In 1940, the career of Barbara started Bel Geddes on Broadway. After the second world war, she began her film career in Hollywood. In the 1960s she retired from the theatre and film life, to take care her husband, who was suffering from cancer. When he died in 1972, she decided to return to the movie business. Her role of "Miss Ellie" in "Dallas" eventually made her world-famous. At the beginning of the seventies, she had to undergo surgery for breast cancer and in 1984, she had a quadruple bypass, so she was replaced by actress Donna Reed on "Dallas". However, she resumed her role again after she had recuperated. After the end of the show, Geddes withdrew completely from the public. She wrote two children's books and designed a series of popular greeting cards. On August 8th, 2005, Barbara Bel Geddes died at the age of 82 years, she had been suffering from lung cancer.