Born in Los Angeles, Gloria worked in show business as a child. Small roles in movies led Gloria to be cast as William Bendix's daughter "Babs" on the television series "The Life of Riley" (1949). This show ran during the 1949-50 season. Her next television series was "Sky King" (1951), wherein she was cast as the niece, "Penny". This show ran ...
[about working on Sky King (1951)] The relationship [with series star Kirby Grant] lasted all our lives. Kirby was the ultimate. He was serious about seeing things done right, but he also had a sense of humor. We did personal appearances together. Kirby sang . . . and I was a singer, so we did a solo and a number together and traveled all around, even after the series ended. Ewing Mitchell, who played the sheriff, had a ranch near our home in Rancho Santa Fe, CA. He'd ride in the parades every New Year's Day. Everybody was a huge tease. They'd pull all kinds of tricks. I was the victim and I loved it.