In the 90s, Dina and her husband Ted Hartley merged their production company Pavilion Communications with RKO. When Hutton began her acting career, she chose to call herself Dina Merrill, a combination of her and a brother-in-laws names. NEW YORK (AP) -- Dina Merrill, the rebellious heiress who defied her super-rich parents to become a movie star, often portraying stylish wives or "the other woman," has died at age 93. Heiress turned actress, Dina Merrill passed away at the age of 93 in her East Hampton, New York home. Her daughter with Cliff, Heather Robertson died in 2007, ten years before her own death in 2017. Magazine pics. After a divorce, she married the actor Cliff Robertson. She was the only child of Post Cereals heiress, Marjorie Merriweather Post, and her second husband, the Wall Street stockbroker, Edward Francis EF Hutton. After a divorce, she married the actor Cliff Robertson. Dina Merrill, the rebellious heiress who defied her super-rich parents to become a movie star, often portraying stylish wives or "the other woman," has died at age 93. At the time of her death, she was worth an estimated $5 billion. She was the only child of Post Cereals heiress, Marjorie Merriweather Post, and her second husband, the Wall Street stockbroker, Edward Francis EF Hutton. Early life. In the submarine comedy Operation Petticoat (1959), her stranded Navy nurse ends up married to a slick lieutenant played by Tony Curtis. Therefore, in 1959 she was proclaimed Hollywoods new Grace Kelly. Merrills film credits included Desk Set (1957), A Nice Little Bank That Should Be Robbed (1958), Dont Give Up the Ship (1959), Operation Petticoat (1959, with Cary Grant, who had been married to her cousin, Woolworth heiress Barbara Hutton), The Sundowners (1960), Butterfield 8 (1960), The Young Savages (1961). The property was later purchased by Trump, who as president has made Mar-a-Lago an unofficial weekend White House. Merrill, raised in part. Before she became known to the general public as Dina Merrill, a name she chose at the advice of her half-sisters husband, she was Nedenia Marjorie Hutton, daughter of Marjorie Merriweather Post and Edward Francis Hutton, two wealthy people who nurtured her after her birth on the 29th of December 1923 in New York City. That same year she married actor Cliff Robertson and had a daughter with him. Merrill and Rumbough divorced in 1966, the same year she married actor Cliff Robertson. In 1946 shewed Stanley M. Rumbough Jr., an heir to the Colgate-Palmolive toothpaste fortune and entrepreneur. She received a lifetime achievement award from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in April 2005. Son of Stanley Rumbough Jr. and Dina Merrill. Merril has been married three times. Born: 9-Dec-1925 Birthplace: New York City Died: 22-May-2017 Location of death: East Hampton, NY Cause of death: unspecified. Submit a correction suggestion and help us fix it. (She had a half-dozen.) Anyone can read what you share. The movie actress Dina Merrill died at the age of 93. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. As the child of two business people, Dina Merrill was alert to any business opportunity and when it came up in her line of work, to form a partnership with RKO, a production company with radio and movie arm, she made the move, merging her own company, Pavilion Communications with RKO to form what was known as RKO Pictures. She quit acting in 1946, partly because of her mother's pressure. Merrill. She was a presidential appointee to the Board of Trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. He wanted to be in the Social Register.. The Courtship of Eddies Father (1963), Ill Take Sweden (1965), The Greatest (1977), A Wedding (1978), Just Tell Me What You Want (1980), Anna to the Infinite Power (1983), Twisted (1986), Caddyshack II (1988), Fear (1990), True Colors (1991), The Player (1992), Suture (1993) and Shade (2003). U.S., Obituary Collection, 1930-Current. He wanted to be in the Social Register.". Ms. Merrill had some regrets about her late-blooming acting career, which had been forestalled because of her child-rearing responsibilities. