Joan Banks (October 30, 1918 – January 18, 1998) was an American film, television, stage, and radio actress (described as "a soapbox queen"), who often appeared in dramas with her husband, Frank Lovejoy.

Early life

Banks attended a school of Russian ballet as a little girl and excelled as a swimmer during high school. Her talent earned her a scholarship to the American Academy of Dramatic Art, and she attended Hunter College.

Career

Radio

Banks first appeared on radio with

Walter O'Keefe Walter O'Keefe (August 18, 1900 – June 26, 1983) was an American songwriter, actor, syndicated columnist, Broadway composer, radio legend, screenwriter, musical arranger and TV host. Biography O'Keefe was born in Hartford, Connecticut. H ...

in 1936, when she was 18. At that same age, she became the first "feminine stooge" for Stoopnagle and Budd on their show. Her other roles on radio programs include:

Film

Banks began her Hollywood career with small roles in such films as '' Cry Danger'' (1951) and ''

Washington Story ''Washington Story'' is a 1952 American drama film directed by Robert Pirosh and starring Van Johnson and Patricia Neal. The screenplay concerns a reporter in search of government corruption who falls for a congressman. Plot On her first trip to ...

'' (1952). She became better known in the 1950s and early 1960s for her many appearances as a supporting actress in films such as '' My Pal Gus''.

Television

On March 25, 1958, Banks co-starred with husband Lovejoy in an episode of his ''Meet McGraw'' program. In 1972, Banks appeared in the

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

movie ''Return to Peyton Place''. She made five appearances on ''

Perry Mason Perry Mason is a fictional character, an American criminal defense lawyer who is the main character in works of detective fiction written by Erle Stanley Gardner. Perry Mason features in 82 novels and 4 short stories, all of which involve a c ...

'', including four roles as the murderer: in 1957, she played Karen Alder in "The Case of the Negligent Nymph"; in 1960, she played Mrs. Joseph Manley in "The Case of the Mythical Monkeys"; in 1961, she played Rhonda Houseman in "The Case of the Left-Handed Liar"; and in 1964, she played Nellie Conway in "The Case of the Woeful Widower". In 1958, she appeared as Clara Hood in the episode, "Fatal Memory," on the TV series "Wanted: Dead or Alive." She also made four appearances on ''

National Velvet ''National Velvet'' is a novel by Enid Bagnold (1889–1981), first published in 1935. It was illustrated by Laurian Jones, Bagnold's daughter, who was born in 1921. Plot summary ''National Velvet'' is the story of a 14-year-old girl named ...

'', two appearances on '' Alfred Hitchcock Presents'', and single appearances on shows such as ''

Ford Theatre ''Ford Theatre'', spelled ''Ford Theater'' for the original radio version and known, in full, as ''The Ford Television Theatre'' for the TV version, is a radio and television anthology series broadcast in the United States in the 1940s and 1950 ...

'', ''

I Love Lucy ''I Love Lucy'' is an American television sitcom that originally aired on CBS from October 15, 1951, to May 6, 1957, with a total of 180 half-hour episodes, spanning six seasons. The show starred Lucille Ball, her husband, Desi Arnaz, along wit ...

'', ''

Private Secretary A private secretary (PS) is a civil servant in a governmental department or ministry, responsible to a secretary of state or minister; or a public servant in a royal household, responsible to a member of the royal family. The role exists in ...

'', ''

Date with the Angels ''Date with the Angels'' is an American sitcom that aired on ABC from May 10, 1957, to January 29, 1958. The series, which stars Betty White and Bill Williams, began as a late season replacement for '' The Ray Anthony Show'' for the same sponso ...

'', '' The Rough Riders'', '' Mr. Adams and Eve'', ''

The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis ''The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis'' (also known as simply ''Dobie Gillis'' or ''Max Shulman's Dobie Gillis'' in later seasons and in syndication) is an American sitcom starring Dwayne Hickman that aired on CBS from September 29, 1959, to June 5 ...

'', '' Bewitched'', and again two appearances on '' Hazel''. On October 2, 1962, Frank Lovejoy died of a heart attack in bed at the couple's New York residence. At the time, Banks and he were appearing together in a New Jersey stage production of

Gore Vidal Eugene Luther Gore Vidal (; born Eugene Louis Vidal, October 3, 1925 – July 31, 2012) was an American writer and public intellectual known for his epigrammatic wit, erudition, and patrician manner. Vidal was bisexual, and in his novels and e ...

's play '' The Best Man'', but they had been off the night he was stricken. Banks' career in radio continued after her work in television subsided, and she appeared in 33 episodes of ''

CBS Radio Mystery Theater ''CBS Radio Mystery Theater'' (a.k.a. ''Radio Mystery Theater'' and ''Mystery Theater'', sometimes abbreviated as ''CBSRMT'') is a radio drama series created by Himan Brown that was broadcast on CBS Radio Network affiliates from 1974 to 1982, a ...

'' from 1974 to 1980.

Personal life

Banks married fellow actor Frank Lovejoy, whom she met when both had roles on the radio soap opera ''This Day Is Ours''. The couple had two children, Judy and Steve.

Filmography

References

External links

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Banks, Joan 1918 births 1998 deaths Actresses from West Virginia American film actresses American radio actresses American television actresses Deaths from lung cancer in California People from Petersburg, West Virginia 20th-century American actresses