Reputedly a descendant of Irish kings, she was multi-lingual and widely traveled. A graduate from Sarah Lawrence college, she made her Broadway debut in 1933 in 'Carrie Nation'. Three years later, Barbara appeared in 'Ten Million Ghosts' with
Orson Welles, prompting interest from Hollywood, where she made a career out of playing a succession of neurotic or sweetly dependable wives. Her best roles were in
Stella Dallas (1937) and
All This, and Heaven Too (1940).