By the time we hit fifty, we have learned our hardest lessons. We have found out that only a few things are really important. We have learned to take life seriously, but never ourselves.

She appeared in an early color film The Joy Girl. Dressler's sister Bonita five years older left home at about the same time. Garbo and the critics were impressed by Dressler's acting ability and so was MGM which quickly signed Dressler to a $500-per-week contract.

She won the Academy Award for Best Actress in 1930-31 for Min and Bill.