Category Archives: Donna Montran

“The Scintillating Beauty”: Donna Darling’s Week at Jackson’s Capitol Theatre, 1926

Posted on March 7, 2026 by Don Taylor

In March 1926, Donna Darling and her “Little Jewel Revue” appeared for a full week at the Capitol Theatre in Jackson, Michigan. Featuring split bills of motion pictures and vaudeville, the engagement included glowing press notices and a locally promoted Bathing Girl Contest arrainged and conducted by Donna. Continue reading →

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Donna Darling at the Bucklen Theatre (Elkhart, Indiana) – 1923

Posted on March 3, 2026 by Don Taylor

In March 1923, Donna Darling headlined the Bucklen Theatre in Elkhart, Indiana, in her singing and dancing revue “As You Like It.” Advertised as a New York Hippodrome beauty contest winner, she led a full vaudeville bill combined with a feature motion picture. Continue reading →

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Donna Darling at the Strand Theatre, Pontiac, Michigan (June 22–24, 1925)

Posted on February 20, 2026 by Don Taylor

Newspaper advertisements confirm Donna Darling’s June 22–24, 1925 appearance at the Strand Theatre in Pontiac, Michigan. Promoted with her Bathing Girl Revue and “Comedy Life Guards,” this engagement strengthens the reconstruction of her 1925 Midwestern vaudeville tour between Ohio and Detroit. Continue reading →

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Happy Birthday Grandma Donna

Posted on February 20, 2026 by Don Taylor

Happy Birthday rememberance of my grandmother, Madonna “Donna” Mae Montran (1893–1976). She lived a complex and fascinating life that extended far beyond her vaudeville years. Born in Albion, Michigan, she married several times, later settled in Michigan and Minnesota, and ultimately donated her body to science. This remembrance reflects both documented facts and the enduring personal legacy she left to her family. Continue reading →

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Donna Darling at the Heilig Theatre (Eugene, Oregon) – 1926

Posted on February 14, 2026 by Don Taylor

In November 1926, the Donna Darling Revue appeared at the Heilig Theatre in Eugene, Oregon, as part of the Western Vaudeville Managers’ Association circuit. Contemporary coverage in The Eugene Guard identified Donna as the “heading act” and described a visually ambitious production featuring song, dance, and a striking “radium coat” finale, offering rare insight into her touring career. Continue reading →

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