Yolande Donlan (June 2, 1920December 30, 2014) was an American-British actress who worked extensively in the United Kingdom.

Early life and career

The daughter of James Donlan, a character actor in

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...

films of the 1930s, it is speculated by some that she had uncredited roles in films such as '' Pennies From Heaven'' (1936) and ''

Love Finds Andy Hardy ''Love Finds Andy Hardy'' is a 1938 American romantic comedy film that tells the story of a teenage boy who becomes entangled with three different girls all at the same time. It stars Mickey Rooney, Lewis Stone, Fay Holden, Cecilia Parker, Judy ...

'' (1938), but this has not been confirmed. Yolande Donlan in The Devil Bat (1940)

Her early credited roles include Frenchy, the maid in the horror film '' The Devil Bat'' (1940), with Bela Lugosi, and other small roles often as similar French-accented maid characters. She played

Carole Landis Carole Landis (born Frances Lillian Mary Ridste; January 1, 1919 – July 5, 1948) was an American actress and singer. She worked as a contract player for Twentieth Century-Fox in the 1940s. Her breakout role was as the female lead in the 1940 ...

' maid in '' Turnabout'' (also 1940) and one of

Red Skelton Richard Red Skelton (July 18, 1913September 17, 1997) was an American entertainer best known for his national radio and television shows between 1937 and 1971, especially as host of the television program ''The Red Skelton Show''. He has stars ...

's concubines in '' DuBarry Was a Lady'' (1942). Donlan was a success as Billie Dawn in a touring production of '' Born Yesterday'' by

Garson Kanin Garson Kanin (November 24, 1912 – March 13, 1999) was an American writer and director of plays and films. Early life Garson Kanin was born in Rochester, New York; his family later relocated to Detroit then to New York City. He attended ...

. It was the start of bigger things for Donlan.

Laurence Olivier Laurence Kerr Olivier, Baron Olivier (; 22 May 1907 – 11 July 1989) was an English actor and director who, along with his contemporaries Ralph Richardson and John Gielgud, was one of a trio of male actors who dominated the Theatre of the U ...

flew to Boston to confirm the opinion of American reviewers and chose Donlan to star in his production of the play to be staged in London's West End. The production opened at the Garrick Theatre in January 1947 and was very well received. Donlan was initially denied a work permit to star in the lead in '' Peter Pan'' due to complaints from

Equity Equity may refer to: Finance, accounting and ownership * Equity (finance), ownership of assets that have liabilities attached to them ** Stock, equity based on original contributions of cash or other value to a business ** Home equity, the dif ...

, the actor's union, who felt that a British star should have the lead.

Later life and career

After her run in ''Peter Pan'' ended, Donlan remained in the United Kingdom and began accepting film work. After ''

Traveller's Joy ''Traveller's Joy'' is a 1949 British comedy film directed by Ralph Thomas and starring Googie Withers, John McCallum and Maurice Denham. Based on a West End play of the same name by Arthur Macrae, it was the last film released by the original ...

'' (1949), Donlan worked for the director

Val Guest Val Guest (born Valmond Maurice Grossman; 11 December 1911 – 10 May 2006) was an English film director and screenwriter. Beginning as a writer (and later director) of comedy films, he is best known for his work for Hammer, for whom he direct ...

as the female lead in several films including ''

Miss Pilgrim's Progress ''Miss Pilgrim's Progress'' is a 1949 black-and-white British comedy film by producer Nat Cohen and director Val Guest. Plot Laramie Pilgrim (Yolande Donlan) is an American exchange factory worker who trades places with an upper class British gi ...

''(1949) with Michael Rennie, ''

The Body Said No! ''The Body Said No!'' is a 1950 British crime comedy film directed by Val Guest and starring Michael Rennie, Yolande Donlan, and Hy Hazell. It was shot at Walton Studios near London and distributed by Eros Films. Premise In a British TV studio ...

'' (1950), with Michael Rennie; ''

Mister Drake's Duck ''Misterr Drake's Duck'' is a 1951 British science fiction film, science-fiction comedy film directed by Val Guest and starring Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Yolande Donlan, Jon Pertwee, Wilfrid Hyde-White and Reginald Beckwith. The screenplay concerns ...

'' (1951), with

Douglas Fairbanks, Jr. Douglas Elton Fairbanks Jr., (December 9, 1909 – May 7, 2000) was an American actor, producer and decorated naval officer of World War II. He is best known for starring in such films as ''The Prisoner of Zenda'' (1937), '' Gunga Din'' (1939) ...

