Actress. She was best known for playing the character roles of married women, secretaries, single women, nurses, sales clerks, neighbors, captains, townwomen, widows, and historical figures usually in western films and western television series. She will be best remembered for playing the role of outlaw Jesse James and Frank James' mother 'Mrs. Zee James' in the classic Western films, "I Shot Jesse James" (1949), and playing the role of 'Mrs. Zee James' again in, "The Great Jesse James Raid" (1953). She is also best remembered for playing the role of 'Carrie Foster' in the episode entitled, "The Suspected," of the classic television series, "Mr. & Mrs. North," which originally aired on May 11, 1954, and which also starred Richard Denning, Barbara Britton, and Francis De Sales. She was born one of seven children as Barbara Mae Smith to Alvin James Smith (1872-1951), and his wife Virginia Alice Jones Smith (1881-1950), in Lewistown, Illinois, on May 25, 1910. Her siblings included Esther E. Smith Woods (1903-1994), Ruth Marie Smith (1905-1973, last name later Pease), Alma Virginia Smith (1908-1980, last name later Jones), Howard Alvin Smith (1912-2002), Maralee Smith (1914-2010, last name later Whittier), and Earl Dwayne Smith (1918-1973). She made her actual film debut playing the role of 'Sunny-David's Secretary' in the comedy romance film, "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" (1941). The film which was directed by Alfred Hitchcock, which was written for the screen by Norman Krasna, and which also starred Carole Lombard, Robert Montgomery, Gene Raymond, Philip Merivale, Jack Carson, Charles Halton, and Lucile Watson, tells the story of a couple who have been married for three years and are shocked to learn that their marriage is not legally valid. She also appeared on Broadway playing the role of 'Claire Brent' in the stage production of "Mr. & Mrs. Smith (January 12, 1941, to May 31, 1941). Her other stage productions on Broadway in New York City, New York, include, as 'Julia, Age 21' in "The American Way" (January 21, 1939, to June 1939, and July 17, 1939, to September 23, 1939), and as 'June Stanley' in "The Man Who Came To Dinner" (October 16, 1939, to July 12, 1941). During her time, on the Broadway stage in New York City, New York, she worked with the likes of Fredric March, Florence Eldridge, Edith Atwater, Monty Woolley, Mary Wickes, Peggy Conklin, Don Haggerty, and Millard Mitchell, among many others. Besides, playing the role of 'Sunny-David's Secretary' in the comedy romance film, "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" (1941), playing the role of outlaw Jesse James and Frank James' mother 'Mrs. Zee James' in the classic Western film, "I Shot Jesse James" (1949), and playing the role of 'Mrs. Zee James' again in, "The Great Jesse James Raid" (1953), her many other film credits include, "Lady, Let's Dance" (1944), "Leave It To The Irish" (1944), "The Picture Of Dorian Gray" (1945), "Samurai" (1945), "The Return Of Rusty" (1946), "Little Miss Big" (1946), "The Mysterious Mr. Valentine" (1946), "Wife Wanted" (1946), "The Secret Of The Whistler" (1946), "Carnegie Hall" (1946), "Smash-Up: The Story Of A Woman" (1947), "Framed" (1947), "The Millerson Case" (1947), "Curley" (1947), "The Unsuspected" (1947), "Gentleman's Agreement" (1947), "Doctor Jim" (1947), "Arch Of Triumph" (1948), "Joan Of Arc" (1948), "Force Of Evil" (1948), "State Department: File 649" (1949), "Bad Boy" (1949), "The Stratton Story" (1949), "And Baby Makes Three" (1949), "My Foolish Heart" (1949), "The Baron Of Arizona" (1950), "Everybody's Dancin'" (1950), "Gunfire" (1950), "Walk Softly, Stranger" (1950), "Highway 301" (1950), "Canyon Raiders" (1951), "Little Big Horn" (1951), "Stagecoach Driver" (1951), "Oklahoma Justice" (1951), "Two Dollar Bettor" (1951), "Reunion In Reno" (1951), "Red Skies Of Montana" (1952), "Fort Osage" (1952), "Loan Shark" (1952), "Wild Stallion" (1952), "Paula" (1952), "And Now Tomorrow" (1952), "Confidence Girl" (1952), "Dead Man's Tail" (1952), "Dreamboat" (1952), "Montana Incident" (1952), "The Rose Bowl Story" (1952), "The Ring" (1952), "The Star" (1952), "Never Wave At A WAC" (1953), "The Homesteaders" (1953), "The Flaming Urge" (1953), "Silver Lode" (1954), "Seven Angry Men" (1955), "The Night Holds Terror" (1955), "Sudden Danger" (1955), "At Gunpoint" (1955), "Westward Ho, The Wagons!" (1956), "Engagement Party" (1956), "Showdown At Boot Hill" (1958), "Bullwhip" (1958), "Go, Johnny, Go!" (1959), and "The Great Impostor" (1960). Besides, playing the role of 'Carrie Foster' the episode entitled, "The Suspected," of the classic television series, "Mr. & Mrs. North," which originally aired on May 11, 1954, her many other television credits include, "Stars Over Hollywood," "Fireside Theatre," "Racket Squad," "Schlitz Playhouse," "Four Star Playhouse," "My Hero," "The Lone Ranger," "Your Jeweler's Showcase," "Waterfront," "Dragnet," "Public Defender," "Mystery Is My Business," "Your Favorite Story," "Crown Theatre With Gloria Swanson," "The Man Behind The Badge," ""Medic," "The Whistler," "Tales Of The Texas Rangers," "The Magical World Of Disney," "The Star And The Story," "The Ford Television Theatre," "Annie Oakley," "TV Reader's Digest," "Adventures Of Wild Bill Hickok," "Ethel Barrymore Theater," "Circus Boy," "The 20th Centaury-Fox Hour," "Cavalcade Of America," "Telephone Time," "Crossroads," "The Sheriff Of Cochise," "Sergeant Preston Of The Yukon," "Code 3," "Death Valley Days," "The Rough Riders," "Father Knows Best," "Overland Trail," "The Millionaire," "Surfside 6," "King Of Diamonds," "The Dakotas," "The Jack Benny Program," and "Wagon Train." Her last television appearance was as herself in the episode entitled, "Man Adrift," of the family television series drama, "This Is The Life," which originally aired on January 17, 1966, and also starred George D. Wallace and Kathy Garver. She retired from acting shortly thereafter. During her acting career, she also used the name Barbara Wooddell. She passed away from arteriosclerosis in Ojai, California, on January 16, 1997, at the age of 86. Following her death, she was cremated and her ashes were given to her surviving family members. She was married four times, first to the concert pianist, composer, conductor, author, radio game show panelist, television talk show host, comedian, and actor Oscar Levant (1906-1972), in Manhattan, New York, on January 5, 1932, until they divorced on September 6, 1933, second to the head of the international division of Loew's Inc., a film production company, for more than 30 years, Arthur Marcus Loew Sr. (1897-1977), in Glen Cove, New York, on September 29, 1933, until they divorced on April 13, 1936, third to Dr. Eric Valdemar Drimmer from October 15, 1943, until his death in a bomb raid in London, England, in 1944, and last to entrepreneur and World War II veteran Foster W. Cornett (1916-1968), in Carson City, Nevada, on August 3, 1955, until his death from a sudden heart attack near Bozeman, Montana, on August 3, 1968, at the age of 51.