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Dolores Donlon

1920 – 2012

American actress

Playboy PlaymateActor Television actor
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About Dolores Donlon

Lived 1920 – 2012 (aged 92). Dolores Donlon was an American playboy Playmate, actor, television actor and fashion model.

Dolores Donlon (born Patricia Vaniver; September 19, 1920 – November 30, 2012) was an American model and actress.

Career Born in 1920 in Philadelphia and raised in Upper Darby Township, Pennsylvania, Donlon attended a convent school in Tarrytown, New York. She later trimmed a few years off her age by claiming 1926 was her year of birth when she began modeling in the mid-1940s under the name Pat Van Iver. for the Walter Thornton Model Agency. She began acting in 1948 with uncredited walk-on parts in movies including Dough Girls and Easter Parade.

In 1946, she was elected Queen of the Ball by the New York Press Photographers Association. By 1954, she was playing credited roles in movies such as The Long Wait and Security Risk, and appearing in television series. Her television credits include roles in Have Gun - Will Travel, The Texan, Richard Diamond, Private Detective, Maverick, Perry Mason, The Jack Benny Program, 77 Sunset Strip and I Love Lucy.

In 1957, Donlon was Playboy's August Playmate of the Month.

Marriages Donlon married to Hollywood talent agent Victor Orsatti in 1949; they separated in 1958 and were divorced in 1960. She retired from acting in 1962, after marrying New York Philharmonic violinist Robert dePasquale. She later divorced dePasquale and married Fernando Mendez. That union also ended in divorce.

Filmography 1959 Perry Mason as Dawn Manning, episode: "The Case of the Calendar Girl"

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Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Playboy Playmate, actor, television actor, fashion model
Nationality
Awards
Playboy Playmate of the Month
Also known as
Patricia Vaniver, Pat Van Iver

Family & relationships

Spouse
Victor Orsatti

People in Dolores Donlon's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Dolores Donlon's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Dolores Donlon?

American actress (1920–2012)

When was Dolores Donlon born?

Dolores Donlon was born on 19 September 1920 in Philadelphia.

When did Dolores Donlon die?

Dolores Donlon died on 12 November 2012 in Philadelphia.

What was Dolores Donlon's occupation?

Dolores Donlon was a playboy Playmate, actor, television actor and fashion model.

What nationality was Dolores Donlon?

Dolores Donlon was American.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Dolores Donlon

· Wikidata: Q5289516

· DBpedia: Dolores Donlon

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Dolores Donlon. https://biography.guide/dolores-donlon/

MLA: "Dolores Donlon." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/dolores-donlon/.

Chicago: "Dolores Donlon." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/dolores-donlon/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-22 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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