She was active in motion pictures, radio, and television between 1946 and 1961, changing her name from Gene Roberts to Meg Randall in mid-1948.

[9][10] Randall's mother, Winnie McMillin (1899-1952),[6] was born in Tennessee and grew up in an Oklahoma farming community as well.

[1] Randall acquired a talent agent who arranged interviews for her with both Mary Pickford, co-founder of United Artists, and Paramount.

[1] Despite the fact that MGM newcomer, Jacqueline White, was actually selected and had filmed some scenes that summer,[18] Clarence was still not convinced that she was the right choice.

[19] When production resumed in mid-September 1945, Clarence had chosen 28-year-old Jane Wyman, who was on loan from Warner Brothers, to portray a more mature-looking character with co-star Gregory Peck.

[18] Gene remained under contract with MGM for nearly two years and found that there were very few roles for young women her age at that time.

This role placed Gene into the last of Ann Sothern's film series, the final episode entitled Undercover Maisie which was released in May 1947.

[20] Next, she was cast in the low-budget Comet Productions film Stork Bites Man where she co-starred with Jackie Cooper, who had resumed his acting career after returning from the war.

[21] With production completed in early February 1947 and MGM showing no serious interest in her by that spring, Gene asked for and was granted release from her contract.

[17] Surprisingly, just two days later, she was cast as Helen and filming on the set of Criss Cross with Burt Lancaster, Yvonne De Carlo and Dan Duryea.

[23][3] The name Meg McClure was first chosen and announced in a press release along with her new image in a Hollywood fashioned pose set against a giant "X".