Yvonne Joyce Craig was an American ballet dancer and actress best known for her role as Batgirl in the 1960s television series Batman and as the green-skinned Orion slave girl Marta in the episode "Whom Gods Destroy |Whom Gods Destroy". The Huffington Post called her "a pioneer of female superheroes" for television.
After being discovered by Alexandra Danilova, a ballerina and instructor, Craig joined the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo as its youngest corps de ballet member. This training was helpful when she performed stunts while playing Batgirl. She left the ballet company in 1957 "over a disagreement on casting changes" and moved to Los Angeles in the hopes of continuing her dancing career but found herself cast in film roles.
Acting
One of her earliest television roles was in an episode of the TV series Perry Mason alongside Neil Hamilton, who played her stepfather. Shortly afterwards, she appeared in three films—The Young Land, The Gene Krupa Story and Gidget —and also guest-starred in the TV series Mr. Lucky as Beverly Mills in the episode "Little Miss Wow". Craig appeared with Bing Crosby in High Time and in Seven Women from Hell featured alongside Cesar Romero. In 1962, she guest starred on the Western Laramie in the episode "The Long Road Back". Craig starred in roles with Elvis Presley in two films: It Happened at the World's Fair and Kissin' Cousins. She also starred in the cult sci-fi film Mars Needs Women and appeared in In Like Flint as a Russian ballet dancer opposite James Coburn. During the 1960s, Craig regularly appeared in television drama series. She appeared five times on The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, portraying five separate girlfriends for the titular character between 1959 and 1962. In 1960, she played Jo, a young photographer with Charles Bronson in Man with a Camera. In 1964, Craig guest-starred as Carol, an underwater photographer, on Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea. In 1965, Craig appeared in The Big Valley. Craig also appeared on as Marta, a green-skinned Orion slave girl in the episode "Whom Gods Destroy |Whom Gods Destroy". Craig played a Navy nurse with exotic Arabian dance skills in an episode of McHale's Navy as well as in an episode of The Big Valley with Lee Majors and Barbara Stanwyck both aired in 1965. That same year, she appeared in an episode of The Man from U.N.C.L.E., where she helps solve the mystery of a brain-endangering poison. The following year she came back as an U.N.C.L.E. employee in a theatrical film, One Spy Too Many expanded from the episode "The Alexander the Greater Affair". In an episode of The Wild Wild West in 1966, she played an assassin who performs an exotic Arabian dance. In a 1968 episode of The Ghost & Mrs. Muir, she played Gladys Zimmerman, a bride-to-be who was stranded overnight at Gull Cottage. In a 1970 episode of Land of the Giants, she played one-half of a humanoid, time-observing duo who chase two of the Earth castaways into the past, ultimately forcing them to relive the flight that sent them to the giants' planet.
''Batman''
From September 1967 until March 1968, Craig appeared in her highest-profile role as Batgirl for the third and final season of the 1960s ABC TV series Batman. As Batgirl, she wore a purple and yellow outfit and rode a "purple motorcycle with white lace trim", whereas her alter egoBarbara Gordon was the librarian daughter of Commissioner Gordon. The New York Times praised her for "add a scrappy girl-power element" to a TV series it described as "campy". During this time, Craig appeared as a contestant on the game show The Dating Game. Craig reprised her Batgirl role in a 1974 public service announcement for equal pay for women sponsored by the U.S. Department of LaborWage & Hour Division. In the PSA, Batman and Robin were tied to a post amid the threat of a ticking time bomb, but Batgirl refused to release them because she was paid less than Robin, in violation of the Federal Equal Pay Law. The PSA was written and directed by Sidney Galanty, and narrated by William Dozier, who had narrated the Batman TV series. Dick Gautier played Batman this time, because Adam West was, at the time, trying to distance himself from that role. Craig reportedly felt some connection to the character and was sad that Barbara Gordon was shot and paralyzed by the Joker in the graphic novel .
After ''Batman''
After Batman, Craig continued to act sporadically in movies and television. She appeared in guest roles in Kentucky Jones, It Takes a Thief, The Mod Squad, Mannix and Emergency!. From 1969 to 1972, she appeared in four episodes of the comedy series Love, American Style. In 1973, she appeared in a first-season episode of Kojak and in 1977, she made a guest appearance in The Six Million Dollar Man.
Later life
When her Hollywood career ended, she ventured into private business. She was briefly a co-producer of industrial shows, before starting a new career as a real estate broker. From 2009 to 2011, she voiced "Grandma" on the animated children's series Olivia. Craig published an autobiography called From Ballet to the Batcave and Beyond. She appeared in the documentary film Ballets Russes. She was also a philanthropist and advocate for workers unions, free mammograms, and equal pay for women.
