Discover How Eartha Kitt Aced Timeless Glamour in These 15 Style Moments

She was known for her bold personality, her role as Catwoman in the television show Batman, her sultry voice and career as a nightclub singer in Paris, and her memorable role in the film Anna Lucasta, which garnered her an Academy Award nomination. Eartha Kitt was born in South Carolina to a mother who eventually abandoned her. After shuffling between abusive relatives and suffering bullying because of her mixed heritage (Kitt's mother was African-American and Cherokee, and her father, the idendity of whom was unknown to her up until her death, was white), Kitt was dealt a difficult childhood. A turning point came at the age of 8 years old, when she moved to New York City to live with an aunt in Harlem and enrolled in the New York School of Performing Arts, setting her off a trajectory of lifelong performance.

Kitt eventually joined a dance troupe and found acclaim as a nightclub and cabaret singer in Europe. She was spotted by actor and director Orson Welles, who helped launch her career stateside with the role of Helen of Troy in Time Runs. She released an album in 1954, with the popular song C'est Si Bon, which only helped to further serve her growing fame, along with taking the role of Catwoman in the late 1960s.

Kitt was also a guiding force during the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s. After sharing her opinion about the Vietnam War to First Lady Lady Bird Johnson, Kitt's career took a hit for a few years, during which she focused on touring in Europe. She eventually made a comeback professionally in the States with the musical Timbuktu! in 1978.

Kitt struggled with not knowing her father's identity throughout her life. She had one daughter, Kitt Shapiro, with husband John William McDonald. Although they divorced, Kitt remained close with McDonald throughout her life. Kitt's glamorous style, fearless way of living, and love of the stage endure, and are palpable today in the following photographs.