biography

Yvonne Craig Born in Taylorville, Illinois, on May 16, 1937, Yvonne Craig was raised in Ohio and Texas. In 1955, her dance skills got her an audition for the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, which she passed. However, her future as a ballerina didn't work out; upon leaving a prestigious ballet company in 1957 due to a disagreement, Craig went to Hollywood to pursue work as a dancer but instead landed an acting job in the Republic teen angst drama Eighteen and Anxious (1957; with William Campbell, Martha Scott, and Jim Backus). More television and film roles came her way, thanks to her contract with Columbia; her early films include Gidget (1959; with Sandra Dee and James Darren), The Young Land (1959; with Patrick Wayne and Dennis Hopper), and The Gene Krupa Story (1959; with Sal Mineo, Susan Kohner, and James Darren). In 1960, Craig married actor Jimmy Boyd, whom she met while filming High Time (1960; with Bing Cosby, Fabian, and Tuesday Weld).

Yvonne CraigYvonne CraigYvonne CraigYvonne CraigYvonne Craig

Cheesecake shots of Yvonne Craig from the 1960s

Craig's marriage was brief, and she and Boyd divorced in 1962. However, her career was going very well. She was cast in good roles in It Happened at the World's Fair (1963; with Elvis Presley, Joan O'Brien, and Gary Lockwood) and Kissin' Cousins (1964; with Arthur O'Connell, Pamela Austin, and Beverly Powers). She also starred in the cult favorites Ski Party (1965; with Frankie Avalon and Deborah Walley) and Mars Needs Women (1968; with Tommy Kirk). Today, Yvonne Craig is best remembered for her role as Batgirl in the ABC TV series Batman (1966-1968; with Adam West).

the films of yvonne craig

The Young Land (1959)

Patrick Wayne and Yvonne Craig

From Columbia's western The Young Land with Patrick Wayne

77 Sunset Strip (1958-1964 ABC TV Series)

Yvonne Craig and Edd Byrnes

From a June 1960 episode of 77 Sunset Strip with Edd Byrnes

By Love Possessed (1961)

Yvonne Craig and George Hamilton

With George Hamilton in the Lana Turner potboiler By Love Possessed

Kissin' Cousins (1964)

Yvonne Craig, Elvis Presley, and Beverly Powers

With Elvis Presley and Beverly Powers in the fun MGM musical Kissin' Cousin

Ski Party (1965)

Yvonne Craig, Deborah Walley, Frankie Avalon, and Dwayne HickmanYvonne Craig, Deborah Walley, Aron Kincaid, Robert Q. Lewis, Mike Nader, Dwayne Hickman, and Frankie Avalon

From American International's comedy Ski Party. LEFT: With Deborah Walley, Frankie Avalon, and Dwayne Hickman. RIGHT: With Deborah Walley, Aron Kincaid, Robert Q. Lewis, Mike Nader, Dwayne Hickman, and Frankie Avalon

Batman (1966-1968 ABC TV Series)

Yvonne Craig and Adam WestYvonne CraigBurt Ward, Yvonne Craig, and Adam WestYvonne Craig

Craig starred as "Batgirl" Barbara Gordon on TV's Batman during the final (1967-1968) season. LEFT: Craig with Adam West. CENTER A: On the Batcycle. CENTER C: With Burt Ward and Adam West. RIGHT: Craig with Adam West off the set of Batman

How to Frame a Figg (1971)

Yvonne Craig and Don Knotts

With Don Knotts in the family comedy How to Frame a Figg

later years

In the late 1960s, Craig began to phase out her acting career. Her filmwork diminished greatly, yet her career was still very strong in television in guest roles in such series as Mannix, Love, American Style, and Kojak. Shifting her career focus to real estate, she became very successful in the industry. Afterward, her film and television appearances became infrequent. Her final films were the comedy How to Frame a Figg (1971; with Joe Flynn and Elaine Joyce), Jarrett (1973; with Glenn Ford), and the comedy Diggin' Up Business (1990; with Lynn-Holly Johnson and Ruth Buzzi). Her last credited work was in the animated series Olivia (2009-2011), in which she voiced the character Grandma. She published her autobiography, From Ballet to the Batcave and Beyond, in 2000. Sadly, Yvonne Craig passed away on August 17, 2015 from cancer. She was survived by her husband, Kenneth, a sister, and two nephews.

