Actress. Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, her father was a theater organist. She studied dancing as a child and began on stage in vaudeville. She also worked in nightclubs. In 1924, she was one of May Dawson's Dancing Girls, a New York cabaret act, where she was "discovered" by producer Earl Lindsay and promptly cast in a minor part at the Strand Theatre on Times Square. She then performed as a dancer and burlesque artist at the Strand Roof nightclub, situated above the theatre. She subsequently starred in many films for Universal Studios, including the original screen version of The Front Page in 1931 and the first sound version of "Frankenstein," also in 1931, with Boris Karloff. Mae played the role of Henry Frankenstein's fiancée, Elizabeth, in Frankenstein, who was abducted by the Monster (Karloff) on her wedding day. "The Public Enemy," released that same year, contains one of cinema's most famous scenes, in which James Cagney pushes a half grapefruit into Mae's face, then goes out to pick up Jean Harlow.

Her career suffered several major setbacks, beginning in 1932, from which it never fully recovered. She had a nervous breakdown in June of that year and another in 1934. This was followed by a serious car accident in March of 1933. When she returned to the screen, it was to be in B-pictures. She had some rewarding parts in some films for Republic, notably "The House of a Thousand Candles" and the Civil War romance "Hearts in Bondage" both in 1936. Despite an image change from frizzy blonde to brunette, she had few opportunities to shine after 1938; she played a heroine of the Republic serial "King of the Rocket Men" in 1949.

By the beginning of the 1950s, she was largely reduced to cameos and walk-ons, at best playing minor parts in westerns. She made several notable appearances on television, such as "The Loretta Young Show." She had been married three times: first to Lew Brice, second to Stephen Bancroft, and finally to Herbert Langdon. All three marriages were childless and ended in divorce. Clarke died of cancer at the age of 81 in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California.