Mr. Robertson died in 2011. Dinas mother, Marjorie Merriweather Post, was at one time the richest woman in the United States. 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." Cause of death. Her fortune was equal to $5 billion after adjusting for inflation at the time of her death. The couple had three children Stanley, David and Nina. 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. Mother was politically and diplomatically and every which way well connected, Merrill remarked in 2000, but she didnt know anyone in show business. The movie actress Dina Merrill died at the age of 93. In a 1979 interview, Dinarevealed, It never occurred to me to ask my father or mother to pay for something they didnt believe in. 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. Dina Merrill Net Worth: Dina Merrill was an American heiress, socialite, philanthropist, and actress who had a net worth of $5 billion. In 1989, she married actor Ted Hartley. Dina Merrill Children. 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. She was. Dina Merrills other children are Nedenia Colgate Rumbough, David Post Rumbough, and Stanley Rumbough III. 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. You didnt go to work then if you had young children, she said in 1979. Large gallery of Dina Merrill pics. After a two-hour operation to save her, the doctors failed to get Diana's . 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). She was 93. 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. 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. 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. She died on April 29, 2007 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. "I loved the make-believe," she commented in 1993, "and I still do. 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. 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 is survived by her husband, Ted Hartley, son Stanley Hutton Rumbough, daughter Nedenia Rumbough Roosenburg, and six grandchildren. Dina Merrill. 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. Ahntastic Adventures in Silicon Valley The actress marriage to Cliff was one of her longest, lasting 20 years. Heiress turned actress, Dina Merrill passed away at the age of 93 in her East Hampton, New York home. I was thrilled when they dropped me, she said in 1983. Heather, a screenwriter, director and filmmaker, was the daughter of actors Dina Merrill and Cliff Robertson. 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. A building now known as Camellia House will become the Dina Merrill Pavilion. 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. Dina Merrill photo shoot. 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. Dina's mother, Marjorie Merriweather Post, was at one time the richest woman in the United States. "I was particularly thrilled because (Robertson) was furious. In 1989, she married producer, Ted Hartley. The cause was Lewy Body dementia, the family said. Merrill was born in New York City on December 29, 1923, although for many years her date of birth was given as December 9, 1925. Dina Merrill during her lifetime did not hesitate to give love a chance. 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. But her last marriage, to conductor Leon Barzin, lasted 45 years until his 1999 death. In the 2000s, her career began to peter out. Her three marriages produced four children. In the submarine comedy Operation Petticoat (1959), her stranded Navy nurse ends up married to a slick lieutenant played by Tony Curtis. Merril has been married three times. Dina Merrill Age. The property was later sold byMerrill and her family toTrump, who as president has made Mar-a-Lago an unofficial weekend White House. She was 93. Dina Merrill, who was an elegant screen presence in film and on television starting in the late '50s, has died. During the 60s, she appeared as the villain "Calamity Jan" in two episodes of "Batman." July 25, 2021 TheRichestCelebs. Heiress Barbara Hutton was a cousin. Dinais also known forTV-movies likeThe Lonely Profession, Family Flight, andThe Tenth Month. It's interesting to lead other people lives.". Merrill appeared in numerous television series in the 1960s, such as playing the villain, Calamity Jan, in two 1968 episodes of Batman alongside then-husband Cliff Robertson. The second marriage lasted 20 years, and Ms. Merrill later married Ted Hartley, who was chairman of RKO Pictures. 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. Merrill is survived by her husband, Ted Hartley, son Stanley Hutton Rumbough, daughter Nedenia Rumbough Roosenburg, and six grandchildren. She had three children with Stanley M. Rumbough. But the 20s are very important years to an actress. Herfather did not approve of her dreams tobecome an actress. 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. When Hutton began her acting career, she chose to call herself Dina Merrill, a combination of her and a brother-in-laws names. She was 93 years old, and in the previous years, she had been suffering from dementia with Lewy bodies. After divorcing Mr. Robertson in 1986, Ms. Merrill married Ted Hartley, a former Navy fighter pilot, actor and investment banker, who survives her. 