), which she inherited and helped run following his suicide. Recent images. Jr. and a solitary daughter with Cliff Robertson. Merrill died Monday at her home in East Hampton, N.Y., The New York Times reported. After his Marine Corps service he became head of the Metal Containers Corp. and a company that made pari-mutuel betting machines. She died peacefully at her residence in New York City at the age of 93. Her son David's diabetes inspired her to establish the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation. 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. After a divorce, she married the actor Cliff Robertson. Younger half-sister of Stephanie Robertson. Merrill was the daughter of Marjorie Merriweather Post and E.F. Hutton, prominent and wealthy socialites of the previous century. (Mr. Trumps daughter Ivanka Trump slept in the same childrens suite that Ms. Merrill had used. Merrill left George Washington University after a year to enroll at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York. Merrill was a presidential appointee to the Board of Trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, a trustee of the Eugene ONeill Theater Center, and a vice president of the New York City Mission Society. In becoming a businesswoman, Merrill was emulating her mother, who in the 1920s had helped build her late father's cereal business into the giant General Foods Corp. "I was thrilled when they dropped me," she said in 1983. Nedenia would eventually change her name to Dina Merill after becoming a successful actress. I always wanted to make it on my own.. During this period, she was marketed as a potential replacement for Grace Kelly. Her mother was Marjorie Merriweather Post, heiress to the Post cereal fortune and one of the nations richest women. Ms. Merrill had some regrets about her late-blooming acting career, which had been forestalled because of her child-rearing responsibilities. Dina Merrill s net worth is estimated to be $5.0 billion at the time of her death. My ambitions were my own not exactly the ones they had for me.. You may opt-out by. 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. Dina Merrill. The former actress was 93. To see this page as it is meant to appear, please enable your Javascript! Biography - A Short Wiki 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 grounds were deemed too expensive to maintain, and so it was returned to the Post Foundation. She returned to Broadway in 1975, starring as a wife whose husband is trying to drive her mad in a revival of the play Angel Street. In 1983 she played the manager of the Russian Ballet in a well-received Broadway revival of the Rodgers and Hart musical On Your Toes.. Mr. Hartley, who was a U.S. Navy fighter pilot before going into investment banking, is now 98 years old and is the current CEO of RKO Pictures. Pictorials. 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. 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. Merrill was married three times. 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. Trivia. Kay put an investigative reporter on it, and then it really became public.. Her mother was Marjorie Merriweather Post, heiress to the Post cereal fortune and one of the nation's richest women. 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. Over the course of their relationship, they had three children together. 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. Two of Merrills four children predeceased her. Her death was confirmed by her son, Stanley H. Rumbough, who said she had Lewy Body dementia. I was particularly thrilled because (Robertson) was furious. All net worths are calculated using data drawn from public sources. Dina died on May 22, 2017, at age 93, survived by her third husband. Dina Merrill, the actress and heiress to two fortunes who wintered at her familys Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla., as a child before becoming a leading lady in movies, most often in upper-class roles, died on Monday at her home in East Hampton, N.Y. She was 93. 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. 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Merrill and Robertson had a daughter, Heather, but divorced in 1989. In the submarine comedy Operation Petticoat (1959), her stranded Navy nurse ends up married to a slick lieutenant played by Tony Curtis. 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). 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. The late Associated Press writer Bob Thomas contributed biological material to this report. #dina #lifestyle #death #networth Dina Merrill Net worth, Lifestyle, Death, Family, Movies, BiographyDina Merrill died on May 22, 2017, at the age of 93. In addition, Merrill was especially renowned for her stage work. But a U.S. trust Barzin created holding that $32 million said that after similar bequests, De Bekessy would get only 25%; the other 75% would go to his daughter. 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. 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. Dina Merrills other children are Nedenia Colgate Rumbough, David Post Rumbough, and Stanley Rumbough III. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. 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. Dina was one of the wealthiest actresses in the world, but it should be noted that the majority of her wealth comes from inheritance. 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. She had a successful stage, screen, and television acting career. 