Dina Merrill

Dina Merrill was an actress best known for her appearances in the films Desk Set, Operation Petticoat, Butterfield 8, The Courtship of Eddie's Father and The Young Savages.

The actress was known for a refined quality, which led to her often playing characters from well-to-do backgrounds. Her persona was rooted in truth: Merrill was heir to the Post Cereals fortune and raised in New York society.

Her television appearances included guest roles on such series as Dr. Kildare, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, Burke’s Law, Rawhide, Bonanza, Batman, Mission: Impossible, The Virginian, The Odd Couple, Hawaii Five-O, Quincy M.E., The Love Boat, The Nanny, Roseanne and Murder, She Wrote.

Merrill made her Broadway debut in 1945 in The Mermaids Singing, and returned to the stage in 1975 for a revival of Angel Street and again in 1983 to perform in the musical On Your Toes.

In 2005, her alma mater, the American Academy of Dramatic Arts, honored her with a lifetime achievement award.

Merrill died May 22, 2017, in East Hampton, New York. She was 93.