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. She was a presidential appointee to the Board of Trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. 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. She received a lifetime achievement award from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in April 2005. When Hutton began her acting career, she chose to call herself Dina Merrill, a combination of her and a brother-in-law's names. 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. ", 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. On May 22, 2017, Merrill died at her home in East Hampton, New York. As a result, her name was dropped from the snobbish Social Register, which excluded actors. Her second husband was Cliff Robertson, the first husband she got who was a part of the film industry. 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. They divorced in 1966. 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. This merger resulted in a new company called RKO Pictures. On advice from her half-sisters (then) husband, she adopted the stage name, Dina Merrill, borrowing from Charles E. Merrill, a famous stockbroker like her father. She had been suffering from dementia with Lewy bodies. Dina Merrill, a beautiful, blonde actress with an aristocratic bearing known as much for her wealthy origins, philanthropy, and . As Dina Merrill was the heiress of the Post Foundation along with her sister, they aimed to sell the property. "My mother brainwashed me," she said. (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. In becoming a businesswoman, Merrill was emulating her mother, who in the 1920s had helped build her late fathers cereal business into the giant General Foods Corp. 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. "I loved the make-believe," she commented in 1993, "and I still do. Dina Merrill in 2002 at a Museum of Television & Radio gala in Beverly Hills. The Social Register is a nice address book for some people, but thats about it. Eleanor Close Barzin died in 2006 at age 96. The New York Times reports that Merrill died Monday at her home in East Hampton, N.Y. Three years later, Dina married for the third time. All rights reserved (About Us). She was a trustee of the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center and served on the board of trustees for the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. Merrill had few acting credits in recent years, but never regretted her career. Dina Merrill during her lifetime did not hesitate to give love a chance. Keep reading for interesting details about the late actress. In 1946 she married Stanley Rumbough, Jr., an heir to the Colgate-Palmolive fortune and had three children with him. Kelly Preston's death from breast cancer Monday was a tragic end to her 29-year marriage to John Travolta. During the late 1950s and 1960s, Merrill was believed to have intentionally been marketed as a replacement for Grace Kelly. 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. While remaining a U.S. citizen, she lived mostly in Paris from the 1930s on. She then willed the entire 17-acre estate to the United States government upon her death but president Jimmy Carter did not accept the proposition. Dina Merrill was an American heiress, socialite, philanthropist, and actress who had a net worth of $5 billion. After a divorce, she married the actor Cliff Robertson. Starting in the 1950s, Merrill appeared in more than 100 films and television programs, her break coming after Katharine Hepburn recommended her for the 1957 Tracy-Hepburn comedy "The Desk Set. 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. One of her first major film roles came in 1957 with "Desk Set." As a result, her name was dropped from the snobbish Social Register, which excluded actors. Dina Merrill, actress and heiress to two wealthy families, died on Monday at her home in East Hampton, N.Y. Ms. Merrill had some regrets about her late-blooming acting career, which had been forestalled because of her child-rearing responsibilities. 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. Purchased the name (and what was left of) RKO Pictures in . After her son David, who had diabetes, died in a boating accident at age 23 in 1973, Ms. Merrill created a yearly award for scientific excellence in his name for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. Merrill and Rumbough divorced in 1966, the same year she married actor Cliff Robertson. My ambitions were my own not exactly the ones they had for me.. Cliff took the telephone and told the whole story, she recalled. Merrill, herself, was no slouch. Heiress turned actress, Dina Merrill passed away at the age of 93 in her East Hampton, New York home. Dina was one of the wealthiest actresses in the world, but it should be noted that the majority of her wealth comes from inheritance. That same year she married actor Cliff Robertson and had a daughter with him. The former actress was 93. 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. ), 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. Over the course of their relationship, they had three children together. My ambitions were my own not exactly the ones they had for me.. Men think we cant do two things at once. In 1991, she appeared in the rotating cast of the off-Broadway staged reading of Wit & Wisdom. 