Cara Williams, '50s actress known for 'The Defiant Ones,' dead at 96

Cara Williams wed actor John Drew Barrymore, son of John Barrymore, and the two produced actor John Blythe Barrymore before divorcing in 1959.

"Not only was she a sparkling actress with impeccable comedic timing, she was also funny, over-the-top, warm-hearted and loving," Jagoda told Variety in a statement. "She could make anyone laugh and smile if they had a bad day. She was everything that you could wish for in a mother and more. It’s a sad loss to lose a woman from this incredible era."

Born as Bernice Kamiat in Brooklyn, N.Y. on June 29, 1925, Williams began working as an actress when she was a child. After her parents divorced, she relocated to Hollywood with her mother and began to attend the Hollywood Professional School, giving voice performances in cartoon shorts. At age 16, Williams was signed by 20th Century-Fox and began appearing in small, often unbilled parts in films such as "Wide Open Town," "Happy Land" and "In the Meantime, Darling."