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Dina Merrill
Actress Dina Merrill (Dec. 29, 1923-May 22, 2017) shared the screen with Rod Taylor in sparkling
performances that spanned the decades.
Merrill was the daughter of Wall Street broker E. F. Hutton and cereal
heiress Marjorie Merriweather Post. Despite this great fortune, she was
very much a working actress, appearing in scores of movies and TV shows
over more than a half a century.
Here are her appearances with Rod Taylor:
(1) Hong Kong, 1961:
Dina plays Glenn Evans' love interest of the week in the "Lady Godiva"
episode, and their chemistry is just about the best of the entire
series. A long-ago romance tries to rekindle, but danger, intrigue and
lively banter come first. You can read more about the episode on the
"Hong
Kong" page.
(2) Family Flight, 1972:
Rod and Dina have a rockier time of it in their next outing. In this TV
movie, Rod plays a self-reliant pilot and Dina plays his longsuffering
wife. When disaster strikes, Dina displays an emotional arc that ranges from
brittle alcoholic to a woman determined to help her family
survive. She and Rod don't share many scenes together, but they are a
convincing couple, struggling to find their way. Read more at the
"Family Flight" page.
(3) The Point of Betrayal, 1995:
This independent movie features Rod and Dina as newlywed 60-somethings,
very much in love and full of life. Rod is a delight -- playful, fierce
and loving. The two enjoyed working together again, and they liked
working in South Florida. Rod seemed ready to move there, and Dina had spent
much of her childhood near the Palm Beach County locations. See more at the "The
Point of Betrayal" page, and be sure to read the
On
the Set article (PDF) for interviews and a behind-the-scenes feel
for the film.
(4) Open Season, 1996:
Rod and Dina don't share any scenes in this independent film, but the
movie is worth noting. Although Dina's appearance is brief, Rod's role
is full of bluster and great humor. More at the
"Open Season" page.
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