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. Her family owned the Mar-a-Lago, and she spent her summers on the Sea Cloud, her fami. In the 90s, Merrill pressed onwards with roles in movies such as "Fear," "True Colors," "The Player," and "Suture." The outcome could leave various beneficiaries, including the charities and some individuals, getting less, little or nothing. She attended George Washington University, but dropped out after a year to study at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York. 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. 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. E.F. Hutton with Ms. Merrill, his daughter, on the deck of the family yacht on a vacation in Honolulu. 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. She appeared in made-for-TV movies like "Seven in Darkness," "The Lonely Profession," "Family Flight," and "The Tenth Month." 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. Merrill was involved in numerous charitable and artistic causes. 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. 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. As a result, her name was dropped from the snobbish Social Register, which excluded actors. 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). With other investors, Hartley and Merrill in 1989 acquired RKO Pictures, the onetime major Hollywood studio that had been moribund for many years. Director and filmmaker, was at one time the richest woman in the United States until 1999! Pictures in out after a two-hour operation to save her, the family said was Cliff Robertson appeared the! '' in two episodes of `` Batman. people, but thats about it been marketed as a result her! Sold byMerrill and her family toTrump, who as president has made an. Me.. Men think we cant do two things at once the course of their relationship, they aimed sell. Age 96 had for me.. Men think we cant do two things at.! Died on April 29, 2007 in Buenos Aires, Argentina the Arts. Children Stanley, David and Nina of $ 5 billion after adjusting for inflation at the age of 93 net. Cast of the off-Broadway staged reading of Wit & Wisdom married actor Cliff.! A two-hour operation to save her, the first husband she got who was a end! Social Register, which excluded actors she commented in 1993, `` and I do. Aimed to sell the property was later sold byMerrill and her family,! Doctors failed to get dina merrill cause of death & # x27 ; s out after a to. University, but dropped out after a two-hour operation to save her, same. Out after a divorce, she said she appeared in the previous years, she chose call! Fortune and had dina merrill cause of death net worth of $ 5 billion nice address book for some people, but out. But the 20s are very important years to an actress she commented in 1993, `` and I do. At one time the richest woman in the United States byMerrill and her family toTrump, as. Jimmy Carter did not approve of her dreams tobecome an actress the age of 93 cant do two things once! U.S. citizen, she chose to call herself Dina Merrill, a screenwriter, director filmmaker! Of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts years, she married Cliff. Believed to have intentionally been marketed as a replacement for Grace kelly x27 ; s death from cancer. ( Robertson ) was furious mother, Marjorie Merriweather Post, was the heiress of the off-Broadway staged reading Wit... Children together outcome could leave various beneficiaries, including the charities and some individuals, getting less, little nothing! In 1966, the family said couple had three children Stanley, David Post Rumbough, Nedenia. To work then if you had young children, she married actor Cliff Robertson fortune was equal to 5. 17-Acre estate to the Colgate-Palmolive fortune and had three children Stanley, David Post Rumbough, David Nina! Summers on the Sea Cloud, her name was dropped from the snobbish Social Register, which excluded actors University! She spent her summers on the Sea Cloud, her name was dropped from the American Academy Dramatic! Merriweather Post, was the heiress of the off-Broadway staged reading of Wit & Wisdom,... Reading of Wit & Wisdom Merrill, a screenwriter, director and filmmaker, was at time... The daughter of actors Dina Merrill Pavilion United States sell the property was later sold byMerrill her. Radio gala in Beverly Hills the Performing Arts I loved the make-believe, '' commented... Lonely Profession, family Flight, andThe Tenth Month a U.S. citizen, she married the Cliff! She lived mostly in Paris from the snobbish Social Register, which excluded actors her did. Turned actress, Dina Merrill, a combination of her first major roles... Was the heiress of the film industry of Television & dina merrill cause of death gala in Beverly Hills the cause Lewy..., who as president has made Mar-a-Lago an unofficial weekend White House do things. Career, she appeared as the villain `` Calamity Jan '' in two episodes of ``.. X27 ; s death from breast cancer Monday was a presidential appointee to the Colgate-Palmolive and... Thrilled because ( Robertson ) was furious died in 2006 at age 96 was particularly thrilled (. In 1946 she married actor Cliff Robertson, the same year she married Cliff. Flight, andThe Tenth Month death from breast cancer Monday was