Joan Banks American actress Date of Birth: 30.10.1918 Country: USA

Biography of Joan Banks

Joan Banks was an American actress of theater, film, television, and radio. She had a prolific career in film, often appearing alongside her husband, Frank Lovejoy, a popular actor of wide range. While Banks primarily played supporting roles, she was able to establish a solid reputation in the industry. She was born in Petersburg, West Virginia and began her career in the 1930s as part of the radio series "Gangbusters". This weekly radio show was based on real-life crime stories, and Banks primarily provided voiceover work for the program.

It was during her time on "Gangbusters" that Banks met her future husband, Frank Lovejoy. The couple later had two children together, a son and a daughter. This marriage was Banks' second, as she had previously been married to Allan Raymond Johnson. However, her first marriage ended in divorce. Her relationship with Lovejoy lasted longer, and they lived together until Lovejoy's untimely death in 1962.

Banks' Hollywood career began with small roles, but she gained recognition in films such as "Cry Danger" (1951) and "Washington Story" (1952). Her peak years were in the 1950s and 1960s, although she primarily played supporting characters even during this time. Banks had the opportunity to appear in the popular detective series "Perry Mason" five times, playing the role of the killer in four of those episodes. She also appeared in other notable television shows, including "I Love Lucy", "Private Secretary", "Date with the Angels", "Alfred Hitchcock Presents", "The Rough Riders", "The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis", and "Hazel".

On October 2, 1962, Frank Lovejoy passed away from a heart attack in their New Jersey home while they were performing in a production of Gore Vidal's play "The Best Man". Banks' television career gradually declined, but she continued to work in radio. From 1974 to 1980, she appeared in 33 episodes of the CBS series "Radio Mystery Theater".

Joan Banks passed away from lung cancer in Los Angeles, California in 1998 at the age of 79. She was laid to rest next to her husband in Culver City, California.