Born in tiny North, South Carolina to Mamie Kitt, who was of Cherokee and African-American descent, and an American father (surname Kitt) of German and Dutch descent, she was raised by her maternal aunt Anna Mae Riley, whom she believed was her mother up until after Riley's death, when she was sent to live in New York City with her real mother.
Kitt began her career as a member of the Katherine Dunham Company and made her film debut with them in Casbah (1948). A talented singer with a distinctive voice, her hits include Let's Do It, C'est Si Bon (It's So Good), Just an Old Fashioned Girl, Monotonous, Love for Sale, I'd Rather Be Burned as a Witch, Uska Dara, Mink, Schmink, Under the Bridges of Paris, and arguably her most recognizable hit, the sexily sung Christmas song Santa Baby. She sang quite a few songs in French, a language she picked up during her years performing in Europe, but she never lost her American accent, which made her French songs sound rather amusing to native French speakers. She dabbled in other languages as well, which she demonstrated in many of the live recordings of her cabaret performances.
In 1950, Orson Welles gave her her first starring role, as Helen of Troy in his staging of Dr. Faustus. A few years later, she was cast in the revue New Faces of 1952, introducing "Monotonous", "C'est Si Bon" and "Santa Baby", three songs with which she continues to be identified. During her run, 20th Century Fox filmed a version of the play. Welles and Kitt allegedly had a torrid affair during her run in Shinbone Alley, which earned her the nickname by Welles as "the most exciting woman in the world". In 1958, Kitt made her feature film debut opposite Sidney Poitier in The Mark of the Hawk. Throughout the rest of the 1950s and early 1960s, Kitt would work on and off in film, television and on nightclub stages. In the late 1960s television series Batman, she played Catwoman after Julie Newmar left the role. This was the role for which she would best be remembered, owing to her purring feline drawl.
In 1968, however, Kitt encountered a substantial professional setback after she made anti-war statements during a White House luncheon that reportedly made First Lady Lady Bird Johnson weep uncontrollably. Professionally exiled from the U.S., she devoted her energies to overseas performances before returning to New York in a triumphant turn in the Broadway spectacle Timbuktu! (a version of the perennial Kismet set in Africa) in 1978. In the musical, one song gives a 'recipe' for mahoun, a preparation of cannabis, in which her sultry purring rendition of the refrain "constantly stirring with a long wooden spoon" was distinctive.
In 1984, she returned to hit music with a dance song, Where Is My Man; the first certified Gold record of her career. Kitt found new audiences in nightclubs across the country, including a whole new generation of gay male fans, and she responded by frequently giving benefit performances in support of HIV/AIDS organizations.
In 2000, Kitt again returned to Broadway in the short but notable run of the revival of the 1920s-themed, The Wild Party, opposite Mandy Patinkin and Toni Collette. In 2003, she replaced Chita Rivera in Nine. In recent years she had also appeared as the Wicked Witch in the North American national touring company of The Wizard of Oz.
One of her more unusual roles was as Kaa the python in a 1994 BBC Radio adaptation of The Jungle Book. Kitt lent her distinctive voice to the role of Yzma in Disney's The Emperor's New Groove and also did other voiceover work such as the voice of Queen Vexus on the animated TV series My Life as a Teenage Robot. She continued her role as Yzma on the spin-off TV series of The Emperor's New Groove, The Emperor's New School.
In recent years, Kitt's annual appearances in New York made her a fixture of the Manhattan cabaret scene. She took the stage at venues such as the Ballroom and, more recently, the Café Carlyle to explore and define her highly stylized image, alternating between signature songs (such as "Old Fashioned Millionaire"), which emphasized a witty, mercenary world-weariness, and less familiar repertoire, much of which she performed with an unexpected ferocity and bite that presented her as a survivor with a seemingly bottomless reservoir of resilience - her version of Here's to Life, frequently used as a closing number, was a sterling example of the latter. This side of her later performances is reflected in at least one of her recordings, Thinking Jazz, which preserves a series of performances with a small jazz combo that took place in the early 1990s in Germany, and which includes both standards (Smoke Gets in Your Eyes) and numbers (such as Something May Go Wrong) that seem more specifically tailored to her talents; one version of the CD includes as bonus performances a fierce, angry Yesterdays and a live take of "C'est Si Bon" that good-humoredly satirizes her sex-kitten persona.
Personal life
Kitt was married to John William McDonald, an associate of a real-estate investment company, from 1960 to 1965. They had one child, a daughter, Kitt (b. 1962, married Charles Lawrence Shapiro); and two grandchildren, Jason and Rachel Shapiro.
Eartha Kitt died of colon cancer on Christmas Day, December 25, 2008.
Moon River
Eartha Kitt Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm crossin' you in style someday.
Old dream maker, you heartbreaker,
Wherever you're goin', I'm goin'your way.
Two drifters, off to see the world.
There's such a lot of world to see.
We're after the same rainbow's end,
Waitin' round the bend,
Moon River and me.
The popular song Moon River, sung originally by Eartha Kitt, is a poignant yet lighthearted ode to adventure and companionship. The lyrics are a metaphorical journey, with Moon River representing the vast expanse of possibilities that the world has to offer. The singer promises to cross Moon River in style someday and is willing to follow the old dream maker, even though they are clearly also a heartbreaker. The theme is one of hope and the endless possibilities that life offers to those who are daring enough to chase after them.
The verse about two drifters off to see the world conjures up images of free-spirited travelers on a quest for meaning. While the rest of society is content with living their dull, predictable lives, the singer and their partner are ready to embark on an adventure of a lifetime. They are after the same rainbow, waitin' around the bend, eager to experience all the excitement and joy that the world has to offer. The huckleberry friend is a term that refers to a close friend or companion who is trustworthy and reliable, and in this song, it's the metaphorical embodiment of the moon river itself. In many ways, the lyrics of Moon River are an invitation to live life to its fullest, exploring new horizons, and finding joy in the journey.
Line by Line Meaning
Moon River, wider than a mile:
Moon River is a vast and robust river that is greater than a mile in length.
I'm crossin' you in style someday.
In the future, I intend to cross this grand river in a unique and fashionable manner.
Old dream maker, you heartbreaker,
Moon River, a creator of dreams, has the power to destroy one's feelings and leave them heartbroken.
Wherever you're goin', I'm goin' your way.
I will follow Moon River's path wherever it might lead me.
Two drifters, off to see the world.
Two individuals who wander aimlessly are setting out to explore the world.
There's such a lot of world to see.
The world contains an abundance of things that are worth seeing and experiencing.
We're after the same rainbow's end,
Both individuals are pursuing the same elusive, unattainable goal.
Waitin' round the bend,
The objective is nearby, and the searchers are expecting it to be found soon.
My huckleberry friend,
One of the wanderers is a close and trusted buddy.
Moon River and me.
Moon River and myself are the only ones who understand our journey and connection with each other.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Johnny Mercer, Henry Mancini
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
NadinRamos8
I really enjoy this version. She had such a unique voice.
Mario Gonzalez
extraordinaria voz y extraordinaria fotografía
DoctorSyn11
She was the only singer I know who deliberately went off pitch for effect. She had a very strong personality, as strong as Marlene Dietrich. The piano is too loud in this clip - poor balance.
Tomás Roma
Gurl, what do you think vibrato is?
Elizabeth Dalgliesh
Best cover 💓🌹
b a
Bravo
C L
sublime
Roger Winters
Eartha was a beautiful woman with a pair of great legs, she did everything, I would love to see her life story on the big screen played by Thandie Newton.
Toni Fernando
I love the version.. not dramatic