There may be some people reading this who are too young to know who Nedenia Marjorie Hutton, aka Dina Merrill, is.  Understandable, as my own knowledge of her as an actress is a bit sparse.  Yes, she was easily one of the classiest, most gorgeous women to ever grace a Broadway stage or Hollywood set.  But when I think of Dina Merrill, I remember the many talk shows I saw her on, where she was always beautifully dressed and coiffed, wearing fabulous jewelry, and talking about a project near and dear to her heart.   And today, in many circles, she's best known for those projects - her philanthropic work.

Some would say that Dina Merrill couldn't be anything but classy, sophisticated and elegant, considering her background.  Born to Edward Francis Hutton (yes, E.F.) and Marjorie Merriweather Post (known everywhere as the Post cereals heiress) Dina was the epitome of the glamorous New York society girl.

But after one year at George Washington University, she left college and went off to study acting at the American Academy of Dramatic Arts.  After a number of years on Broadway, she made a name for herself in Hollywood, debuting in Desk Set, with Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy. 

But for all of her privilege, beauty and glamorous style, Ms. Merrill has always been an active philanthropist.  When one of her children was diagnosed with diabetes, she became one of the founders of the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation.  She is also a director of Project Orbis, a flying eye hospital which teaches advanced eye care and surgical techniques all over the world.  Ms. Merrill has worked tirelessly for underprivileged, particularly at the New York City Mission Society.  Furthermore, she is on the boards of several performing arts organizations.

But even beyond the philanthropy, the one thing that most impresses me about Ms. Merrill is her fearlessness in standing up for what she believes in.  A liberal Republican (yeah, I remember when there were LOTS of them) she's been a long-time lobbyist for women's health issues and is vice-chair of the Republican Pro-Choice Coalition. 

Many years ago it was said that the three most important things any woman could have were: beauty - brains - and breeding.  Hm...  could have been describing Dina Merrill.  She's definitely a triple threat; and that's why she's my choice for this Tuesday's "They Get It."

                     

In Vegas w/ Cary Grant, Frank Sinatra, Milton Berle, Dean Martin,1979             
With Diane Von Furstenburg 2007

(Photo: George Rose/Getty Images)
(Photo: 2007 WireImage.com)