, and ''

Penny Princess ''Penny Princess'' is a 1952 British Technicolor comedy film written and directed by Val Guest and starring Yolande Donlan, Dirk Bogarde and A. E. Matthews. It was made by Guest for his own production company, Conquest Productions. The film star ...

'' (1952) in the title role co-starring with

Dirk Bogarde Sir Dirk Bogarde (born Derek Jules Gaspard Ulric Niven van den Bogaerde; 28 March 1921 – 8 May 1999) was an English actor, novelist and screenwriter. Initially a matinée idol in films such as ''Doctor in the House'' (1954) for the Rank Organ ...

. In 1950 British exhibitors voted her the most promising female newcomer. Donlan married Guest in 1954, after their previous marriages had been dissolved. In total, Donlan appeared in eight films directed by her husband. The remaining films are ''

They Can't Hang Me ''They Can't Hang Me'' is a 1955 British drama film directed by Val Guest and starring Terence Morgan, Yolande Donlan and Anthony Oliver. It was based on a novel by Leonard Mosley. It was shot at Shepperton Studios near London. The film's sets ...

'' (1955), ''

Expresso Bongo ''Expresso Bongo'' is a 1958 West End musical and a satire of the music industry. It was first produced on the stage at the Saville Theatre, London, on 23 April 1958. Its book was written by Wolf Mankowitz and Julian More, with music by David ...

'' (1959) with

Laurence Harvey Laurence Harvey (born Zvi Mosheh Skikne; 1 October 192825 November 1973) was a Lithuanian-born British actor and film director. He was born to Lithuanian Jewish parents and emigrated to South Africa at an early age, before later settling in th ...

and

Cliff Richard Sir Cliff Richard (born Harry Rodger Webb; 14 October 1940) is an Indian-born British musican, singer, producer, entrepreneur and philanthropist who holds both British and Barbadian citizenship. He has total sales of over 21.5 million s ...

, ''

Jigsaw Jigsaw may refer to: * Jigsaw (tool), a tool used for cutting arbitrary curves * Jigsaw puzzle, a tiling puzzle that requires the assembly of interlocking pieces Arts and media Comics * Jigsaw (Marvel Comics), a supervillain and arch-enemy of ...

'' (1962) with Jack Warner, ''

80,000 Suspects ''80,000 Suspects'' is a 1963 British drama film directed by Val Guest and starring Claire Bloom, Richard Johnson, Yolande Donlan, and Cyril Cusack. It concerns an outbreak of smallpox in Bath, England. Plot Commencing on New Year's Eve in th ...

'' (1963) with Richard Johnson. A further stage success came in 1959 in

Jack Popplewell Jack Popplewell (22 March 1909 – 16 November 1996) was an English writer and playwright. Life Popplewell was born and grew up in Leeds, West Riding of Yorkshire. He published his first song in 1940, and his first play, ''Blind Alley'' was sta ...

's '' And Suddenly It's Spring'' opposite

Margaret Lockwood Margaret Mary Day Lockwood, CBE (15 September 1916 – 15 July 1990), was an English actress. One of Britain's most popular film stars of the 1930s and 1940s, her film appearances included ''The Lady Vanishes'' (1938), ''Night Train to Munich' ...

. Other films she made, with other directors, include ''

Tarzan and the Lost Safari ''Tarzan and the Lost Safari'' is a 1957 action adventure film featuring Edgar Rice Burroughs' famous jungle hero Tarzan and starring Gordon Scott, Robert Beatty, Yolande Donlan and Betta St. John. Directed by H. Bruce Humberstone, it was the f ...

'' (1957) and '' Seven Nights in Japan'' (1976), her last film role.

Writing and last years

Her autobiographical travelogue, ''Sand in My Mink'' (1955) is a humorous tale of holiday adventures taken across Europe with her husband. Donlan's autobiography, '' Shake the Stars Down'' was published in 1976 (known as ''Third Time Lucky'' in the USA), which concentrates on her childhood years growing up in the household of her actor father James Donlan in the

of the 1930s. It also charts her early career as a dancer and actress. Guest retired from directing in 1985 and the couple moved to the USA in the early 1990s, where they resided in Palm Springs until his death in 2006. In later years, Donlan lived in Belgravia, London. In 2004, a Golden Palm Star on the

Palm Springs Walk of Stars The Palm Springs Walk of Stars is a walk of fame in downtown Palm Springs, California, where "Golden Palm Stars", honoring various people who have lived in the greater Palm Springs area, are embedded in the sidewalk pavement. The walk includes po ...

was dedicated to her and Guest.Palm Springs Walk of Stars by date dedicated
She died in London on December 30, 2014. Ronald Berganbr>"Yolande Donlan obituary"
''The Guardian'', 5 January 2015

Selected filmography

* '' Turnabout'' (1940) - Marie * ''

Cross-Country Romance ''Cross-Country Romance'' is a 1940 American romantic comedy film directed by Frank Woodruff and starring Gene Raymond and Wendy Barrie. With the huge success of ''It Happened One Night'', the 1934 American romantic comedy film directed by Fran ...

