Yolande Donlan

Yolande Donlan, born on June 2, 1920, in Jersey City, New Jersey, is a celebrated American actress known for her extensive career in the United Kingdom. She is the daughter of James Donlan, a character actor prominent in Hollywood films during the 1930s. Following her father's passing in 1938, it is believed that she may have had uncredited appearances in films such as Pennies From Heaven and Love Finds Andy Hardy, although these claims remain unverified.

Donlan's early credited performances included a role as Frenchy, the maid, in the 1940 horror film The Devil Bat. This led to her being typecast in similar roles featuring French-accented maids. A significant turning point in her career came when she portrayed Billie Dawn in a Boston production of Garson Kanin's Born Yesterday, which later moved to London's West End for an extended run. Despite initial setbacks in obtaining a work permit for the lead role in Peter Pan due to equity concerns, she eventually settled in the UK and took on various film roles.

In 1949, she appeared in Traveller's Joy and worked with director Val Guest on several projects, including Mister Drake's Duck and Penny Princess. The couple married in 1954, and she featured in many of Guest's films, such as Expresso Bongo. In 1955, she published an engaging travel memoir, Sand in my Mink. Her stage success continued with Jack Popplewell's And Suddenly It's Spring in 1959.

Donlan's film career concluded with Seven Nights in Japan in 1976, the same year she released her autobiography, Shake the Stars Down. After Guest's retirement in 1985, they returned to the U.S., where they lived in Palm Springs until his death in 2006. Currently, Donlan resides in Belgravia, London.