On the musical stage from age 16, and a Broadway chorine at 18, she entered films in 1927 and became very popular with the advent of talkies, when her singing and dancing ability as well as her acting could be shown to advantage. A vivacious star with flaming red hair and a cupid-bow mouth, she enjoyed a great following through the mid-30s and was reported to have received more fan mail than any other Hollywood star of the period. She was equally proficient as a bubbly comedienne and a sensitive dramatic actress, but by the end of the decade her popularity had waned and she retired from the screen. Her first of three husbands was playwright Jack Kirkland.    Nominated for Actress 1929-30: THE DEVIL'S HOLIDAY 1 nomination