Actress. Born in South Paris, Maine, the daughter of a New England orchestra leader. Educated in the arts, Shaw debuted in the play, ‘It Takes Two’, a 1946 dud. She went on to character roles in such Broadway musicals as ‘Annie Get Your Gun’ and ‘Gentlemen Prefer Blondes’. She created the part of ‘Mabel’ when the musical ‘The Pajama Game’ opened on Broadway in 1954, a role she reprised in the film version. Shaw was one of the few members of the original Broadway cast of ‘Picnic’ to be invited to appear in the 1956 film version. She appeared in numerous supporting film roles throughout her career including perhaps most noticeably in ‘Mary Poppins’, ‘Pollyanna’, ‘Meet Me in St. Louis’, and ‘The Ghost and Mr Chicken’. She also appeared in scores of televisions series including as Martha the housekeeper in the 1968-1970 series ‘The Ghost & Mrs. Muir’. Her last film was ‘Escape to Witch Mountain’ in 1975. She died in Encino, California at the age of 69. (bio by: Iola)  Family links:  Parents:  Howard W. Shaw (1883 – 1945)  Edna M Easson Shaw (1887 – 1977)