Introduction
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
Born in New York City, New York to Nelson E. Banks and Edith C. Cahill, Banks attended a school of Russian ballet as a little girl and excelled in swimming as a high-school student. Her acting 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 in 1936, when she was 18. Her roles on radio programs include:
| Program | Role |
|---|---|
| Bringing Up Father | Nora |
| Buck Private and His Girl | "snooty" deb |
| Gangbusters | various |
| Her Honor, Nancy James | secretary |
| John's Other Wife | Roberta Lansing |
| My Friend Irma | Jane Stacy |
| The Home of the Brave | N/A |
| The O'Neills | Peggy O'Neill Kayden |
| This Day Is Ours | Eleanor MacDonald |
| Valiant Lady | Joan Hargrave-Scott |
| Young Widder Brown | Camilla |
Film
Banks began her Hollywood career with small roles in such films as Cry Danger (1951) and Washington Story (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 movie Return to Peyton Place.
She made five appearances on Perry Mason, 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". She also made four appearances on National Velvet, and single appearances on shows such as Ford Theatre, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, I Love Lucy, Private Secretary, Date with the Angels, The Rough Riders, The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, Bewitched, and 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'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 from 1974 to 1980.
Family
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.
Later life
Joan Banks died in Los Angeles, California in 1998 from lung cancer at the age of 79. She was buried next to her husband in Holy Cross Cemetery in Culver City, California.