Actress. She is best remembered for her portrayal of the headstrong Meg Mallory in "The Pursuit of Happiness" (1934). Born into a family of wealth and position, the only daughter of a prominent jeweler and a socialite, she was raised primarily in Russia until the outbreak of World War I. Upon returning to the United States in 1917, she attained her formal education at the Professional Children's School, and following her graduation, she gained notability following her success in winning the Miss New York contest. While attending a social function at the Musuem of Modern Art, she was introduced to director Allan Dwan. Impressed by her blonde 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 "A Kiss for Cinderella" (1925). From there, she would go on to flourish as a notable character actress appearing in over 30 features; often typecast as wives, mothers, relatives, debutantes, chorines, gold diggers, femme fatales, white-collared workers, secretaries, beauticians, manicurists, telephone operators, busybodies, snobs, aristocrats, nurses, housekeepers, playgirls, reporters, eccentrics, girlfriends, gangster molls, and aristocrats. She appeared in such feature films as "The Reckless Lady" (1926), "All Aboard" (1927), "Rasputin and the Empress" (1932), "When Strangers Marry" (1933), "Hold Your Man" (1933), "Queen Christina" (1933), "Change of Heart" (1934), "8 Girls in a Boat" (1934), "The Fountain" (1934), "Life Begins at 40" (1935), "Diamond Jim" (1935), "A Tale of Two Cities" (1935), "Lady Be Careful" (1936), "Easy Money" (1936), "The Plot Thickens" (1936), "Fit for a King" (1937), "Make a Wish" (1937), and "Emergency Squad" (1940). During her career, she was a member of the Screen Actors Guild, had been a member of the Hollywood Democratic Committee, was a regular parishioner of the Temple Israel of Hollywood, was the personal stylist for actress Greta Garbo, had been a notable interior designer, presided on her local charters of the American Red Cross and the Boys & Girls Clubs, was a theatrical instructor for the Pasadena Playhouse, sat on the board of directors for the women's fashion division of Macy's Department Store, had been the founder of the Barbara Barondess Theatre Lab, was the celebrity spokeswoman for Dove Soap, had been accoladed as a 1937 Max Factor Star, and she was married to actor Douglas MacLean from 1938 to 1948 and stockbroker Nathaniel Ruvell (her marriage to MacLean ended in divorce and her union with Ruvell began and ended per an annulment in March 1952; both relationships produced no children). Upon her withdrawal from acting in 1940, she spent the remainder of her life dividing time between her homes in Brentwood, California, and New York City, New York, had been a key figure in the discovery of actress Marilyn Monroe, and went on to enjoy immense success by starting, and overseeing, her own clothing and cosmetic business, until her death from the complications of advanced age.