Jan. 20 (Bloomberg) -- Suzanne Pleshette, the actress best known for her role as Bob Newhart's wife Emily on ``The Bob Newhart Show,'' died yesterday at her home in Los Angeles from respiratory failure. She was 70.

Pleshette's death was confirmed by her attorney and family friend, Robert Finkelstein, according to the Associated Press. She died more than a year after she underwent chemotherapy for lung cancer.

She began acting on the stage in high school and got her start in film with Jerry Lewis in the 1958 movie ``The Geisha Boy,'' according to the Internet Movie Database. She appeared in numerous television shows, including ``Have Gun, Will Travel,'' ``Alfred Hitchcock Presents,'' ``Playhouse 90'' and later ones such as ``Will & Grace.''

Pleshette performed in about two dozen films, including Alfred Hitchcock's ``The Birds,'' and Disney movies such as ``The Ugly Dachshund,'' ``Blackbeard's Ghost'' and ``The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin.''

It was her role as Emily Hartley, though, that brought her acclaim. Pleshette played a schoolteacher to Bob Newhart's psychologist character in the series, which ran from 1972 to 1978 and was ranked among TV's Top 20 shows. The situation comedy revolved around their careers and off-beat friends, as well as Bob's patients. The married couple was childless, a novelty at the time in television.

Surprise

In 1990, Pleshette reprised that role in Bob Newhart's second television series, ``Newhart,'' in which he played a Vermont innkeeper. Pleshette appeared in the last scene of the series' last episode.

The ending, called one of the five most memorable moments in TV history by TV Guide, was suggested by Newhart's real-life wife. In the scene, Newhart awakens in bed with a woman. It's not immediately apparent to viewers, but he's playing Bob Hartley, his former psychologist character.

``Honey, honey, wake up,'' he says. ``You won't believe the dream I just had.''

The light turns on and instead of it being Mary Frann -- his wife in the second series -- it's Pleshette in her role as his wife from the first sitcom.

``I was an innkeeper in this crazy little town in Vermont,'' he says. ``The maid was an heiress; her husband talked in alliteration; the handyman kept missing the point of things; and then there were these three woodsmen.''

``That settles it. No more Japanese food before you go to bed,'' Pleshette answers.

Catwoman

Many viewers in the Northeast missed the ending because the stations didn't get the notice that the show was running 35 minutes instead of 30 minutes, and they cut to a commercial. CBS reran the episode the following week.

Born on Jan. 31, 1937, in New York, she was the only child of Eugene Pleshette, who managed the Paramount and Brooklyn Paramount theaters, the Web-based IMDB said. At the age of 12, she attended the New York High School of the Performing Arts and then attended Syracuse University, Finch College, the Neighborhood Playhouse and Sanford Meisner's Acting School.

She was the producers' choice for the starring role as Catwoman in the 1966 ``Batman'' TV series, the Internet movie site said. Julie Newmar got the role when negotiations with Pleshette broke down.

Pleshette received an Emmy Award nomination in 1991 for her role as real estate developer Leona Helmsley in the television movie, ``Leona Helmsley: The Queen of Mean.'' She also was nominated in 1977 and 1978 for her role as Emily Hartley, and in 1962 received an Emmy nomination for an appearance on TV's ``Dr. Kildare.''

Pleshette was married three times, most recently to actor Tom Poston, who played George the handyman on ``Newhart.'' He died in April. Her other marriages were to actor Troy Donahue in 1964, which lasted less than a year, and Texas businessman Tim Gallagher from 1968 until his death in 2000.

To contact the reporter on this story: Nancy Kercheval in Washington at nkercheval@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: January 20, 2008 13:11 EST