Eartha Kitt, R.I.P.

January 17, 1927 - December 25, 2008

Younger readers might know her best as "Catwoman" in the 1960's TV series, Batman.

I first saw her in a 1950's movie, New Faces. She presented the image of a vamp, and let me tell you she could stir up a thirteen year old boy's hormones. In that movie she became widely known for singing Monotonous, but the song that got me was Uska Dara, a Turkish song:



You know the Madonna song, Santa Baby? Eartha recorded it as the
ultimate vamp's song in 1954:



By today's standards the video is hokey, but just close your eyes and listen to her sing.