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American dancer, actress, and comedian who became famous for her role as Silvie ("The Girl Who Falls Down") in the original 1943 production of Oklahoma!. By age 11, she was studying dance with Catherine Littlefield. She dropped out of high school to join Littlefield`s ballet company. She was a student of George Balanchine in the first year of the School of American Ballet (SAB).

McCracken toured Europe and danced at Radio City Music Hall before creating the role of Sylvie. She was married to Jack Dunphy and then to dancer and choreographer Bob Fosse from 1951 to 1959.

She made a strong impression on the 1947 version of the movie Good News in the role of vivacious Babe Doolittle. Her number “Pass The Peace Pipe” was a standout. Unfortunately, her movie career never took off.

She died from complications of diabetes in 1961 on Fire Island, New York, aged 43. She is said, by her biographer, to have been the inspiration for the protagonist Holly Golightly in Truman Capote`s novel, Breakfast at Tiffany`s, although this can be disputed