She received a lifetime achievement award from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in April 2005. Merrill was born in New York City on December 29, 1923, although for many years her year of birth was given as 1925. Sorry, you have Javascript Disabled! The property was later purchased by Trump, who as president has made Mar-a-Lago an unofficial weekend White House. She also appeared in made-for-TV movies, such as Seven in Darkness (1969), The Lonely Profession (1969), Family Flight (1972) and The Tenth Month (1979). Heather, a screenwriter, director and filmmaker, was the daughter of actors Dina Merrill and Cliff. She chaired the New York City Mission Society, which supports young people living in poverty. Her parents divorced when she was 10. Merrill was involved in numerous charitable and artistic causes. And I guess they said, really between themselves, Let the dear girl try and fall on her face.. She was the only child of Post Cereals heiress, Marjorie Merriweather Post, and her second husband, the Wall Street stockbroker, Edward Francis EF Hutton. Merrill, herself, was no slouch. Her last big role was in the film "Shade. Keep reading for interesting details about the late actress. She had three children with Stanley M. Rumbough. Her father was E.F. Hutton, founder of the stockbroker firm that bore his name. She made her Broadway debut in 1945 with "The Mermaids Singing" and followed with "George Washington Slept Here" and off-Broadway plays. Shortly after their marriage in 1989, their company, Pavilion Communications, bought a controlling interest in RKO Pictures, but they had little success in returning that studio to its former glory. 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. 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. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Cliff took the telephone and told the whole story, she recalled. In the same year she married Ted Hartley, a former pilot and actor turned investment banker. The rest of her career after the debut became a series of excellence, starring in one film or television after the other, expressing her talents as an actress. Ominously, the feds said in a recent filing they are auditing the Barzin estate, "which will likely result" in a bill for more U.S. taxes. 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. At the age of 27 in 1914, Marjories father died and left her with a $250 million fortune. Her son David Post Rumbough (DOB: September 27, 1949) was killed in a boating accident on September 8, 1973, when the twin-engine racing boat in which he was riding capsized in choppy seas in Gardiners Bay off eastern Long Island. Later that year, she wed Oscar-winning actor Cliff Robertson, with whom she had a daughter, Heather Robertson (19682007). Dina Merrill, who was an elegant screen presence in film and on television starting in the late '50s, has died. July 25, 2021 TheRichestCelebs. By the end of the decade, she was booking roles in movies such as "Just Tell Me What You Want. A U.S. will gave everything left over to De Bekessy. The couple had one child together before divorcing in 1986. Read alsoHoward Schultz. Her father was E.F. Hutton, founder of the stockbroker firm that bore his name. Magazine pics. Her son David's diabetes inspired her to establish the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation. After the birth of her daughter, Merrill resumed her acting and modeling career and was invited to Hollywood by Dick Powell for appearances in his television series. The actress marriage to Cliff was one of her longest, lasting 20 years. An elegant presence in most of her 30 or so mid-20th-century movies, Ms. Merrill played the betrayed wife who loses both her husband, Laurence Harvey, and her mink coat to Elizabeth Taylor in Butterfield 8 (1960); the chic fashion consultant who loses Glenn Ford to Shirley Jones in The Courtship of Eddies Father (1963); and the steadfast socialite wife of an assistant district attorney played by Burt Lancaster in The Young Savages (1961). 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 made her Broadway debut in 1945 with The Mermaids Singingand followed with George Washington Slept Hereand off-Broadway plays. One of her children with Mr. Rumbough died in a boating accident at age 23, and her daughter with Mr. Robertsonwho was a resident of Water Mill when he died in 2011died of cancer in 2007. Jr. and a solitary daughter with Cliff Robertson. In 1946 she married Stanley Rumbough, Jr., an heir to the Colgate-Palmolive fortune, and had three children with him. Died in boating accident. Post, had founded a cereal business that became General Foods (now part of Towards the mid-60s, Merrill appeared in films like Frederick de Cordova's "I'll Take Sweden," "The Greatest," and "A Wedding." 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. The late Associated Press writer Bob Thomas contributed biological material to this report. Merrill made her debut on the stage in the play The Mermaid Singing in 1945. (18 November 1989 - 22 May 2017) ( her death), Cliff Robertson (22 December 1966 - 1989 . She was. In 1945, she made her debut on stage in the play, The Mermaid Singing. The $8.2 million purchase of the West Dune Lane estate happened a year after Merrill's death last year at age 93 and was by the daughter from Merrill's her first marriage, Nedenia Rumbough, and Donald Handelman. By the time she got her first movie role as a young research assistant to Katharine Hepburn in Desk Set (1957), with Spencer Tracy she was over 30. Dinais also known forTV-movies likeThe Lonely Profession, Family Flight, andThe Tenth Month. Of course, my parents eyebrows shot up when I said I wanted to be an actress. 