Born in Baltimore, MD; educated at Bryn Mawr. Gifted character player of the American stage and screen. She began appearing in amateur productions in Baltimore directly out of college and made her professional debut on Broadway in 1932. Even as a youngster she was assigned character roles, usually playing women older than herself, and before long she became established as one of the most reliable supporting players of the New York stage. She appearied in films off and on starting in 1940, at her best with eccentric characterizations. She was nominated for an Oscar® as best supporting actress for BAREFOOT IN THE PARK (1967). Other notable credits include 3 GODFATHERS (1948, as The Mother), SHE WORE A YELLOW RIBBON (1949), CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN (1950), THE QUIET MAN (1952), THE COURT JESTER (1956), TEENAGE REBEL (1956), TAMMY AND THE BACHELOR (1957), DAISY MILLER (1974) and her last film, DANGEROUS LIAISONS (1988, as Mme. de Rosemonde). She was a frequent guest star on television series and movies-of-the-week; probably her most memorable TV role was Gwendolyn Snoop, one of "The Snoop Sisters" (1973-1974).  Nominated for Supporting Actress 1967: BAREFOOT IN THE PARK 1 nomination