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Later that year, she wed Oscar-winning actor Cliff Robertson, with whom she had a daughter, Heather Robertson (19682007). Purchased the name (and what was left of) RKO Pictures in . They cant, but we can. She made her Broadway debut in 1945 with The Mermaids Singingand followed with George Washington Slept Hereand off-Broadway plays. Despite being an actress, Dina was unable to shake off her image as a wealthy woman, and thus restricted the range of roles she could play. Her parents divorced when she was 10. Merrill made her debut on the stage in the play The Mermaid Singing in 1945. The agency said that by U.S. law there can be only one valid estate proceeding--Paris, in this instance. During the summer she worked at a regional theater where she painted scenery, sewed costumes and played occasional small roles. Built to house Mrs. Post's prized camellias during the icy D.C. winters, the 800-square-foot, light-filled building . Although her fathers investments had earned her a million dollars by the time she became an actress, against his wishes, Ms. Merrill supported herself by modeling clothes for Vogue at $10 an hour. Family (1) Parents Cliff Robertson Dina Merrill Trivia (3) Daughter of Dina Merrill and Cliff Robertson. The former actress was 93. Her three marriages produced four children. Typical of her parts, in the 1959 television version of Budd Schulbergs What Makes Sammy Run? she was the glamorous daughter of a Wall Street banker. She is survived by her brother Stanley H. Rumbough and her sisters Nina Rumbough of Greenwich, Connecticut and Stephanie Saunders of Charleston, South Carolina. ", More recently, she was part of Robert Altman's ensemble cast for the Hollywood satire "The Player" and in television programs such as "Murder, She Wrote" and "The Nanny.". She was born Nedenia Hutton in New York City, and was drawn to the acting life at age 8, when she played an Indian in a Gilbert and Sullivan operetta at Greenvale School. Furthermore, Dina was one of the wealthiest actresses in the world, but it should be noted that the majority of her wealth comes from inheritance. During the 60s, she appeared as the villain "Calamity Jan" in two episodes of "Batman." Additionally, in the 1960s and 1970s, Merrill was a recurring guest on several network television game and panel shows including The Match Game, To Tell the Truth, Whats My Line, and Hollywood Squares. Her death was confirmed by her son, Stanley H. Rumbough, who said she had Lewy Body dementia. She starred in films like The Greatest, Operation Petticoat, Twisted, True Colors, and The Tenth Month. Dina Merrill's Death - Cause and Date Born (Birthday) Dec 29, 1923 Death Date May 22, 2017 Age of Death 93 years Cause of Death Lewy Body Dementia Profession Movie Actress The movie actress Dina Merrill died at the age of 93. Jr. and a solitary daughter with Cliff Robertson. Dinas mother, Marjorie Merriweather Post, was at one time the richest woman in the United States. Broaching age 90, the ever-glamorous actress appeared in a summer stock production of "Only a Kingdom" (2004) and continued to appear in occasional movie and television productions until developing dementia. The daughter of the Wall Street broker E. F. Hutton and the cereal heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post, Ms. Merrill grew up in luxury, spending up to six months a year on the Sea Cloud, the family yacht. It never occurred to me to ask my father or mother to pay for something they didnt believe in, she said in a 1979 interview. She quit acting in 1946, partly because of her mother's pressure. In 1980, Merrill joined the board of directors of her fathers E. F. Hutton & Co., continuing on the board of directors and the compensation committee of Lehman Brothers when it acquired Hutton, for over 18 years. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. Dina Merrill was an American heiress, socialite, philanthropist, and actress Dina Merrill was born Nedenia Marjorie Hutton in New York City on December 29, 1923. She also made guest appearances on Bonanza, The Bold Ones, The Love Boat, Quincy, M.E., Murder, She Wrote, Roseanne, and The Nanny, as Maxwell Sheffields disapproving and distant British mother. She was 93. But the 20s are very important years to an actress. In 1989, she married actor Ted Hartley. Son of Stanley Rumbough Jr. and Dina Merrill. Heather Robertson, her daughter with Mr. Robertson, died of cancer in 2007. Like most actresses at the time, she began her career on stage, performing in the play, The Mermaid Singing, and that became the first of many theatres shows Dina Merrill would play in the first 10 years of her career. Here is all you want to know, and more! Dina