Actress. She is best remembered for her portrayal of the loving Grandmother Stark in "Rebel Without a Cause" (1955). Born unto a family of wealth and position, the only child of the prestigious humanitarian and Bay Insurance executive B.F. Brisac, she began her career in the theatre traveling in stock companies around the United States thanks to the accommodations of her maternal aunt, the actress Mary Shaw. She appeared in lead roles in stage productions as "Nathan Hale," "Soldier of Fortune," "Lady Windermere's Fan," "The Banker," "The Strength of The Weak," "By Right of Sword," "Sweet Clover," "Human Hearts," "Kathleen of Erin," "Brewster's Millions," and "Romeo and Juliet." After meeting film producer Carl Laemmle during a dinner party in San Francisco, California, he was so impressed by her charm, intellect, and professionalism, he arranged for her to begin a secondary career in motion pictures beginning with her being under his supervision in "Hawaiian Love" (1913). From there, she would go on to appear in over 100 feature films between 1914 and 1955; often typecast as a wife, mother, grandmother, old maid, secretary, nurse, socialite, best friend, seamstress, retail clerk, landlady, aristocrat, housekeeper, clergywoman, doctor, educator, or matriarch. She appeared in such motion pictures as "Three Godfathers" (1936), "The Adventurous Blonde" (1937), "Young Dr. Kildare" (1938), "Up the River" (1938), "Dark Victory" (1939), "First Love" (1939), "Wings of The Navy" (1939), "Destry Rides Again" (1939), "All This, and Heaven Too" (1940), "Strike Up the Band" (1940), "The Great Life" (1941), "The Little Foxes" (1941), "Lady Gangster" (1942), "The Mummy's Tomb" (1942), "Shadow of a Doubt" (1943), "The Hard Way" (1943), "Moonlight in Vermont" (1943), "Phantom Lady" (1944), "Thrill of a Romance" (1945), "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" (1945), "Hot Cargo" (1946), "Sister Kenny" (1946), "Secret Behind the Door" (1947), "Summer Holiday" (1948), "The Snake Pit" (1948), "Tension" (1949), "Harriet Craig" (1950), "Three Guys Named Mike" (1951), "Woman of The North Country" (1952), "Meet Me at The Fair" (1953), "Executive Suite" (1954), "Ma and Pa Kettle at Home" (1954), and "About Mrs. Leslie" (1954). With the advent of television, she flourished further as a character actress appearing in various guest spots on such syndicated sitcoms as "Chevron Theatre," "Your Favorite Story," "The Lone Wolf," "I Love Lucy," "Crown Theatre with Gloria Swanson," "The Pepsi-Cola Playhouse," "Studio 57," "Racket Squad," and "Mayor of the Town." During her career, she was a member of the Screen Actors Guild, an Honorary Chairwoman of the Theatre Guild, was active within the California State Democratic Committee, was highly involved with Catholic Charities, and she was married to fellow actors Edward Mockbee and John Griffith Wray (both marriages ended in divorce and from her second union she mother actress and screenwriter Ardel Wray). Upon her retirement, she settled in New Mexico and lived comfortably for the remainder of her life thanks to investments she had made in oil, film, and real estate ventures.