Actress. She is best remembered for her portrayal of the haughty, and ill-fated, soprano Biancarolli in "The Phantom of the Opera" (1943). Born into a family of wealth and position, the oldest of four children born unto a lawyer and a socialite, following her formal education at the prestigious Westlake School for Girls, she began her career as a leading lady in stock companies. While attending a War Bond Rally at the Hollywood Bowl, she was discovered by director Clarence Brown. Impressed by her reddish good looks, hourglass figure, and distinctive voice, he took notice of her potential and arranged for her to begin a career in the film industry beginning with her appearing under his supervision per a supporting role in "The Human Comedy" (1943). From there, she would go on to flourish as a notable character actress appearing in over five films; often typecast as singers, faithful friends, snobs, aristocrats, white-collared workers, nurses, and educators. She appeared in such feature films as "Tender Comrade" (1945), "The Climax" (1944), "Double Exposure" (1944), and "A Song for Miss Julie" (1945). In addition, she appeared in numerous guest spots on such syndicated sitcoms as "Suspense," "Lux Video Theatre," "Inner Sanctum Mysteries," "Fibber McGee and Molly," "Blondie," "A Date with Judy," "A Day in the Life of Dennis Day," "Dr. Kildare," "Dick Tracy," "Escape," "Duffy's Tavern," "Four Star Playhouse," "I Love a Mystery," "Gunsmoke," "The Life of Riley," "Meet Corliss Archer," and "The Screen Guild Theatre". She also appeared in such stage productions as "Dinner at Eight," "The Children's Hour," "Blithe Spirit," "The Philadelphia Story," "Present Laughter," "Say It with Music," "Private Lives," "The Time of Your Life," "Margin for Error," "Key Largo," "The American Way," "My Heart's in the Highlands," "The Women," and "The Man Who Came to Dinner". During her career, she was a member of the Screen Actors Guild, presided on her local charters of the American Red Cross and the Girl Scouts, had been accoladed as a 1944 Deb Star, was the celebrity spokeswoman for Coca Cola and Revlon Makeup, had been cited per gossip columnist Louella Parsons as "Hollywood's Most Ravishing Redhead", was an active member of the Hollywood Democratic Committee, was a regular parishioner of the Methodist church, toured the nation in her own one woman show, was a popular pin-up girl during World War II, had been a glamour model for photographer Paul Hesse, and she was a notable ghost singer for such actresses as Ava Gardner and Gene Tierney. Upon her withdrawal from acting in the late 1940s, she spent the remainder of her life living quietly in the suburbs where she would go on to enjoy success in her secondary career as a music instructor, as well as being involved in charitable and religious causes until her death.