Merrill during her lifetime did not hesitate to give love a chance. In 1946 Shewed Stanley M. Rumbough Jr., an heir to the Colgate-Palmolive toothpaste fortune and entrepreneur. I have a nice perennial border in the front of the house. Two of Merrills four children predeceased her. De Bekessy quickly got himself qualified to administer the French estate, while the U.S. end in Washington was handled by Barzin's U.S. trustees and executors. It's interesting to lead other people lives.". Merrill and Robertson had a daughter, Heather, but divorced in 1989. Merrill was born in New York City on December 29, 1923, but for many years, her date of birth was given as December 9, 1925. She chaired the New York City Mission Society, which supports young people living in poverty. Her son David's diabetes inspired her to establish the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation. Ms. Merrill, raised in part on the Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida now owned by President Trump, died Monday, according to a family spokeswoman. In separate actions both De Bekessy and the IRS are being sued for the $10 million. Here is all you want to know, and more! Later that year, she wed Oscar-winning actor Cliff Robertson, with whom she had a daughter, Heather Robertson (19682007). Dina Merrill, the socialite daughter of a Post Cereals heiress who became a popular film actress in the late 1950s and 1960s, died Monday, May 22, 2017. Dina Merrill, a beautiful, blonde actress with an aristocratic bearing known as much for her wealthy origins, philanthropy, and . Instead, Ms. Merrill made her Broadway debut speaking three lines in John Van Drutens The Mermaids Singing in 1945. ", Outside of film acting, Dina was famous for her television work. Regardless, it did not affect the number of credits she went on to amass over the course of her career which totaled 110 at the end of her career across film and television. One of her first major film roles came in 1957 with "Desk Set." "I turned down my career to marry my Marine.". Dina Merrill, the rebellious heiress who defied her super-rich parents to become a movie star, often portraying stylish wives or "the other woman," has died at age 93. Dina Merrill, right, and her husband Dave Allocca Nedenia Dye, a multimillionaire relative of actress Dina Merrill and a descendant of Marjorie Merriweather Post, was stabbed to death in. In 1945, she made her debut on stage in the play, The Mermaid Singing. Hollywood lost another brilliant actress as her death was confirmed by her son, Stanley H. Rumbough, who stated Dina Merrill's cause of death is not yet known, but it was revealed that she suffered from Lewy Body dementia. You may opt-out by. Merrill, herself, was no slouch. Find Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and TikTok profiles, images and more on IDCrawl - free people search website. Dina Merrill, the rebellious heiress who defied her super-rich parents to become an actress, often portraying stylish wives or "the other woman," has died. At the age of 27 in 1914, Marjories father died and left her with a $250 million fortune. In a family full of other famous names--actress Dina Merrill is a half-sister and actress Glenn Close a half-niece--Eleanor herself became famous for her choice of husbands. Unlike most actors and actresses, who grow up hoping to build a life for themselves and escape excruciating poverty through the profession, Dina was born a rich woman. Also in 1959, Merrill gained notoriety after joining the cast of "Operation Petticoat." Merrill appeared in an incredibly wide range of television series during this period, including "Bonanza," "The Alfred Hitchcock Hour," "The Investigators," "The Bold Ones," "The Love Boat," "Quincy, M.E.," "Murder, She Wrote," "Roseanne," and "The Nanny. Merrill was involved in numerous charitable and artistic causes. Family services will be held privately. Her father was E.F. Hutton, founder of the stockbroker firm that bore his name. Prominent actress and popular socialite who became vice chairperson of RKO Pictures. In one complaint De Bekessy accused the U.S. trustees of "conspiring" with Vere, who is on the other side of some of her father's U.S. court actions. Dina Merrill, the rebellious heiress who defied her super-rich parents to become a movie star, often portraying stylish wives or "the other woman," has died at age 93. They had three children, Nedenia Colgate