Dina Merrill
A silver-screen socialite who leveraged her Park Avenue pedigree to craft a decades-long career as a poised and versatile character actress.
1923–2017 (age 94)·American actress·Birthday: December 29·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Dina Merrill was born into extraordinary wealth as the daughter of financier E. F. Hutton and cereal heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post, but she carved out a name entirely her own. Rather than simply grace the society pages, she studied at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts and committed to the craft of acting. She made her film debut in the late 1950s, often cast in roles that mirrored her own elegant background—cool, sophisticated, and impeccably dressed. Yet she proved her range over the next forty years, appearing in everything from romantic comedies like 'Desk Set' to thrillers such as 'The Player.' Off-screen, she was a shrewd businesswoman and philanthropist, co-founding the first major women's professional tennis tour and supporting numerous arts and environmental causes, embodying a blend of grace and grit that transcended her inheritance.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Dina was born in 1923, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Dina Was Born
The biggest hits of 1923
#1 Movie
The Covered Wagon
Dina's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1923Born
The Great Kanto earthquake devastates Tokyo
President: Calvin Coolidge"Yes! We Have No Bananas" — Billy Jones
1928Started school
Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin; Mickey Mouse debuts
President: Calvin Coolidge"Ol' Man River" — Paul WhitemanBest Picture: Wings
1936Became a teenager
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1939Could drive
World War II begins; The Wizard of Oz premieres
Gas: $0.19/galMin wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Over the Rainbow" — Judy GarlandBest Picture: Gone with the Wind
1941Could vote
Pearl Harbor attack brings the US into WWII
Gas: $0.19/galHome: $3,060Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Chattanooga Choo Choo" — Glenn MillerBest Picture: How Green Was My Valley
1944Turned 21
D-Day: Allied forces land at Normandy
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $3,400Min wage: $0.30/hrPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"Swinging on a Star" — Bing CrosbyBest Picture: Going My Way
1953Turned 30
DNA structure discovered by Watson and Crick
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $8,750Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Song from Moulin Rouge" — Percy FaithBest Picture: From Here to Eternity
1963Turned 40
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1973Turned 50
US withdraws from Vietnam; Roe v. Wade decided
Gas: $0.39/galHome: $22,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree" — Tony Orlando & DawnBest Picture: The Sting
1983Turned 60
Internet adopts TCP/IP, creating the modern internet
Gas: $1.16/galHome: $57,700Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Every Breath You Take" — The PoliceBest Picture: Terms of Endearment
1993Turned 70
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
2003Turned 80
US invades Iraq; Human Genome Project completed
Gas: $1.59/galHome: $146,000Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"In Da Club" — 50 CentBest Picture: The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King
2017Died at 94
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
Key Achievements
- Accumulated over 100 film and television credits across a career spanning five decades.
- Co-founded the Virginia Slims tennis circuit with Gladys Heldman, revolutionizing women's professional sports.
- Served as a board member for the New York City Ballet and the Eugene O'Neill Theater Center.
- Starred as a series regular on the television drama 'The Young and the Restless' in the 1980s.
Did You Know?
Her birth name was Nedenia Marjorie Hutton.
She was an accomplished competitive sailor and once won a championship in the International One-Design class.
She served as a trustee for her mother's estate, which included the historic Mar-a-Lago property in Florida.
During World War II, she worked as a codebreaker for the Office of Strategic Services (OSS).
“I was born with a silver spoon, but I had to learn to use it.”
