Anecdotes

Had a recurring role as an intriguing, subtle love interest of Chuck Connors in The Rifleman (1958) series. She was replaced by Patricia Blair (later of Daniel Boone (1964) TV fame) after Joan's husband, producer/director Leonard Freeman, relocated the family to Hawaii where he was producing the Hawaii Five-O (1968) series. She abruptly retired in December of 1963 to raise her daughter.

After her death on March 4, 2012, she was honored, as Rose Freeman (her married name), with the dedication "In Loving Memory of Rose Freeman" on the March 19, 2012 episode of Hawaii Five-0 (2010); her late husband, Leonard Freeman, was the creator and executive producer of the original Hawaii Five-O (1968).

Entertained in USO tour of military hospitals during WWII.

Came out of retirement for a time to write for film and TV in the late '80s/early '90s. Also made cameos as an actress.

Her father, Joseph Emma was from Sicily. He became a movie theater manager and a Hollywood prop man. Her mother, Amelia Berky was from Austria and was a vaudeville dancer/singer.

Buried at the Woodlawn Cemetery in Santa Monica, California, USA.

Dubbed a "Golden Circle Girl" at Paramount during the early '50s.

Interviewed about her movie career, "Earth vs. the Flying Saucers" (1956) and "20 Million Miles to Earth" (1957) in particular, in Tom Weaver's book "Creature Feature Creators" (McFarland & Co., 2025).