Joanna Barnes

Barnes initial appearance on television was in the episode The Man Who Beat Lupo on Ford Theatre She made guest appearances on many television series including the ABCWarner Bros programs 77 Sunset Strip and Maverick CBSs Have Gun Will Travel Whats My Line and the crime drama Richard Diamond Private Detective In 196061 she gueststarred on The Untouchables episode 90 Proof Dame as the wife of a French exporter of brandy Barnes appeared as Kate Henniger with Bing Russell and Arthur Space in the 1958 episode Ghost Town of the ABCWB Western series Colt 45 starring Wayde Preston In 1959 she portrayed Lola in the NBC detective series 21 Beacon Street In the 1960s Barnes worked for producer Martin Ransohoff and appeared in episodes of his The Beverly Hillbillies Elly Goes to School and The Clampett Look and was billed as special gueststar Barnes played Peter Falks former wife on the 19651966 CBS series The Trials of OBrien and was host of the ABC daytime talk show Dateline Hollywood in 1967 She was also a frequent panelist in the early years of the syndicated version of Whats My Line On December 19 1972 Barnes appeared on The Merv Griffin Show with Joan Fontaine Zsa Zsa Gabor and Dan Martino founder of the Dan Martino School for Men Barnes moved to Los Angeles soon after finishing her education and took up a contract with Columbia Pictures She went on to have roles in more than 20 films Among her most remembered roles is the snooty Gloria Upson in the film Auntie Mame which earned her a Golden Globe Award nomination for New Star of the Year Barnes became the 13th actress to play Jane when she appeared in Tarzan the Ape Man with Denny Miller as Tarzan In Disneys original 1961 version of The Parent Trap starring Hayley Mills Barnes played golddigger Vicki Robinson who temporarily comes between Maureen OHara and Brian Keith In the 1998 remake starring Lindsay Lohan she played Vicki Blake the mother of the childhating golddigger and fiancee Meredith Blake Elaine Hendrix As well she appeared in The War Wagon a western movie starring John Wayne and Kirk Douglas Barnes was also a writer and columnist In 1973 she told newspaper columnist Dick Kleiner that she liked writing because it is something you do yourself With acting if you win an Oscar or an Emmy you have to thank everybody If you write a book it is completely your own She wrote a book titled Starting from Scratch about home decorating and several novels including The Deceivers Who Is Carla Hart Pastora and Silverwood She wrote a weekly book review for the Los Angeles Times and her column Touching Home was carried by The Chicago Tribune and the New York News Syndicate