Yolande Donlan (June 2, 1920 â€" December 30, 2014) was an
American-British actress who worked extensively in the United
Kingdom.The daughter of James Donlan, a character actor in 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 (1938), but this has not been confirmed.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' maid in
Turnabout (also 1940) and one of Red Skelton'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. It was the start of
bigger things for Donlan. Laurence Olivier 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, the actor's
union, who felt that a British star should have the lead.
American-British actress who worked extensively in the United
Kingdom.The daughter of James Donlan, a character actor in 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 (1938), but this has not been confirmed.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' maid in
Turnabout (also 1940) and one of Red Skelton'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. It was the start of
bigger things for Donlan. Laurence Olivier 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, the actor's
union, who felt that a British star should have the lead.
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