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. Mr. Hartley, who was a U.S. Navy fighter pilot before going into investment banking, is now 93. Dina Merrill, American actress, socialite heiress, businesswoman and philanthropist Birth Place: New York City, New York Country: United States Birthday: December 9, 1923 Death Date: May 22 , 2017 ( age 93 ) Birth Sign : Sagittarius About Biography Dina Merrill is an American actress socialite businesswoman and philanthropist. The IRS answered in court that it did nothing wrong by sending the refund to Europe, even if there was a pending probate listing an address near its own Washington, D.C. headquarters. Dina Merrill married three times throughout her life. 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. The actress took her step-sisters then-husbands advice and adopted the stage name, Dina Merrill. The actress took her step-sisters husbands advice and adopted the stage name, Dina Merrill. 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. Its really so depressing to be still listed in the Social Register after all the acting Ive done. She quit acting in 1946, partly because of her mother's pressure. In 1945, she made her debut on stage in the play,The Mermaid Singing. Her fortune was estimated at more than $250 million when she died in 1973 at age 86. It's interesting to lead other people lives.". Dina Merrill passed away on May 22nd of 2017. Accordingly, Dina Merrills net worth is estimated to be $5.0 billion at the time of her death. De Bekessy's main U.S. lawyer, Victor Muskin, said he was unaware of Curtin's lawsuit against the IRS in the obscure U.S. Court of Federal Claims until forbes told him, but he wasn't surprised. 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. Born: 9-Dec-1925 Birthplace: New York City Died: 22-May-2017 Location of death: East Hampton, NY Cause of death: unspecified. The second marriage lasted 20 years, and Ms. Merrill later married Ted Hartley, who was chairman of RKO Pictures. The body of David Post Rum bough, the 23yearold son or Dina Merrill, the actress, was found yesterday, five days after Mr. Rumbough was reported missing in a boating acciaent in waters off. Her daughter with Cliff, Heather Robertson died in 2007, ten years before her own death in 2017. ), As a child, born into the American aristocracy of money and high society, Ms. Merrill wished she could take the bus like the other kids, she said, instead of being driven to school by the family chauffeur. . Her family owned the Mar-a-Lago, and she spent her summers on the Sea Cloud, her fami. Her birth name was Dina Hutton, but she changed her last name to Merrill as an act of rebellion towards her father, whom hated that she pursued acting. The couple divorced in 1986. Dina Merrill photo shoot. 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. Pictorials. Over the years, she appeared in a number of Broadway plays, including "On Your Toes.". Herfather did not approve of her dreams tobecome an actress. The Social Register is a nice address book for some people, but thats about it. Merrill, born Nedenia Marjorie Hutton, spent the summers. They divorced in 1986. Her father was E.F. Hutton, founder of the stockbroker firm that bore his name. 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. Tendering no money, he requested a $10 million "refund." As a result, her name was dropped from the snobbish Social Register, which excluded actors. Gender: Fe. David Post Rumbough. They divorced in 1966. Merrill and Rumbough divorced in 1966, the same year she married actor Cliff Robertson. Merrill was involved in numerous charitable and artistic causes. Her second husband was Cliff Robertson, the first husband she got who was a part of the film industry. She got married three times while she was alive, marrying a couple of notable men. Dina Merrill died on May 22, 2017, at the age of 93. (NEW YORK) 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. Throughout the 50s to the 60s, Dina Merrills performances and looks were very much likened to that of another popular and iconic actress, Grace Kelly, who other than being a talented actress, was also wealthy. She was a trustee of the Eugene ONeill Theater Center and served on the board of trustees for the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Merrill had few acting credits in recent yearsbut never regretted her career. Her mother, Marjorie Merriweather Post was the heiress of a successful cereal company, Post Cereals while her father, Edward Francis Hutton was a wealthy stockbroker who established E.F Hutton & Co. My ambitions were my own not exactly the ones they had for me.. Dina Merrill (full name: Nedenia Marjorie Hutton); December 29, 1923 May 22, 2017) was an American actress, heiress, socialite, businesswoman, and philanthropist. 