[1] In his early career Donlan was the actor-manager of a theatre company called The Permanent Players.

While touring in Winnipeg, Canada he met singer Theresa Mollot who joined his company and moved to New York with him.

[1] Donlan performed in several plays in New York City, including Home Again (1918) and The Lady Killer (1924).

[3] By the time Donlan got his first part in Talking Pictures, in Big News (1929), he had moved from New York to Hollywood, California with his wife Theresa and his child Yolande.

A character actor, Donlan played in scenes opposite several stars of the Golden Age of Hollywood including Mae West in Belle of the Nineties (1934) and Harold Lloyd in Professor Beware (1938).