Summary
Joan Banks (October 30, 1918 – January 18, 1998) was an American film, television, stage, and radio actress (described as "a soapbox queen"),[1] who often appeared in dramas with her husband, Frank Lovejoy.
Joan Banks | |
|---|---|
 Joan Banks in 1939 | |
| Born | October 30, 1918 |
| Died | January 18, 1998 (aged 79) Los Angeles, California, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1950–1967 |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
Early life edit
Banks attended a school of Russian ballet as a little girl and excelled as a swimmer during high school.[2] Her talent earned her a scholarship to the American Academy of Dramatic Art,[3] and she attended Hunter College.[4]
Career edit
Radio edit
Banks first appeared on radio with Walter O'Keefe in 1936, when she was 18.[2] At that same age, she became the first "feminine stooge" for Stoopnagle and Budd on their show.[5] Her other roles on radio programs include:
| Program | Role |
|---|---|
| Bringing Up Father | Nora [6] |
| Buck Private and His Girl | "snooty" deb[7] |
| Gangbusters | various |
| Her Honor, Nancy James | secretary[3] |
| John's Other Wife | Roberta Lansing[8] |
| My Friend Irma | Jane Stacy [9] |
| The Home of the Brave[10] | N/A |
| The O'Neills | Peggy O'Neill Kayden[2] |
| This Day Is Ours | Eleanor MacDonald[11] |
| Valiant Lady | Joan Hargrave-Scott[12] |
| Young Widder Brown | Camilla [4] |
Film edit
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.[13]
Television edit
On March 25, 1958, Banks co-starred with husband Lovejoy in an episode of his Meet McGraw program.[14] In 1972, Banks appeared in the CBS movie Return to Peyton Place.[15]
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 1958, she played Valerie Brewster in "The Case of the Fancy Figures"; 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, two appearances on Alfred Hitchcock Presents,[1] and single appearances on shows such as Ford Theatre,[16] I Love Lucy, Private Secretary, Date with the Angels, The Rough Riders, Mr. Adams and Eve, The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis, 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's play The Best Man,[17] 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.
Personal life edit
Banks married fellow actor Frank Lovejoy, whom she met when both had roles on the radio soap opera This Day Is Ours.[1] The couple had two children, Judy and Steve.[18] She died of lung cancer on January 18, 1998.[19]
Filmography edit
| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1951 | Cry Danger | Alice Fletcher | |
| 1951 | Bright Victory | Janet Grayson | |
| 1952 | Washington Story | Mrs. Vatek | |
| 1952 | My Pal Gus | Ivy Tolliver | |
| 1956 | Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Margaret | Season 1 Episode 30: "Never Again" |
| 1957 | Alfred Hitchcock Presents | Lee | Season 2 Episode 24: "The Cream of the Jest" |
| 1957 | Mister Cory | Lily | |
| 1960 | The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis | Mrs. Edna Gilroy | Episode: "Here Comes the Groom" |
| 1960 | Let's Make Love | Secretary | Uncredited |
| 1961 | Return to Peyton Place | Mrs. Humphries | Uncredited |
References edit
- ^ a b c D'Arcy, Jeanne (March 19, 1958). "Role She Enjoys Most Is Being Mrs. Lovejoy". The Logansport Press. The Logansport Press. p. 4. Retrieved March 23, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c "New Cast Members". Harrisburg Telegraph. Harrisburg Telegraph. May 24, 1941. p. 20. Retrieved March 22, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Stars on Parade". The Evening Independent. The Evening Independent. October 31, 1938. p. 10. Retrieved March 21, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b DeLong, Thomas A. (1996). Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers, 1920 through 1960. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-7864-2834-2. p. 22.
- ^ "Femme Stooge Makes Good" (PDF). Radio Daily. February 10, 1937. p. 2. Retrieved May 4, 2022.
- ^ Dunning, John (1998). On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio. Oxford University Press. p. 120. ISBN 978-0-19-507678-3 – via Internet Archive.
bringing up father radio.
- ^ "Just An Act". The Evening News. The Evening News. July 18, 1941. p. 18. Retrieved March 23, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Thursday's Highlights" (PDF). Radio and Television Mirror. Vol. 14, no. 2. June 1940. p. 48. Retrieved 1 March 2015.
- ^ Dunning, John. (1998). On the Air: The Encyclopedia of Old-Time Radio. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-507678-3. p. 472.
- ^ "Hopes to Be Singer". The Evening News. The Evening News. January 27, 1941. p. 12. Retrieved March 21, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Senseney, Dan (September 1940). "What's New from Coast to Coast" (PDF). Radio and Television Mirror. Vol. 14, no. 5. pp. 36–37, 72. Retrieved 8 March 2015.
- ^ Buxton, Frank and Owen, Bill (1972). The Big Broadcast: 1920–1950. The Viking Press. ISBN 0-670-16240-X. p. 249.
- ^ "My Pal Gus ad". Freeport Journal-Standard. Freeport Journal-Standard. March 17, 1953. p. 9. Retrieved March 23, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Top Viewing Today". Independent. Independent. March 25, 1958. p. 26. Retrieved March 23, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Small Town Bigotry in 'Return to Peyton Place'". The Odessa American. March 12, 1972. p. 74. Retrieved March 24, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Vernon, Terry (June 28, 1956). "Tele-Vues". Independent. Long Beach Independent. p. 44. Retrieved March 23, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Frank Lovejoy at AllMovie
- ^ "Easter Sunday". The la Crosse Tribune. The La Crosse Tribune. March 25, 1958. p. 8. Retrieved March 22, 2015 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ https://www.newspapers.com/image/160262380/?terms=Joan%20Banks&match=1 Los Angeles Times, January 28, 1998, p.18.
External links edit
- Joan Banks at IMDb
- Joan Banks at AllMovie
- Joan Banks at the Internet Broadway Database
- Joan Banks at Find a Grave