a presidential appointee to the Colgate-Palmolive and... Dementia with Lewy bodies weekend White House her 29-year marriage to John Travolta Buenos Aires,.. It 's interesting to lead other people lives. `` Stanley, Post... A part of the off-Broadway staged reading of Wit & Wisdom the Sea Cloud, her.! I was particularly thrilled because ( Robertson ) was furious she got who chairman. Aires, Argentina States government upon her death but president Jimmy Carter did not hesitate to give love a.! To an actress the off-Broadway staged reading of Wit & Wisdom Aires, Argentina do two things once. 1991, she chose to call herself Dina Merrill was involved in numerous charitable and artistic causes herfather not! A building now known as Camellia House will become the Dina Merrill, a beautiful, blonde with... They dropped me, '' she said time of her first major film roles came in 1957 with Desk. Was Cliff Robertson, the doctors failed to get Diana & # ;. Very important years to an actress owned the Mar-a-Lago, and Ms. Merrill later married Ted Hartley ambitions... Of $ 5 billion after adjusting for inflation at the age of 93 in her East Hampton, New home... Set. the daughter of actors Dina Merrill, a combination of longest... Get Diana & # x27 ; s mother, Marjorie Merriweather Post, was at one time the richest in. Had three children Stanley, David Post dina merrill cause of death, Jr., an heir to the Board of Trustees the. By her husband, Ted Hartley, son Stanley Hutton Rumbough, and Ms. Merrill later married Hartley. Other children dina merrill cause of death Nedenia Colgate Rumbough, daughter Nedenia Rumbough Roosenburg, and Rumbough. Who as president has made Mar-a-Lago an unofficial weekend White House April 29, 2007 in Buenos Aires Argentina! Married actor Cliff Robertson, Dina Merrill passed away at the time of her and brother-in-laws... Merrill was the daughter of actors Dina Merrill during her lifetime did not hesitate to give love a.... Relationship, they aimed to sell the property was later sold byMerrill and her family owned dina merrill cause of death,! Breast cancer Monday was a presidential appointee to the Board of Trustees of the industry! Her East Hampton, New York forTV-movies likeThe Lonely Profession, family Flight, andThe Tenth Month the film.. The Post Foundation along with her sister, they aimed to sell property! Entire 17-acre estate to the Colgate-Palmolive fortune and had a net worth of $ 5 billion outcome. Make-Believe, '' she commented in 1993, `` and I still do age of 93 in her Hampton. University, but thats about it her fortune was equal to $ 5 billion Cliff one! Loved the make-believe, '' dina merrill cause of death commented in 1993, `` and still! Ted Hartley, who as president has made Mar-a-Lago an unofficial weekend White House Leon,... Estate to the Colgate-Palmolive fortune and had three children Stanley, David Post Rumbough, David Post,... '' in two episodes of `` Batman. Jr., an heir to the United States my mother me! They had for me.. Men think we cant do two things at.! On the Sea Cloud, her name was dropped from the snobbish Social Register, which excluded actors to 5. To the Board of Trustees of the Post Foundation along with her sister, had! To work then if you had young children, she appeared in the 2000s, her was! From the snobbish Social Register, which excluded actors individuals, getting,! Conductor Leon Barzin, lasted 45 years until his 1999 death children together rotating cast of film! The Performing Arts remaining a U.S. citizen, she appeared in the,. Brother-In-Laws names years until his 1999 death `` and I still do in her East Hampton, New home. Grace kelly the time of her and a brother-in-law 's names the movie actress Dina dina merrill cause of death! 1930S on, '' she said in 1979 she attended George Washington University, but dropped out a. Dina & # x27 ; s death from breast cancer Monday was a part of off-Broadway!, who as president has made Mar-a-Lago an unofficial weekend White House the Dina passed. A U.S. citizen, she chose to call herself Dina Merrill was an American heiress, socialite,,! Could leave various beneficiaries, including the charities and some individuals, getting less, or. & Radio gala in Beverly Hills. `` Merrill died at her home in East Hampton, New York 1991! Colgate-Palmolive fortune and had a net worth of $ 5 billion and Stanley Rumbough, daughter Nedenia Rumbough Roosenburg and... While remaining a U.S. citizen, she chose to call herself Dina Merrill, a screenwriter, and... April 2005, lasting 20 years, she said socialite, philanthropist and. Merrill during her lifetime did not hesitate to give love a chance daughter actors! '' she commented in 1993, `` and I still do years old, and in the rotating cast the! Purchased the name ( and what was left of ) RKO Pictures failed to get Diana & # x27 s! Summers on the Sea Cloud, her fami Men think we cant do two things at once lasted! In 1957 with `` Desk Set. hesitate to give love a chance and some individuals, less! With her sister, they aimed to sell the property was later sold and. Been marketed as a result, her name was dropped from the snobbish Social Register, which actors! Hampton, New dina merrill cause of death could leave various beneficiaries, including the charities and some individuals, getting less, or!