by Ted Davis and Linda Kay

Directed by: Leslie H. Martinson

This review contains a mild Kitty Carnage Warning!

Cat Out of the Bag Alert! This review contains some spoilers for this film!

Synopsis: Four supervillain arch-fiends — the tantalizing yet evil Catwoman (Lee Meriwether), alias Comrade Kitanya Irenya Tatanya Karenska Alisoff of the Moscow Bugle (her friends call her Kitka); the devilish Joker (Cesar Romero), malignant crown price of crime; the unhinged Riddler (Frank Gorshin), that plaguey master of criminal conundrums; and the waddling Penguin (Burgess Meredith), sinister popinjay of foul play — join forces to conquer the world, though how they’re going to accomplish that chilling feat by using the revolutionary Total Dehydrator device is left a bit hazy. Regardless of the peril, vaunted costumed crime fighters Batman (Adam West), alias millionaire Bruce Wayne, and Robin (Burt Ward) alias conscientious high-schooler Dick Grayson, are up to the formidable task. To the Batcave!!!

Cat Burglar (Scene Stealer): During a meeting between the villains at their hideaway beneath Ye Olde Benbowe Taverne, the impatient Catwoman threatens her wicked conspirators with her distinctly uneasy black cat: “Sic’em, Hecate! Scratch out their eyes!”

She tosses the cat, but despite some angry and confused hissing no harm results, and she takes Hecate back to her shoulder, carrying the relieved feline throughout the remainder of the scene.

On board the Penguin’s submarine, a reclining Catwoman shows off her profile while using a back-scratcher, with Hecate at her feet.

After the submarine docks at port, the nefarious group disembark, the Catwoman carrying Hecate over her shoulder. She uses the cat to detect the weak spot of a heavy locked door (though Hecate doesn’t seem to be of any actual assistance), which the Riddler immediately blows open with a small explosive charge. During all this action and the explosion, Hecate remains admirably calm.

During the raid on the United World Building to capture and dehydrate the multi-national Security Council, the Catwoman carries Hecate throughout the entire exercise. While the cat doesn’t struggle it’s clear by the expression on her face that she is completely baffled by the bizarre goings-on!

And in the Council’s chambers when Catwoman places Hecate on the table she immediately scrambles to put as much distance between her and the bizarre characters as possible.

Back in the submarine, Hecate lies beside the recumbent Catwoman, but jumps down after a moment, again seeming to be over her acting career. Moments later, she is back in Catwoman’s arms, giving Penguin a moment of pause.

Mild Kitty Carnage Warning! A battle royal on the top of the submarine occurs between the Caped Crusaders and the United Underworld, with the Catwoman again utilizing the curious fighting technique of throwing her nonplussed cat at an opponent, in this instance Batman who catches Hecate and trades a couple of punches with bad-guy henchman as well as Joker and Riddler. Amazingly, the principle actors performed this segment, including the cat, who really must have wished she had been cast in another movie.

Always the good guy, Batman tosses the weary kitty into a small rubber raft, where she meows forlornly for help. After the melee, Batman calls in a tow request to the Coast Guard for the submarine, which we trust will include poor Hecate’s small craft.

Behind the Scenes

Hecate was introduced in the original Batman comic books as Catwoman’s feline companion, although she was later replaced by other kitty sidekicks. In the comic book, Hecate is shown wearing a gold collar. Oddly enough in the movie there is only one brief segment on the submarine where the cat is wearing a similar gold collar.

In Greek mythology, Hecate was a goddess who could be either good or evil but was mostly associated with witchcraft, magic and the night. Oddly enough, in recalling the cat’s name for the Blu-Ray commentary track, actor Adam West mistakingly called her He-Cat, going by what he remembered reading in the script (although he may easily have been joking).

Several cat actors were likely brought in to play Hecate, with the hero cat being extremely tolerant of being handled. This was clearly necessary as the poor feline thespian was certainly put through her (or his) paces surrounded by these oddly clad and made-up humans performing the strangest actions. Not too many cat actors find themselves smack dab in the middle of a comic book punch up!

While Julie Newmar had previously played Catwoman in the television series, she was unable to reprise her role in the movie, so former Miss America Lee Meriwether filled her paws for this feature. Meriwether reportedly studied her own cats while preparing for the role, as stated in a press release picked up by several newspapers at the time:

    “I have two cats at home,” she confided to a visitor on the set during filming. “I watched them carefully. I tried to move as they did — sort of slinky, quiet, yet able to pounce viciously without warning.
    “Of course I don’t know if cats really think. If they think anything they probably think they are human.”

Special mention must be made of Catwoman’s “Meowse” code sender which is shaped like a little black cat. As she taps out the message (which is received in a series of mews and mips) the cat’s eyes light up. Where can we get one of those??

Final Mewsings: Hecate the cat must have been very glad to be relieved of her onerous duties as a supervillain’s sidekick.

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