An American actress and singer, born on August 27, 1916, in Butte, Montana, USA. She was of Irish descent. She won the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award at the 1969 Academy Awards for her volunteer efforts and services to the troops. Martha was a Republican. She is best known for The Concorde... Airport '79 (1979), Billy Rose's Jumbo (1962), and McMillan & Wife (1976-1977). She died on October 19, 1994, in Los Angeles, California, USA, at the age of 78.