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. Although she made her stage debut in 1945, Dina emerged in the 50s and 60s as a prominent Hollywood actress. Merrill was born in New York City on December 29, 1923, although for many years her year of birth was given as 1925. 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. This merger resulted in a new company called RKO Pictures. She had been suffering from dementia with Lewy bodies. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. A liberal Republican, she was vice chairwoman of the Republican Pro-Choice Coalition, an advocate on womens health issues and vice president of the New York City Mission Society. I love the part about it where you can be somebody else, and not be you all the time. She was an actress and writer, known for White Chicks (2004), Casting Adrift (2004) and Josie and the Pussycats (2001). Her fortune was equal to $5 billion after adjusting for inflation at the time of her death. Her interesting life, which other than as an actress, included being a presidential appointee to the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, ended on the 22nd of May, 2017 at the age of 93. (18 November 1989 - 22 May 2017) ( her death), Cliff Robertson (22 December 1966 - 1989 . My ambitions were my own not exactly the ones they had for me.. As a result, her name was dropped from the snobbish Social Register, which excluded actors. Cause of death. Merrill and Robertson had a daughter, Heather, but divorced in 1989. His remains were recovered on September 13th. Dina Merrill, who was an elegant screen presence in film and on television starting in the late '50s, has died. Jr. and a solitary daughter with Cliff Robertson. She was 93 years old, and in the previous years, she had been suffering from dementia with Lewy bodies. Sorry, you have Javascript Disabled! 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. Before her death, she had an estimated net worth of $5 billion. Her parents divorced when she was 10. She got married three times while she was alive, marrying a couple of notable men. 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 Merrills other children are Nedenia Colgate Rumbough, David Post Rumbough, and Stanley Rumbough III. As the child of two businesspeople, 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. Accordingly, Dina Merrills net worth is estimated to be $5.0 billion at the time of her death. As Dina Merrill was the heiress of the Post Foundation along with her sister, they aimed to sell the property. 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. Dina Merrill was an actress whose aristocratic poise and willowy good looks earned her many film and television roles as well-bred society women - parts that reflected her own life as a scion of . In 1945, she made her debut on stage in the play, The Mermaid Singing. Keep reading for interesting details about the late actress. She received a lifetime achievement award from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in April 2005. I have a nice perennial border in the front of the house. She appeared with Cary Grant in The Sundowners and Butterfield 8 starting in 1960, and also appeared in The Player in 1992. But becoming an actress was not considered proper for someone of Merrill's privileged status. The family of Dina Merrill Hartley confirmed Tuesday morning that the actress and philanthropist, an icon of taste and sophistication . 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. Towards the mid-60s, Merrill appeared in films like Frederick de Cordova's "I'll Take Sweden," "The Greatest," and "A Wedding." Dina Merrill (Q51703) American actress, socialite heiress, businesswoman and philanthropist (1923-2017) Nedenia Marjorie Hutton edit Statements instance of human 1 reference image Dina Merrill.jpg 319 239; 9 KB 1 reference Dina Merrill 1968.JPG 498 620; 54 KB point in time 1968 media legend Dina Merrill, 1968. After one year, she made another appearance in the film "Don't Give Up The Ship." 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. Rumbough Jr. was also heir to the Colgate-Palmolive fortune. 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. She appeared in made-for-TV movies like "Seven in Darkness," "The Lonely Profession," "Family Flight," and "The Tenth Month." 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). They had three children, Nedenia Colgate Rumbough, David Post Rumbough, and Stanley Rumbough III before divorcing in 1966. . Dina Merrill (full name: Nedenia Marjorie Hutton); December 29, 1923 May 22, 2017) was an American actress, heiress, socialite, businesswoman, and philanthropist. "Mother was politically and diplomatically and every which way well connected," Merrill remarked in 2000, "but she didn't know anyone in show business. During this decade she appeared in films like "Anna to the Infinite Power," "Twisted," and "Caddyshack II." With other investors, Hartley and Merrill in 1989 acquired RKO Pictures, the onetime major Hollywood studio that had been moribund for many years. Kraft Foods ", Outside of film acting, Dina was famous for her television work. 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. 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. Heiress turned actress, Dina Merrill passed away at the age of 93 in her East Hampton, New York home. In 1946 she married Stanley M. Rumbough Jr., heir to the Colgate-Palmolive consumer products fortune, and spent much of the next decade raising their three children. It was a move that shaped the rest of Dinas life, who despite being a popular actress, was also known as a socialite and businesswoman. 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