Early on in her career, she performed on the theater circuit, traveling the country and earning acclaim.
By 1925, she had relocated to Los Angeles to perform at the New Cotton Club and at Club Alabam on Central Avenue; she slowly began to get small roles in Hollywood films like The Marriage Clause and The Merry Widow.
[5][6] Eventually she signed a five-year contract with John M. Stahl's Tiffany Pictures, which led to a bigger role in 1927's In Old Kentucky alongside Stepin Fetchit.
[5][7] Carolynne left Hollywood around 1933 after her Tiffany contract was up, taking her show on the road and refocusing her efforts on singing and dancing.
[8][9] She died in 1985 in Los Angeles, and was survived by her husband Manfred Montagu and her daughter, Esther Smith.