Donna Marie Corcoran, a talented American child actress of the 1950s, began her on-screen journey at the tender age of nine. Born in Quincy, Massachusetts, to a police officer father, William Henry Corcoran Sr., and his wife Kathleen Hildegarde McKenney, Donna was one of eight siblings, with three of her siblings also pursuing careers in show business, most notably her younger sister Noreen.
The family relocated to California on the advice of a family doctor, who suggested that the warmer climate might alleviate Kathleen's painful arthritic condition. Her father, William, soon secured a job as Director of Maintenance at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and Donna would often visit him at the studio. It was during one of these visits that a casting director spotted her and invited her to audition for the role of Bridget, the orphan girl, in Angels in the Outfield (1951). Director Clarence Brown selected Donna from among 635 hopeful aspirants, thus launching her brief but notable career in films.
Donna's first significant role was as the precocious Bunny Jones, whose character's presence sets off a chain reaction that ultimately leads to the breakdown of Marilyn Monroe's emotionally disturbed babysitter, Nell Forbes, in Don't Bother to Knock (1952). She next appeared in two aquatic musicals alongside Esther Williams, Million Dollar Mermaid (1952) and Dangerous When Wet (1953),for which MGM had to teach her how to swim. Sandwiched between these two films was a pivotal role, where Donna delivered arguably her best performance, as a troubled Catholic orphan adopted by Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon in Scandal at Scourie (1953).
On the strength of this performance, Donna received top billing in Gypsy Colt (1954),an equine iteration of Lassie Come Home (1943),aimed squarely at the family market. Her final film appearance was a minor supporting role in Fritz Lang's gothic melodrama, Moonfleet (1955). A few television guest spots followed before Donna left the entertainment industry in 1963.
In the years that followed, Donna went on to forge a successful career in real estate and later in gemology.
