[5] Her first film role was a small part in Time Out of Mind in 1947,[3] which starred Ella Raines and Phyllis Calvert.

[5] According to Filmink "Carter has poise and beauty, but her inexperience is most evident in her speaking voice – she enunciates like someone who has been to finishing school.

However, she already demonstrates what would be more notable attributes – her beauty, spark and intelligence, and her ability to focus her eyes on the person she was performing a scene with.

In April 1947 she was loaned out for Intrigue (1948), her biggest part yet, billed third after George Raft and June Havoc.

[7] According to Filmink her performance in the latter "helped establish what would be her stock in trade character – a good girl sexually attracted to the bad boy hero; moral, but not a stick in the mud; intelligent and spirited.

'"[5] Carter turned down the part of Richard Long's wife in Ma and Pa Kettle in October 1948; Meg Randall played the role.

[12] In November Hedda Hopper reported that Carter wanted out of her Universal contract six months ago, and would get it if she paid back all the salary she had received since September.

Carter's final film role was in 1953 when she starred in William Cameron Menzies' sci-fi thriller Invaders from Mars.

As pointed out by Filmink "For the first time in her entire career, Carter played something other than a love interest for the male lead.