Yvonne Joyce Craig

Yvonne Joyce Craig, May 16, 1937 from May 16, 1937 until August 17, 2015. She was an American dancer and actress most well-known for her role as Batgirl on the 1960s TV show Batman and Marta as Marta, the Orion slave girl Marta as seen in Star Trek's episode "Whom Gods Deceive" (1969). The Huffington Post called her "a pioneer of female superheroes" for television. Yvonne Craig was born and raised in Taylorville, Illinois. Her family relocated to Dallas in 1951. She was a student at W. H. Adamson High School, Sunset High School and then W. H. Adamson High School. The only problem was that she was not able to graduate as she did not receive "one credits for PE". Craig was discovered by Alexandra Danilova (a ballerina and teacher) and was accepted into the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo as its youngest corps de ballet member. This was a great training for her when she performed stunts while playing Batgirl. She left the ballet troupe in the year 1957 "over an argument over casting decisions" and moved to Los Angeles in the hopes of continuing her dancing career, but found herself cast in films. She was first seen in an TV episode of Perry Mason ("The Case of the Lazy Lover") along with Neil Hamilton. Hamilton later was appointed Batgirl's Police Commissioner James Gordon. She appeared in three films soon after, The Young Land, The Gene Krupa Story and Gidget (all 1959). She also guest-starred in the TV series Mr. Lucky, as Beverly Mills, in the episode "Little Miss Wow" also in 1959. Craig was seen with Bing Crosby and Seven Women from Hell (1960), in which she was joined by Cesar Romero. In 1962, she was the guest on Western Laramie's "The Long Road Back" episode. Craig also appeared alongside Bing Crosby in High Time (1960) and Seven Women from Hell (1961), both of which included Cesar Romero. Craig also starred in two Elvis Presley films: It Was at the World's Fair (1963), as well as Kissin' Cousins (1964). She also appeared in the science-fiction film Mars Needs Women (1966) as well as in In Like Flint (1967) as the role of a Russian dancer who was paired with James Coburn.