When her Hollywood career began in 1934, Mary Nash was already a veteran performer, having appeared in vaudeville and on Broadway. Following a brief appearance as a dancer in 1904, she joined Ethel Barrymore in a 1905 off- Broadway production, 'Alice-Sit-by-the-Fire'. This was followed by 'Captain Jinks' and 'The Silver Box' with the same company, and in 1915 she acted in George Bernard Shaw's play 'Major Barbara' at the Playhouse Theatre. The versatile actress was as adept at comedy ('Captain Applejack',1921-22) as she was in drama (Cassie in 'Uncle Tom's Cabin,1933).
She is best remembered on screen for being nasty to Shirley Temple in Heidi la sauvageonne (1937) and Petite princesse (1939), and for playing Katharine Hepburn's elegant and proper society mother in Indiscrétions (1940). In addition, she gave excellent value-for-money in the role of Emma Louise in Le vandale (1936) and as the ill-fated queen in the technicolor adventure Le signe du cobra (1944). Mary Nash was briefly married to the actor José Ruben ((1888-1969).
