Prior to Dark Shadows, she was a famous movie star, appearing in such notable films as The Woman in the Window, Scarlet Street, and Little Women. Unfortunately, in 1951 her then-husband Walter Wanger shot her agent in a jealous rage; the resulting scandal - tame by today's standards - virtually ended Joan's film career. Aside from TV movies, she made only seven more theatrical films. After Dark Shadows, Bennett went on to act in other films, most notably Dario Argento's Suspiria. She also published her autobiography, The Bennett Playbill (written with Lois Kibbee) in 1970.