Rumbough, David Post Rumbough, and Stanley Rumbough III before divorcing in 1966. "I always wanted to make it on my own.". NEW YORK (AP) Dina Merrill, the rebellious heiress who defied her super-rich parents to become a movie star, often portraying stylish wives or "the other woman," has died at age 93. The Courtship of Eddies Father (1963), Ill Take Sweden (1965), The Greatest (1977), A Wedding (1978), Just Tell Me What You Want (1980), Anna to the Infinite Power (1983), Twisted (1986), Caddyshack II (1988), Fear (1990), True Colors (1991), The Player (1992), Suture (1993) and Shade (2003). Recent images. Heather, a screenwriter, director and filmmaker, was the daughter of actors Dina Merrill and Cliff Robertson. At her home in East Hampton, New York, USA. The Duke and Duchess of Windsor were among the guests on what has been described as a floating palace equipped with fireplaces, marble bathrooms, a barber shop and a wine cellar. ", Dina Merrill continued to book roles throughout the 80s. Dina Merrill died on May 22, 2017, at the age of 93. Eventually, the original manor was demolished so that smaller homes could be built on the land. Heiress turned actress, Dina Merrill passed away at the age of 93 in her East Hampton, New York home. Post, had founded a cereal business that became General Foods (now part of Merrill died Monday,. She was a daughter of Marjorie Merriweather Post (1887--1973), who during her life (all of it before The Forbes 400 list) often was called America's richest woman. Her second husband was Cliff Robertson, the first husband she got who was a part of the film industry. Dina Merrill, who was born Nedenia Marjorie Hutton, passed away on Monday at the age of 93 from lewy body dementia . In this April 6, 1962 file photo, socialite-actress Dina Merrill models the gown she will wear at the Academy Awards presentation in Los Angeles. With other investors, Hartley and Merrill in 1989 acquired RKO Pictures, the onetime major Hollywood studio that had been moribund for many years. That union was annulled after two years. There are now dueling probates on both sides of the Atlantic--with competing lawsuits or estate matters filed in Washington, D.C., Baltimore, New York, Paris and Switzerland. Somewhat amusingly, the couple elected to give two of their children middle names that matched their fortunes. Divorced from Mr. Rumbough and married to the actor Cliff Robertson in 1966, she was partly responsible for bringing down the head of a Hollywood studio. Dina Merrill passed away on May 22nd of 2017. Throughout her career as an actress, Dina worked on several films such asDesk Set, Dont Give Up the Ship, The Young Savages, Ill Take Sweden, True Colors,andShade. The grounds were deemed too expensive to maintain, and so it was returned to the Post Foundation. "I was thrilled when they dropped me," she said in 1983. In a 1979 interview, Dinarevealed, It never occurred to me to ask my father or mother to pay for something they didnt believe in. Dina Merrill in 2002 at a Museum of Television & Radio gala in Beverly Hills. (Remember that the next time the IRS delays your lousy $1,000 refund.). Dina Merrill was an American actress, heiress, model, socialite, businesswoman, and philanthropist.She was best known as the daughter of businesswoman Marjorie Merriweather Post, the heiress of Post Cereals, owner of General Foods, and at one time one of the richest woman in the United States. If I had it to do over again today, I might continue working., Dina Merrill, Actress and Philanthropist, Dies at 93, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/22/movies/dina-merrill-dead-actress-and-heiress.html, Dina Merrill and Larry Blyden in What Makes Sammy Run?. In television, some of her acting credits include appearances in shows like Roseanne, The Bold Ones, The Love Boat, Quincy, Murder, She Wrote, and several others. You didnt go to work then if you had young children, she said in 1979. Hollywood lost another brilliant actress as her death was confirmed by her son, Stanley H. Rumbough, who stated Dina Merrill's cause of death is not yet known, but it was revealed that she suffered from Lewy Body dementia. She had been suffering from dementia with Lewy bodies. In the same year she married Ted Hartley, a former pilot and actor turned investment banker. They divorced in 1966. Merril has been married three times. Place of death. 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