filmography

FILM
Diggin' Up Business (1990) with Billy Barty, Ruth Buzzi, Linnea Quigley, and Nita Talbot
Jarrett (1973) with Glenn Ford, Anthony Quayle, Forrest Tucker, Richard Anderson, Jody Gilbert, and Robert Easton
How to Frame a Figg (1971) with Don Knotts, John Archer, and Elaine Joyce
Three Coins in the Fountain (1970) with Cynthia Pepper and Joanna Cook Moore
In Like Flint (1967) with James Coburn, Lee J. Cobb, Andrew Duggan, and Anna Lee
One Spy Too Many (1966) with Robert Vaughn, David McCallum, and Cal Bolder
Mars Needs Women (1966) with Tommy Kirk
Ski Party (1965) with Frankie Avalon, Dwayne Hickman, Deborah Walley, Aron Kincaid, and Robert Q. Lewis
Advance to the Rear (1964) with Glenn Ford
Kissin' Cousins (1964) with Elvis Presley, Arthur O'Connell, Glenda Farrell, Beverly Powers, and Hortense Petra; songs written by Dolores Fuller
Quick Before It Melts (1964) with George Maharis, Robert Morse, Anjanette Comer, James Gregory, Michael Constantine, Norman Fell, and Bernard Fox
It Happened at the World's Fair (1963) with Elvis Presley, Gary Lockwood, and Joan O'Brien
By Love Possessed (1961) with Lana Turner, Efrem Zimbalist Jr., and George Hamilton
The Seven Women from Hell (1961) with Denise Darcel and Cesar Romero
High Time (1960) with Fabian, Bing Crosby, Tuesday Weld, Nicole Maurey, and Jimmy Boyd
Gidget (1959) with Sandra Dee, James Darren, Cliff Robertson, and Doug McClure
The Young Land (1959) with Patrick Wayne and Dennis Hopper
The Gene Krupa Story (1959) with Sal Mineo, Bobby Troup, and James Darren
Eighteen and Anxious (1957) with Connie Stevens, Jim Backus, William Campbell, and Jackie Coogan

TELEVISION SERIES
Batman ABC-TV series (1966-1968). Craig portrayed Batgirl (Barbara Gordon) from 1967 to 1968. Also starring in the series were Adam West and Burt Ward

TELEVISION GUEST APPEARANCES
Fantasy Island, episode Remember... When?, originally aired May 7, 1983
Starsky and Hutch, episode Starsky vs. Hutch, originally aired May 8, 1979
The Six Million Dollar Man, episode The Infiltrators, originally aired February 6, 1977
Holmes and Yo-Yo, episode Key Witness, originally aired November 27, 1976
Emergency!, episode Gossip, originally aired September 28, 1974
Emergency!, episode Inventions, originally aired March 23, 1974
Kojak, episode Dark Sunday, originally aired December 12, 1973
The Magician, episode The Man Who Lost Himself, originally aired December 11, 1973
Emergency!, episode The Old Engine, originally aired September 29, 1973
Mannix, episode Search for a Whisper, originally aired February 18, 1973
Love, American Style, episode Love and the Confession/Love and the Disappearing Box/Love and the Hip Arrangement/Love and the Old Flames, originally aired October 20, 1972
The Partners, episode Two or False, originally aired August 11, 1972
The Partners, episode Here Comes the Fuzz, originally aired September 18, 1971
O'Hara, U.S. Treasury, episode Operation: Rake-Off, originally aired February 11, 1972
Love, American Style, episode Love and Formula 26B/Love and the Loud Mouth/Love and the Penal Code, originally aired September 17, 1971
Love, American Style, episode Love and the Big Game/Love and the Nutsy Girl/Love and the Vampire, originally aired January 29, 1971
Land of the Giants, episode Wild Journey, originally aired March 8, 1970
The Courtship of Eddie's Father, episode Don't Look Now, But Your Scorpio's Rising, originally aired March 4, 1970
The Good Guys, episode Communications Gap, originally aired December 19, 1969
Mannix, episode Who Killed Me?, originally aired December 13, 1969
Love, American Style, episode Love and a Couple of Couples/Love and the Hustler/Love and the Pill, originally aired September 29, 1969
Star Trek, episode Whom Gods Destroy, originally aired January 3, 1969
The Mod Squad, episode Find Tara Chapman!, originally aired November 19, 1968
It Takes a Thief, episode The Bill Is in Committee, originally aired October 8, 1968
The Ghost & Mrs. Muir, episode Haunted Honeymoon, originally aired September 28, 1968
My Three Sons, episode If at First, originally aired October 20, 1966
The Wild, Wild West, episode The Night of the Grand Emir, originally aired January 18, 1966
Wagon Train, episode The Link Cheney Story, originally aired April 13, 1964
The Barbara Stanwyck Show, episode House in Order, originally aired November 7, 1960
Man with a Camera, episode Hot Ice Cream, originally aired January 25, 1960
The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, episode The Flying Millicans, originally aired October 1, 1959
Perry Mason, episode The Case of the Lazy Lover, originally aired May 31, 1958

yvonne craig links

The Official Yvonne Craig Website
Check out Yvonne Craig's official website, with photos, biographical information, and more.

yvonne craig trailer

Watch Yvonne Craig in the 1967 trailer for the spy film In Like Flint
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This page premiered August 3, 1999.
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