Diana Dill
Encyclopedia
Diana Love Dill is a Bermudian actress, active in the U.S., who has also appeared professionally under the names Diana Douglas and Diana Douglas Darrid.
, the daughter of Ruth Rapalje (née
Neilson) and Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Melville Dill
(also the name of her great-grand-father, a mariner), who was a former Attorney General of Bermuda, and former Commanding Officer of the Bermuda Militia Artillery
. Hers is a prominent Bermudian family, present on the island since the very early seventeenth century. Her sister, Ruth Dill, was married to John Seward Johnson II
, heir to the Johnson & Johnson
fortune. Dill was raised in the Church of England
. In 2002, at age 79, Ms. Dill married Donald Webster, who once served as Treasury chief of staff under President Richard Nixon.
, with whom she had studied acting before the Second World War. During the War, Douglas was serving in the U.S. Navy
when he saw the May 3, 1943, issue of Life
magazine, which featured a photograph of Dill on the cover. He showed the cover to his ship-mates and said that he would marry her. The two were married on November 2, 1943. They had two sons, Michael
and Joel
, before divorcing in 1951.
Dill married actor Bill Darrid, and the two lived with her sons on the U.S. East Coast
until his death in 1992. In 2002, Dill married Donald Webster in the old Devonshire Parish Church in Bermuda.
, most recently in 2003, when he played her husband in It Runs in the Family
, in which son Michael Douglas
and his son Cameron Douglas
also acted. Joel Douglas
was an associate producer of the film.
As Diana Douglas Darrid, she published her memoirs, In the Wings: A Memoir (1999) (ISBN 1-56980-151-7), with a preface by her son, Michael. The book received a favorable nod from Publishers Weekly
.
Personal life
Dill was born in BermudaBermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
, the daughter of Ruth Rapalje (née
Married and maiden names
A married name is the family name adopted by a person upon marriage. When a person assumes the family name of her spouse, the new name replaces the maiden name....
Neilson) and Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Melville Dill
Thomas Melville Dill
Colonel Thomas Melville Dill OBE was a prominent Bermudian lawyer. He was born in Devonshire, in the British colony of Bermuda, on 23 December, 1876, to Thomas Newbold Dill and Mary Lea Smith Dill...
(also the name of her great-grand-father, a mariner), who was a former Attorney General of Bermuda, and former Commanding Officer of the Bermuda Militia Artillery
Bermuda Militia Artillery
The Bermuda Militia Artillery was a unit of part-time soldiers organised in 1895 as a reserve for the Royal Garrison Artillery detachment of the Regular Army garrison in Bermuda.-Foundation:...
. Hers is a prominent Bermudian family, present on the island since the very early seventeenth century. Her sister, Ruth Dill, was married to John Seward Johnson II
John Seward Johnson II
John Seward Johnson II also known as J. Seward Johnson, Jr. and Seward Johnson is an American artist known for his trompe l'oeil painted bronze statues, and a grandson of Robert Wood Johnson I ....
, heir to the Johnson & Johnson
Johnson & Johnson
Johnson & Johnson is an American multinational pharmaceutical, medical devices and consumer packaged goods manufacturer founded in 1886. Its common stock is a component of the Dow Jones Industrial Average and the company is listed among the Fortune 500....
fortune. Dill was raised in the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
. In 2002, at age 79, Ms. Dill married Donald Webster, who once served as Treasury chief of staff under President Richard Nixon.
Marriage
She was once married to Kirk DouglasKirk Douglas
Kirk Douglas is an American stage and film actor, film producer and author. His popular films include Out of the Past , Champion , Ace in the Hole , The Bad and the Beautiful , Lust for Life , Paths of Glory , Gunfight at the O.K...
