Was voted pinup girl of the year in a poll held by "Yank" magazine.

Taught John Wayne to Jitterbug for The Fighting Seabees (1944).

In 1929, when she was six, she won a movie-theater door prize--dance lessons. By age eight she was dancing regularly. She was spotted by Xavier Cugat when she was 12 and was singing and dancing with his band in Detroit at age 15.

In Wake of the Red Witch (1948), she portrayed the niece of Gail Russell, although Russell was only a year and a half older than Mara.

Buried in the San Fernando Mission Cemtery in Mission Hills, CA.

Children with Roy Huggins: sons John Huggins, Thomas Huggins, and James Patrick Huggins. Stepmother of Katherine Crawford. Mother-in-law of Penelope Ann Miller. Older sister of actor Luis Delgado.

She also guest-starred in three episodes of the hit Western series her husband Roy Huggins produced and sometimes wrote for, "Cheyenne" starring Clint Walker (1955, 1956, 1958).

She was spotted by a Columbia talent agent at age 18 (1941).