Reportedly she worked a junior journalist on the Seattle Times, the youthful "cub" decided writing would be her career. However, after a taste of acting with a local stock company, her heart was set on theatre. Undecided as to which career to pick, Kaye followed one then the other, and finally, decided to eat her cake and still have it, combined both.

Multitalented she had several jobs (radio writer, director, announcer, monologist, actress) during her career in both Chicago, N.Y. and Hollywood area.

Around 1932-33, aged 19, she got pregnant and married promptly, she and her husband lived in Laurel Canyon, near Hollywood. On June 29. 1933 her daughter Anya Petar Hansen was born.

In 1933 her mother, Millicent Brinker moved from Seattle to Ellensburg to become house mother at the University. This allowed Kaye to participate in some student performances on campus.

In Chicago, a new adventure serial, Drums made it's debut on January 14. 1936. Written by Vera Oldham of Chandu, The Magician fame, the production was described as rapid-moving drama with a mixture of mystery, human interest and exotic atmosphere. In addition to William Farnum, veteran star of the stage and screen, the cast included Kaye Brinker, Myra Marsh, Bill Royal, Cy Kendall, Carlton Kadell, Louise Larabe,... . J. Donald Wilson was the narrator. Felix Mills provided incidental music. Kaye Brinker, who was claimed as an interesting and promising discovery of William Farnum's certainly was gifted with a charming voice, which added considerable romantic interest to this mystery drama which could be heard four nights a week. According to the papers her performances in the first series of Drums were so successful that she was immediately whisked off  to New York and a big Broadway contract on its completion and so by September 1937 her place on Drums was filled by Sally Creighton. In reality Kaye was working on Broadway since 1936.

Directed by John Hayden and produced by A. H. Woods, the original Broadway production of the Ayn Rand play Night of January 16 opened September 16. 1935 and ran for 283 performances until April 4. 1936 at the Ambassador Theatre in New York City. After which it took to the road (Selwyn Theatre, ...). By September 1936 it had Kaye Brinker playing "Karen Andre," "the penthouse siren with an emancipated soul". Miss Brinker holds the distinction, unique for a leading woman in a dramatic production of not knowing the ending of her role when she goes on the stage for each performance. Her fate is decided each night by a jury chose from the audience. About half the time she is "guilty" and the other half "not guilty."

On November 19. 1936 a broadcast named Sears - Then and Now (WJSV) featured Guy Kibbee, Kaye Brinker and Hoagy Carmichael, composer of popular songs.

Starting in June 1936 Modern Cinderella aka Broadway Cinderella aired five weekdays on WGN Chicago (later CBS), in February of 1937 Kaye joined the cast.

Teamed with Milton Charles, veteran theater organist, Kaye Brinker, stage actress and monologist, makes her radio debut as star of her own program, A Lady Lives, over WBBM. They were heard Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. (Radio Daily, Wednesday March 24. 1937).

As early as April 1937 Kaye was heard on Manhattan Mother (Sustained WBBM Chicago, April 1937; CBS, Mar 27. 1938 - Dec 1939). It was the story of Patricia Locke (née Dwyer), who gave up a career to raise her daughter, Dale, in New York. Kaye (and Margaret Hillas) played Pat. Dan Sutter and Louise Fitch (Dale) were the other main protagonists. One Variety critic wrote: "Kaye Brinker as the mother is competent with a slowness of delivery but with a much too level tonal quality. Listener waits for, but never gets a fluctuation of pace, a change of emotional tone in the voice. Miss Brinker needs some hills and valleys in her performance." 

On May 15. 1937 Kaye Brinker was referee in a Northwestern and De Paul debate: "Should Woman Have a Career?" (WBBM)

From May to September 1937 Kaye Brinker's did a program on WBBM for Commonwealth Edison which was called Every Woman. Kaye was a monologist, who wrote her own humorous sketches. Reportedly three year old Anya's bright sayings and antics furnish inspiration for many an idea on Kaye's Every Woman.

Around November 1937 Kaye was chairman of the audition committee (and in charge of experimental program production research). In order to judge the artist without being swayed by their personal appearance, the audition committee often sat in a special lounge, remote from the studio, and the voices are piped over. While the judges relax upon comfortable chairs and couches they make notations on the talent. In order to avoid the criticism that sex appeal is often the deciding factor in audition, WBBM assigns women staff members to talent of the same sex. "It's pathetic," Kaye Brinker commented on the vocalists, "but either they have beautiful voices and they can't express their souls or they know how to put their feelings across perfectly and they haven't the instrument with which to sing. And on the rare occasions when they have both, they're utterly lacking in that certain something that makes for box office appeal."