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. . In 1991, Merrill and her third husband, Ted Hartley, merged their company, Pavilion Communications, with RKO to form RKO Pictures, which owns the intellectual property of the RKO Radio Pictures movie studio. Her father wanted her to become a lawyer and then to run for Congress. 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. Throughout her career as an actress, Dina worked on several films such as Desk Set, Dont Give Up the Ship, The Young Savages, Ill Take Sweden, True Colors, and Shade. Therefore, in 1959 she was proclaimed Hollywoods new Grace Kelly. During the 60s, she appeared as the villain "Calamity Jan" in two episodes of "Batman." Her son Davids diabetes inspired her to establish the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation. According to Oprah magazine, Diana suffered from a concussion, a broken arm, a cut thigh and massive chest injuries. Merrill, raised in part on the Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida now owned by President Donald Trump, died Monday, according to a family spokeswoman. 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. During the late 1950s and 1960s, Merrill was believed to have intentionally been marketed as a replacement for Grace Kelly. Merrill died Monday at her home in East Hampton, N.Y., The New York Times reported. Merrill, who had the poised, aristocratic beauty of fellow blonde Grace Kelly, co-starred with Cary Grant and Tony Curtis in "Operation Petticoat," Robert Mitchum and Deborah Kerr in "The Sundowners" and Oscar winner Elizabeth Taylor in "Butterfield 8." In 1991, she appeared in the rotating cast of the off-Broadway staged reading of Wit & Wisdom. After divorcing Mr. Robertson in 1986, Ms. Merrill married Ted Hartley, a former Navy fighter pilot, actor and investment banker, who survives her. Her last husband, who she was with until her death was Ted Hartley. But becoming an actress was not considered proper for someone of Merrill's privileged status. Nedenia Marjorie Hutton was 93 years old, Died: 22 May 2017, in East Hampton, New York, United States and wasBorn: 29 December 1923, in New York City, New York, United States. 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. I grow all kinds of annuals. After his Marine Corps' service he became head of the Metal Containers Corp. and a company that made pari-mutuel betting machines. My mother brainwashed me, she said. Tension appears to exist between father and daughter. She was 93. The cause of death and other details were not . While remaining a U.S. citizen, she lived mostly in Paris from the 1930s on. 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. She got married three times while she was alive, marrying a couple of notable men. Trivia. "I was particularly thrilled because (Robertson) was furious. "I was thrilled when they dropped me," she said in 1983. (Swedish) 0 references ", Outside of acting roles on TV, Merrill was a regular guest on game shows like "The Match Game," "To Tell the Truth," "What's My Line," and "Hollywood Squares." Although she became a successful actress during her career, her exceptional net worth was the result of inheritance rather than her exploits in the entertainment world. Dina Merrill in 2002 at a Museum of Television & Radio gala in Beverly Hills. The marriage began in 1989. Hot! She died on April 29, 2007 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. She was a presidential appointee to the Board of Trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. One of her children with Mr. Rumbough died in a boating accident at age 23, and her daughter with Mr. Robertsonwho was a resident of Water Mill when he died in 2011died of cancer in 2007. In the 90s, Dina and her husband Ted Hartley merged their production company Pavilion Communications with RKO. "I turned down my career to marry my Marine.". Heiress Barbara Hutton was a cousin. Heather Robertson, her daughter with Mr. Robertson, died of cancer in 2007. Merrill was married three times. One of her first major film roles came in 1957 with "Desk Set." Large gallery of Dina Merrill pics. Heiress turned actress, Dina Merrill passed away at the age of 93 in her East Hampton, New York home. NEW YORK 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. Merrill, raised in part. In the submarine comedy Operation Petticoat (1959), her stranded Navy nurse ends up married to a slick lieutenant played by Tony Curtis. I always wanted to make it on my own.. It's interesting to lead other people lives.". Keep reading for interesting details about the late actress. Before a year had passed since her divorce from Rumbough, Merrill married Cliff Robertson, a successful actor who would later go on to win an Oscar. She left a $74 million estate consisting mainly of art, European real estate and $32 million, long managed by a cousin, in a Baltimore brokerage account. Heiress turned actress, Dina Merrill passed away at the age of 93 in her East Hampton, New York home. But becoming an actress was not considered proper for someone of Merrill's privileged status. Merrill attended George Washington University in Washington, D.C., for one term, then dropped out and enrolled at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York City. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. When provided, we also incorporate private tips and feedback received from the celebrities or their representatives. 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