'' (1940) - Jennie - Diane's Maid (uncredited) * '' The Devil Bat'' (1940) - Maxine * ''

Dark Streets of Cairo ''Dark Streets of Cairo'' is a 1940 American mystery film directed by László Kardos and starring Sigrid Gurie, Ralph Byrd, Eddie Quillan, George Zucco and Katherine DeMille. The central plot of the film concerns " group ofjewel smugglers in ...

'' (1940) - Maggie Malone, aka Margo Molina * '' Road Show'' (1941) - Nurse (uncredited) * '' Under Age'' (1941) - Lily Fletcher * ''

Life Begins for Andy Hardy ''Life Begins for Andy Hardy'' is a 1941 American comedy film and the 11th installment of the 16 popular Andy Hardy movies. Directed by George B. Seitz, ''Life Begins for Andy Hardy'' was also the last Andy Hardy movie to feat ...

'' (1941) - Drugstore Waitress (uncredited) * ''

'' (1949) - Laramie Pilgrim * ''

'' (1949) - Lil Fowler * ''

'' (1950) - Mikki Brent * ''

'' (1951) - Penny Drake * ''

'' (1952) - Lindy Smith * ''

'' (1955) - Jill Wilson * ''

'' (1957) - Gamage Dean * ''

'' (1959) - Dixie Collins * ''

'' (1962) - Jean Sherman * ''

'' (1963) - Ruth Preston * '' The Adventurers'' (1970) - Mrs. Erickson * '' Seven Nights in Japan'' (1976) - American Wife

Theatre credits

*1942 'Dodie' in "Goodnight Ladies", Blackstone Theatre, Chicago. *1944 'Julie' in "School for Brides", Royale Theatre, New York. *1947 'Billie Dawn' in "Born Yesterday" by Garson Kanin, Garrick Theatre, London. *1948 "Rocket to the Moon" by Clifford Odets, St Martin's Theatre, London. *1948 'Lucrece' in "Cage me a Peacock" (with Lionel Blair) by Noel Langley, Strand Theatre, London. *1950 ''

To Dorothy, a Son ''To Dorothy, a Son'' is a 1950 comedy play by the British writer Roger MacDougall. The plot revolves around a complex inheritance in which the American ex-wife of a man tries to prevent his current pregnant wife giving birth before a certain day ...

'' (with

Richard Attenborough Richard Samuel Attenborough, Baron Attenborough, (; 29 August 192324 August 2014) was an English actor, filmmaker, and entrepreneur. He was the president of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA) and the British Academy of Film and Televisio ...

and

Sheila Sim Sheila Beryl Grant Sim, Baroness Attenborough (5 June 1922 – 19 January 2016) was an English film and theatre actress. She was also the wife of the actor, director and peer Richard Attenborough. Career Sheila Beryl Grant Sim was born in L ...

), Savoy Theatre, London. *1953 "Redheaded Blonde", Vaudeville Theatre, London. *1954 "It's Different for Men", Golders Green Hippodrome, London. *1957 "Olive Ogilvy", Aldwych Theatre, London. *1958 'Lizzie' in "The Rainmaker", Olympia Theatre, Dublin. *1959 "Suddenly it's Spring" (with

), Duke of Yorks, London. *1965 "Dear Wormwood" (with

Donald Wolfit Sir Donald Wolfit, KBE (born Donald Woolfitt; Harwood, Ronald"Wolfit, Sir Donald (1902–1968)" ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Oxford University Press, September 2004; online edn, January 2008; accessed 14 July 2009 20 April 1902 ...

and

Hywel Bennett Hywel Thomas Bennett (8 April 1944 – 24 July 2017) was a Welsh film and television actor. He had a lead role in ''The Family Way'' (1966) and played the titular "thinking man's layabout" James Shelley in the television sitcom '' Shelley'' (1 ...

), Golders Green Hippodrome, London. *1971 "Chorus of Murder", (with Irene Handl and Robert Cawdron) Edinburgh. *1972 "Cut-Throat" Theatre Royal, Windsor.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Donlan, Yolande 1920 births 2014 deaths American film actresses 20th-century American actresses American stage actresses American expatriates in England Actresses from Jersey City, New Jersey 21st-century American women