Kaye Brinker, Clyde Lucas, the bandsman and Franklyn McCormack of Poetic Melodies, guested on Eddie Thompson's Behind the Mike (Dec 1937). Kaye was also reading the commercials on Wrigley's Poetic Melodies.

On April 19. 1938 Variety reported that Kaye Brinker dropped out as directress of production research for Columbia-WBBM, a post she has held for several months. She remained performing in the Manhattan Mother show, which at that time went full network (CBS, Mar 27. 1938 - April 5. 1940).

"Make Believe," a drama of the first lady of the theater, written for radio by Mildred Hark and Noel McQueen, was presented on W-G-N's dramatic show Curtain Time before 600 guests in the audience studio on May 20. 1938. Blair Walliser produced the show and Kaye Brinker, Willard Waterman, Susan Armstrong, Bob Middleton, and Cecil Roy were featured.

Kaye Brinker and Alvan Sommerfield, promotion manager for a national magazine (Collier) were married by Judge Edward B. Casey of the Municipal court Chicago in the Sherman hotel on June 16. 1938.

In fact Kaye made her last Chicago appearance over at WGN/Mutual Broadcasting System with Reese Taylor and Audrey McGrathy in drama of theater series Curtain Time, (The Herald Statesman, Yonkers, N.Y. Friday, September 2, 1938) The episode called "Retake," was a comedy based on theatrical activities in Manhattan, by Russell Huckins.

When the originating point of the series Manhattan Mother shifted from Chicago to New York Kaye resumed her part there (CBS/WABC, Jan 1. 1940 - April 5. 1940).

Kaye was hostess in a show called True to Life which ran from 1939 to 1940. Creator of clever monologues which are "True to Life," the young monologist Kaye Brinker wrote and acted her own programs for a large group of enthusiastic listeners.

Kaye is still best known for her "Virginia Dare Wine/Tobacco" radio commercials in the 1940s.  At that time she got hundreds of fan letters from servicemen all over the world.  The 1940 add below for Russeks Persian Lamb Fur Coats shows Kaye "fighting" the traditional female role pattern. We learn that she not only writes her own script but also directs them and even acts in them... which leaves her "very little time for shopping". An other article which also praises her many activities assured it's readers "She can, however, cook.  'Manfred loved good food,' she related."

In March 1940 she had to undergo surgery due to appendicitis. During her hospitalization she was replaced in Manhattan Mother by Marge Anderson.

In 1940-41 there was a series called We The Abbotts, about an average American family living in Middledale and struggling to remain financially solvent, in which Kaye  appeared as Isabel Kenyon next to John McIntire, Betty Garde,...

In the 1940 census she's reported to be living in Darien Town, Connecticut with her husband Alvan Summerfield, whom she married two years earlier,  daughter Anya Hansen and her mother Millicent. Again this 2nd marriage didn't last long...

Kaye had a regular role as Barbara Hamilton in Our Gal Sunday (CBS, Aug - Oct 1940 -). "Can this girl from a little mining town find happiness as the wife of a wealthy and titled Englishman?".

By then she was known for her work in Amanda of Honeymoon Hill and in the Johnny Presents series and she took up a role in the popular Mr. District Attorney (NBC, Aug 5. 1941- Dec 1946), ... .

As she started rehearsals on August 30. 1941 Kaye was intended to make her Broadway debut with Gladys George in Distant City. The play was meant to be one of the highlights of the legitimate season. Although everybody seemed to think that young Kaye Brinker was one of the discoveries on September 3. 1941 she was replaced by Gertrude Flynn. No reasons issued... The play ran for only two performances (Longacre Theatre, Sep 22. - 23. 1941).

Kaye played a writer on Joyce-Jordan - Girl Interne at CBS (Oct 1941).

Manny Lee, author of Ellery Queen, happened to visit the NBC studio during a rehearsal on April 1. 1942 and met Kaye Brinker, who was featured in the week's story.
The setting was a hotel and Manny walked into the lobby and there was a 'chaise' laid out in the lobby and she was lying on the "chaise". Dressed to the nines she had her midriff bared. Manny salivated instantly and he was besotted from that moment. She didn't know at the time that Manny and his cousin wrote the Ellery Queen books. Manny didn't want to tell her because he didn't want her to marry him "for his money". They began dating at once and after only three months of courtship, Kaye Brinker married Manny Lee, on July 4. 1942.

During 1943 Manny and Kaye moved to a charming old rented house at 5 Canon St.,Norwalk (Conn.) where they lived with his two daughters by his first wife, Kaye's daughter (Anya) by her first husband and their own newborn daughter Christopher Rebecca.