Yolande Donlan, born in 1920 in Jersey City, New Jersey, was the daughter of character actor James Donlan, who tragically passed away when she was a teenager due to his struggles with alcoholism. Using the stage name Yolande Mallott, she began her acting career with small roles in films such as Turnabout and The Devil Bat, as well as appearances in several Broadway plays.
Her breakthrough came with a successful London production of Born Yesterday, where she met her future husband, actor Philip Truex, in 1943. The couple had a son, Christopher, in 1946, before divorcing in 1947. Yolande's life took a dramatic turn when she met British film director Val Guest, who was directing actor Michael Balfour in the film Just William's Luck, backstage at a London theater production of Born Yesterday in 1947.
Val Guest, who was impressed by Yolande's talent, asked Michael Balfour to introduce him to her, and the two eventually married in 1954. During their marriage, Val directed Yolande in seven more films, including The Body Said No and Penny Princess. However, at the age of 35, Yolande was diagnosed with manic depression and began therapy to manage her condition.
Yolande's last acting role was in the 1976 movie Seven Nights in Japan, after which she turned her attention to writing. She published her autobiography, Shake the Stars Down, and wrote several travel articles for the Daily Express. Yolande and Val lived happily together in Palm Springs, California, until his passing in 2006. After his death, she moved back to London, England, where she remained until her passing on December 30, 2014, at the age of ninety-four.
