and Williams on set of
Pete and Gladys (1960) Williams's first credited role was in the Western
Wide Open Town, released in 1941. She followed this with the dramas
Girls Town (1942) and
Happy Land (1943) with
Don Ameche. She appeared uncredited in the Oscar-nominated musical film
Sweet and Low-Down and as a secretary in the Oscar-winning film
Laura (both 1944) directed by
Otto Preminger. She also had a supporting role in the drama
In the Meantime, Darling, which stars
Jeanne Crain. Around this time, she took some time off, marrying her first husband, Alan Gray, in 1945, and having her daughter Cathy. She had supporting roles in the Oscar-nominated films
Boomerang (1947) directed by
Elia Kazan, and (uncredited) in
Sitting Pretty (1948). She next had supporting roles in
The Saxon Charm (1948), which stars
Susan Hayward, and
Knock on Any Door (1949), which stars
Humphrey Bogart. Williams started the early 1950s by appearing often on television. She played supporting roles in the musicals
The Girl Next Door (1953) and
The Great Diamond Robbery (1954). She also appeared in
Monte Carlo Baby (1951), a comedy with
Audrey Hepburn. Williams took time off during this period in which she was married to John Drew Barrymore and gave birth to their son, John Blyth Barrymore, in 1954. Williams performed in the film
Meet Me in Las Vegas (1956), in which she performed the song "I Refuse to Rock n Roll" and a supporting role in
The Helen Morgan Story (1957), which stars
Ann Blyth and
Paul Newman. She was cast as Billy's mother in
The Defiant Ones (1958), which was nominated for the
Academy Award for Best Picture and for which she was nominated for the
Golden Globe and
Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress. In
Never Steal Anything Small (1959), a musical comedy, she appeared with
James Cagney. Williams also co-starred with
Danny Kaye in the comedy film ''
The Man from the Diner's Club'' (1963). Williams appeared in four episodes of
Alfred Hitchcock Presents: "Decoy" (1956), "De Mortuis" (1956), "Last Request" (1957), and "The Cure" (1960). From 1960 to 1962, she starred in the CBS television comedy series
Pete and Gladys, with
Harry Morgan as Pete. The series was a spin-off of the CBS comedy
December Bride, in which Morgan appeared from 1954 to 1959 as Pete Porter. Gladys, his wife, was referred to throughout the entire run of that series, but never shown. Williams brought the character to life, with Morgan retaining his role as her husband. Williams was nominated for the
Emmy Award for Best Lead Actress in a Comedy. For the next two years, while still under contract to the network, CBS kept her in the public eye by repeating
Pete and Gladys episodes as part of its morning line-up, an unusual move for a short-run series. CBS returned Williams to prime time in 1964 in her own series,
The Cara Williams Show, in which
Frank Aletter and she portrayed a married couple who had to keep their marriage secret from their employer. It lasted only one season. During the 1970s, Williams's acting appearances became less frequent. In 1971, she had a supporting role in the film ''
Doctors' Wives. She guest-starred in three episodes of Rhoda in 1975, in the role of Mae. Her last television performance was in a 1977 episode of Visions. Her last film role came in 1978 with The One Man Jury''. ==Retirement and death==