Born to Morris and Bernice (nee Eaton) Lawrence in Carnegie, Oklahoma,[1] she won a Tiny Tot beauty contest when she was three years old.

While finishing her studies at UCLA,[3] she attracted the attention of talent scouts, and Lawrence soon was featured in a number of movies at 20th Century-Fox , including You Were Meant for Me, Give My Regards to Broadway, A Letter to Three Wives, The Street with No Name, and Thieves' Highway.

Upon moving to MGM, Lawrence appeared with Gig Young in the 3D movie Arena (1953) and in Her Twelve Men (with Greer Garson).

She played the role of Gertie Cummings in the film version of Oklahoma!, in which she gets into a knockdown catfight with Gloria Grahame (Ado Annie).

[5] Lawrence died of kidney failure on November 13, 2013, aged 83,[6] in Los Angeles, California, but her death was not published until January 3, 2014.