either by watching them in movie theaters or on TV," Ward told Remind magazine. "Everyone was a superstar to me, and they were incredibly nice. In fact, I learned a kind of famous phrase: 'The bigger they are, the nicer they are.'"
"Now I'm not sure about today's world," Ward admitted. "But back then, it was the integrity and professionalism; everyone knew their lines perfectly. They were on time. They never missed a take, and it was just a level of precision. It was awesome to watch as a young actor."
After becoming fast friends on set, Ward and West supported each other over the years, long after the series came to an end.
"We could just sit down and not have anything to talk about, and within minutes, we were just laughing, reminiscing, talking about current events and remembering the good times," Ward recalled to Fox News Digital in 2023.
"Whenever [West] came over to my house, we just had the greatest time," he shared. "My wife adored him. I remember when he first met her, and he was just so gracious…. He was truly the funniest, nicest guy. Gosh, just thinking about him, I miss him so much. He should be here."
West died in 2017 at age 88. Ward now dedicates his time to animal rescue work.
Newmar landed her first role on Broadway at age 19 with "Silk Stockings." Making her mark in both films and on stage, Newmar's legs were insured for $10 million. Newmar's coveted costume as Catwoman, which was designed for her hourglass figure, was donated to the Smithsonian.
Back in 2017, Newmar told Fox News Digital that nabbing the role of Catwoman was surprisingly simple.
"Well, there was no audition at all," she purred at the time. "They were desperate. Television is a fast and furious business… It took only a weekend between whoever said, 'Can you show up on Monday?' and my brother, who had come down from Harvard with his friends to New York, where I was living, to practically push me onto a plane. By Tuesday, I was fitting into costumes. It happened so fast."
And Newmar's relationship with Batman and Robin endured even after the show came to an end.
"I love them," she said. "They're very dear to me, they've become dearer over time. It was a wonderful casting… And I still don't think there has been a better Batman."
Newmar cemented her femme fatale status in film, television and Broadway. She insisted that the title was practically made for her.
"I'm tall. I tend to stick out," said Newmar. "And I like the moniker. Maybe a little too much… [as for] sex symbol? Well, you have to be one to begin with. [It starts with] good habits, I would say. Good health. And a certain goodness."
Newmar later put Hollywood on hold to focus on writing, crediting the self-help book "How to Win Friends and Influence People" as a major influence throughout her life. She also keeps busy tending to her lavish garden and connecting with fans on social media.
"I prided myself on leaving the party early," she said. "There'll be many Catwomen… It'll be done over and over again, like the opera 'Carmen.'"