Actress, Comedian, Singer. Considered a great character actress, she was known for her brash characters, who made her mark not only in musical comedies but also in straight plays and fluffy comedies. She will be best remembered for her roles as 'Mother Goose' in the classic Walt Disney musical film, "Babes In Toyland" (1961), which also starred Ray Bolger, Ed Wynn, Tommy Sands, and Tommy Kirk, among others, and to television audiences for her role as 'Nurse Clara 'Starch' Willoughby' in twenty-two episodes of the medical drama "Trapper John, M.D." from 1979 to 1980, which also starred Pernell Roberts and Gregory Harrison. She was born Mary Teresa McCarty in Winfield, Kansas, but later moved to Los Angeles, California, following her parent's divorce. Upon her arrival, she and her mother lived in the home of her great-grandmother for a time. When she was older her mother aimed for her (not pushed her according to her years later) to pursue a career in acting. She began appearing in musical revues in the Los Angeles area at the age of five and went onto making her official film debut as a child performer in the short film, "Bubbles." She was six years old at the time, but she was uncredited in the cast. Her actual credited role came as 'Florabelle' in director Allan Dwan's "Rebecca Of Sunnybrook Farm" (1938). As a child actress during the 1930s and 1940s, she appeared in films with the likes of Judy Garland, Shirley Temple, Jane Withers, Virginia Weidler, and others. By the time she was ten years old, she could sing in six languages and was quite the accomplished dancer. She performed as a torch singer at the famous Hollywood Tropics nightclub when she was just fourteen years old. She also appeared in many Broadway stage revues during the 1940s, most notably as Eddie Alberts' girlfriend in Irving Berlin's musical "Miss Liberty" (1949), and many television musical variety programs during the 1950s. She was a regular performer on "This Is Broadway" in 1949, and on the radio program, "The Redhead" in 1952. Besides, "Bubbles" (1930), "Rebecca Of Sunnybrook Farm" (1938), and "Babes In Toyland" (1961), her other film appearances include, "Dames" (1934), "Woman-Wise" (1937), "That I May Live" (1937), "Keep Smiling" (1938), "High School" (1940), "The Traitor Within" (1940), "Ice Capades Revue" (1942), "The Youngest Profession" (1943), "The Fighting Sullivans" (1944), "In The Meantime, Darling" (1944), "Bells Of Rosarita" (1945), "Tell It To A Star" (1945), "Girls Of The Big House" (1945), "Gay Blades" (1946), "Hit Parade Of 1947" (1947), "The French Line" (1953), "The Big Fisherman" (1959), "Pillow Talk" (1959), "My Six Loves" (1963), "Somebody Killed Her Husband" (1978), and "All That Jazz" (1979). Besides, "Trapper John, M.D.," her other television appearances include, "Actor's Studio," "The Admiral Revue Time," "The Robert Q. Lewis Show," "The Milton Berle Show," "The Ed Sullivan Show," "The Frank Sinatra Show," "The Arthur Murray Party," "Mister Peepers," "The George Gobel Show," "The Merv Griffin Show," "The Red Skelton Hour" (as 'Molly McGurk' of a Vaudeville Team)," "Celebrity Time" (as a panelist from 1951 to 1952), "Our Man Higgins," "All My Children," and "Medical Center." During the 1970s, she made a comeback to the New York Broadway stage when she appeared in Stephen Sondheim's "Follies," as 'Stella' who sang and led the company in the dance to "Who's That Woman?" She is also credited with creating the original role of jail matron 'Mama Morton' in the Broadway version of "Chicago" (1975), and she was awarded a Tony Award nomination for her performance in "Anna Christie" in 1977. She performed regularly as an adult at nightclubs including the Mocambo in West Hollywood, California, the Flamingo in Las Vegas, Nevada, and the Chase Club in St. Louis. She was a choreographer for the production of "Man Of La Mancha" in Israel, and was a teacher at the Herbert Berghof Studio in Greenwich Village in New York City. She passed away suddenly at her home in Los Angeles, California, after developing heart disease at the age of 56. She was buried in Calvary Cemetery in Los Angeles, California, and was survived by her longtime companion, the actress Margaret Lindsay.