Dina Merrill was an American actress, socialite, philanthropist, and heiress who, while coming from a wealthy family, put in the effort to distinguish herself among the country’s elite. She was conceived by Wall Street trader Edward Hutton and Post Cereals heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post. Dina was given the stage name Dina Merrill on the advice of a family member. She was born Nedenia Hutton. She began appearing on stage in 1945, and from there she progressed to being one of the most sought-after actresses of the 1950s. She began her career in movies like “Desk Set,” “The Young Savages,” and “Don’t Give up the Ship,” and later appeared in movies like “The Player” and “Shade.” She then appeared in numerous TV movies and shows and rose to fame among both cinema and TV viewers. In addition to her work in movies, she is a well-known businesswoman with exquisite poise who has served as a trustee for the Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center and a member of the Lehman Brothers board.
Early Childhood & Life
Dina Merrill was born in New York City on December 29, 1923, to stockbroker Edward Francis Hutton and Post Cereals heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post.
Dina was raised in luxury from birth, and as the only child in the family, she had access to all the creature comforts a young child could desire. However, Dina was oblivious to the glamour and at first desired to live a life that she was unable to.
She initially detested the attention she received because of her wealthy background, but she eventually learned to enjoy it. By the time she was a teenager, she was essentially a member of the American elite, hanging out with kids who were extremely wealthy and taking school breaks in far-off places.
She maintained her dignity and avoided the news, in contrast to most wealthy youngsters of the era, who were frequently in the news for their drug use and other misdeeds.
Dina loved to travel and practically all of her childhood was spent on the family’s boat, “Sea Cloud.” The yacht had all the amenities of a five-star hotel, and during their vacations, the regal British kings and queens, princes, and princesses were among the visitors.
Dina was granted a private luxury automobile and a driver while she was at school, but she preferred to ride the school bus with the other students. Little Dina had other aspirations than her father’s, who wanted her to pursue a career in law and politics. She didn’t always want to be an actor, but she always wanted her own business.
She enrolled in George Washington University in Washington, D.C., but shortly afterward, she decided that a more interesting vocation piqued her interest more than academics. She decided to become an actor because she was bored with her wealthy existence and wanted to be able to experience many other lives. She enrolled herself in the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York.
Career of Dina Merrill
Dina Merrill made her stage debut in 1945, although she didn’t get the lead role thanks to her father’s connections or resources. It was all down to her talent and abilities, and when she took the stage for the first time in the Broadway production of “The Mermaids Singing,” she became addicted to the performance art, which launched her acting career.
Dina ended up performing in numerous plays in her early years. Grace Kelly, a great actress, was compared to her for her beauty and acting ability, and Dina was now being hailed as the next Grace Kelly.
It was time to advance to the next stage, TV and films, after a full decade of gaining experience and confidence through theater. Dina made her cinematic debut in the middle of the 1950s with a fantastic supporting role in the movie “Desk Set.”
She was kind of constrained to certain types of parts as a model wife or a socialite in later movies like “Operation Petticoat,” “Butterfield 8,” and “Young Savages” but she eventually rose to become one of the most adored actors in the late 50s and early 60s.
She made numerous notable film appearances in the 1960s and 1970s, including “I’ll Take Sweden,” “The Greatest Wedding,” and “Just tell me what you Want.” She also continued to make guest appearances on television programs like “Bonanza,” “The Love Boats,” and “The Nanny.” She played Calamity Jan, a villain on “Batman,” for two episodes. She was seen in an off-Broadway production of “Wit & Wilson” and a revival of the musical “On your Toes” in 1983. Her passion for theatrical productions didn’t fade despite her success in television and cinema.
Both her cinematic roles and her business endeavors made her newsworthy. She united her business, Pavilion Communications, with RKO in collaboration with her third husband, Ted Hartley, and this established the groundwork for RKO studios.
She was chosen to serve alongside the Eugene O’Neill Theatre Company as a trustee at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. She was vice president of the New York Mission Society as well. Her father made her a member of the board of E. F. Hutton and Co., forcing her to apply her exceptional business judgment for the company. She participated in the decision-making process when her father’s business acquired Lehman Brothers, causing a commotion in American corporate circles.
individual life and death
Dina Merrill’s marriage was incredibly erratic. She married twice throughout her life, first to Stanley Rumbough Jr. in her mid-forties, with whom she had three children. After nearly 20 years of marriage, the pair split in 1966 as a result of her career-related rigorous schedule making them bitter against one another.
She engaged in a passionate relationship with Oscar-winning actor Cliff Robertson in 1966, and the two later married and had a daughter. However, after a great deal of conflict, they split up in 1986.
She wed businessman Ted Harley in 1989, and the two remained together till her passing away.
Dina was a well-known philanthropist who devoted the majority of her life to donating the approximately $50 million USD inheritance she received from her father. She held the role of chairwoman of the Pro-Choice Coalition and was appointed to it as a result of the significant financial donations she made to the group over the years.
Additionally, she contributed to and sought to advance women’s health. She also gave a sizable portion of her income to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation when the condition claimed the life of her 23-year-old son, David, in an accident.
Dina experienced a particularly aggressive form of dementia in her final years and passed away on May 22, 2017. At the age of 93, she passed away peacefully at her home in New York City.
Estimated Net Worth
American heiress, socialite, philanthropist, and actress Dina Merrill had a $5 billion fortune. Marjorie Merriweather Post, Dina’s mother, was once the richest person in the country. Marjorie’s father passed away in 1914 when she was 27 years old, leaving her a $250 million fortune. After accounting for inflation, her wealth at the time of her passing was $5 billion. On May 22, 2017, Dina Merrill passed away at the age of 93. She had a great acting career, but her unusual wealth stemmed more from her inheritance than from her adventures in the entertainment industry.