Yolande Donlan was born on June 2, 1920, in Jersey City, New Jersey, to James Donlan, a character actor who worked in Hollywood films during the 1930s. Following her father's death in 1938, she is believed to have had some uncredited roles in films, including Pennies From Heaven and Love Finds Andy Hardy, although these have not been confirmed.
Donlan's early credited roles included Frenchy the maid in the horror film The Devil Bat in 1940, and she went on to play similar French-accented maid characters in several small roles. A notable stage success came when she played Billie Dawn in a Boston production of Born Yesterday by Garson Kanin, which transferred to London's West End for a long run.
However, Donlan was initially denied a work permit to star in the lead role in Peter Pan due to complaints from Actors Equity, who felt that a British star should have the lead. After the production ended, Donlan remained in the United Kingdom and began accepting film work, including Traveller's Joy in 1949.
She worked with director Val Guest on several films, including Mister Drake's Duck, Penny Princess, and The Body Said No. The couple married in 1954, and Donlan went on to appear in many of Guest's films, including Expresso Bongo and 80,000 Suspects, as well as a few films for other directors.
In 1955, Donlan wrote the autobiographical travelogue Sand in my Mink, which tells the story of her adventures with her husband across Europe. The book is a lighthearted read that captures the spirit of travel in a bygone era.
Donlan's stage career continued to flourish, with a notable success in 1959 in Jack Popplewell's And Suddenly It's Spring opposite Margaret Lockwood. Her most recent film credit is Seven Nights in Japan from 1976.
That same year, Donlan published her autobiography, Shake the Stars Down, which focuses on her childhood years growing up in Hollywood during the 1930s. After her husband retired from directing in 1985, the couple moved back to the United States, where they lived in Palm Springs until Guest's death in 2006. Donlan currently resides in Belgravia, London.
