Yvonne Joyce Craig

Yvonne Joyce Craig, May 16 1937 until August 17, 2015. She was an American actress and ballet-dancer best known for her roles as Batgirl on the 1960s TV series Batman and Marta who played Marta, the Orion slave girl Marta, in Star Trek's episode "Whom Gods Deceive" (1969). The Huffington Post referred to her as "a pioneer of female super heroes" on television. Yvonne Craig was born and was raised in Taylorville, Illinois. In 1951 her family moved from Illinois to Dallas. She attended W. H. Adamson High School in Dallas as well as Sunset High School. However, she did not finish her education because she had only "one credits for PE". Craig was recognized by Alexandra Danilova (a ballerina and teacher) and joined the Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo, becoming its youngest corps de ballet member. It was a great training that allowed her to do stunts in the role of Batgirl. She left the ballet troupe in 1957 "over a disagreement on casting decisions" and relocated to Los Angeles in the hopes of continuing her dancing career. However, she found herself being cast in film roles. She was first seen in a TV episode of Perry Mason ("The Case of the Lazy Lover"), alongside Neil Hamilton. Hamilton later was appointed Batgirl's Police Commissioner James Gordon. She was in three movies shortly 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 played with Bing Crosby in High Time (1960) and in Seven Women from Hell (1961) which was co-starred with Cesar Romero. In 1962, she was guest-starring in 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 featured Cesar Romero. Craig also starred in two Elvis Presley films: It Happened in the World's Fair (1963), and Kissin Cousins (1964). Also, she acted as an Russian dancer with James Coburn in Mars Needs Women (1966).