Julie Newmar, Original Catwoman, Yet To See 'Dark Knight Rises,' Complains Batman Getting 'Too Dark'

Julie Newmar, the original Catwoman, has yet to see the latest iteration of the "Batman" films and diplomatically declined to say which actress she feels best captured her character since she appeared in the 1960s television series.

In an interview with Michael Yo of Yahoo's "The Yo Show," Newmar recalled her days on the set of the "Batman" television series in which she was the first actress to play Catwoman.

The character has come a long way since then, Newmar noted.

"Catwoman would just kind of sit there in the fight scenes and she'd just sort of file her nails ... she couldn't be bothered with all that nonsense," the actress said of the original Catwoman. In comparison, Anne Hathaway's Catwoman was on the front lines of battles with Batman in the latest superhero movie.

Newmar declined to say which Catwoman portrayal is her favorite, although she said she's yet to see the latest Batman film, "The Dark Knight Rises." The film, released July 13, is the last in Christopher Nolan's dark trilogy of the Caped Crusader.

"No. No names," Newmar said. "I do admire Michelle Pfeiffer as an actress ... and I haven't seen Anne yet, and I'm sure she's divine."

But when it comes to Batman, Newmar did play favorites, revealing her fondness for co-star Adam West. The original Catwoman noted that West's costume allowed his acting ability to shine through better than modern Batman actors' garb.

"I think he fit the part better than anyone," Newmar said of West. "With all the costumes they have to wear now, there's a lot you can't see anymore. You know, when you have everything sort of padded out and very macho ... it's as if the costume acts for you."

Newmar said she prefers the earlier Batman characterizations, saying the modern takes on the superhero are too dark for her tastes.

"It's evolved so much," Newmar said of Batman. "It's dark and I think we had so much fun in the '60s. And then Vietnam came and things sort of got darker and darker and darker."

The actress said playing the original Catwoman was an honor and reflected on her place in television history.

"It's nice to be immortal," Newmar quipped.

Now 78, the original Catwoman has eased up on her acting roles, making few guest appearances. Newmar said she's embraced technology in her golden years.

"I love the computer -- that's my life now," Newmar said. "And all my work and all my play and all the communication is really done on the computer. Thank God for the computer."

Newmar's other passion is gardening.

"Nature, it tells about life more than anything in the world about how long it takes for something to grow," Newmar said. "It seems to reward you with whatever secrets are within."