Gilmore began her stage career in San Francisco at the age of 15, but moved to Los Angeles in 1939 to pursue work in films.

When her movie career was not progressing, Gilmore mustered the nerve to approach Samuel Goldwyn at his home.

When her movie role options began to dwindle, Gilmore left Los Angeles for New York City and started working on Broadway, where she had appeared in A Successful Calamity in 1934.

Her other Broadway credits include Truckline Cafe (1946), The Grey-eyed People (1952), and Critics Choice (1960).

[5] On March 28, 1986, Gilmore died from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) at her home in Santa Barbara, California, aged 66.