, with whom she had studied acting before the Second World War. During the War, Douglas was serving in the U.S. Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
when he saw the May 3, 1943, issue of Life
Life (magazine)
Life generally refers to three American magazines:*A humor and general interest magazine published from 1883 to 1936. Time founder Henry Luce bought the magazine in 1936 solely so that he could acquire the rights to its name....
magazine, which featured a photograph of Dill on the cover. He showed the cover to his ship-mates and said that he would marry her. The two were married on November 2, 1943. They had two sons, Michael
Michael Douglas
Michael Kirk Douglas is an American actor and producer, primarily in movies and television. He has won three Golden Globes and two Academy Awards; first as producer of 1975's Best Picture, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and as Best Actor in 1987 for his role in Wall Street. Douglas received the...
and Joel
Joel Douglas
Joel Douglas is an American movie producer.The second son of Kirk Douglas and Diana Dill, he was born one day after his mother's 24th birthday...
, before divorcing in 1951.
Dill married actor Bill Darrid, and the two lived with her sons on the U.S. East Coast
East Coast of the United States
The East Coast of the United States, also known as the Eastern Seaboard, refers to the easternmost coastal states in the United States, which touch the Atlantic Ocean and stretch up to Canada. The term includes the U.S...
until his death in 1992. In 2002, Dill married Donald Webster in the old Devonshire Parish Church in Bermuda.
Career
Dill continued to appear in films with Kirk DouglasKirk Douglas
Kirk Douglas is an American stage and film actor, film producer and author. His popular films include Out of the Past , Champion , Ace in the Hole , The Bad and the Beautiful , Lust for Life , Paths of Glory , Gunfight at the O.K...
, most recently in 2003, when he played her husband in It Runs in the Family
It Runs in the Family (2003 film)
It Runs in the Family is a 2003 comedy-drama movie directed by Fred Schepisi and starring three generations of the Douglas family: Kirk Douglas, his son Michael Douglas, and Michael's son Cameron Douglas, who play three generations of a family....
, in which son Michael Douglas
Michael Douglas
Michael Kirk Douglas is an American actor and producer, primarily in movies and television. He has won three Golden Globes and two Academy Awards; first as producer of 1975's Best Picture, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and as Best Actor in 1987 for his role in Wall Street. Douglas received the...
and his son Cameron Douglas
Cameron Douglas
Cameron Morrell Douglas is an American actor.- Early life and family :Douglas was born in Santa Barbara, California, the elder son of actor Michael Douglas and only child of Diandra Morrell Douglas and grandson of actor Kirk Douglas and Bermudian actress Diana Dill. He has appeared in four films:...
also acted. Joel Douglas
Joel Douglas
Joel Douglas is an American movie producer.The second son of Kirk Douglas and Diana Dill, he was born one day after his mother's 24th birthday...
was an associate producer of the film.
As Diana Douglas Darrid, she published her memoirs, In the Wings: A Memoir (1999) (ISBN 1-56980-151-7), with a preface by her son, Michael. The book received a favorable nod from Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly, aka PW, is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers and literary agents...
.
Filmography
- 1942 Keeper of the FlameKeeper of the Flame (film)Keeper of the Flame is a dramatic film from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer . It stars Katharine Hepburn and Spencer Tracy. Hepburn plays the widow of a famous civic leader who has suddenly died in an accident. Tracy plays a former war correspondent who intends to write a flattering biography of the dead man,...
- 1947 The Late George ApleyThe Late George Apley (film)The Late George Apley is a 1947 film about a stuffy, upper-class Bostonian who is forced to adjust to a changing world. It starred Ronald Colman in the title role and was based on John P. Marquand's novel of the same name and the subsequent play by Marquand and George S...
- 1948 Let's Live Again
- 1948 The Sign of the Ram
- 1949 House of StrangersHouse of StrangersHouse of Strangers is a film noir, and is the first of three film versions of Jerome Weidman's novel I'll Never Go There Anymore, each scripted by Phillip Yordan...
' - 1949 Photocrime (TV Series)
- 1950 Masterpiece Playhouse - The Rivals
- 1950 The Web - Key Witness (TV Episode)
- 1951 The Whistle at Eaton Falls
- aka Richer Than the Earth (UK)
- 1952 Armstrong Circle TheatreArmstrong Circle TheatreArmstrong Circle Theatre is an American anthology drama television series which ran from 1950 to 1957 on NBC, and then until 1963 on CBS. It alternated weekly with The U.S. Steel Hour.-Synopsis:...
- Mr. Bemiss Takes a Trip (TV Episode) - 1951 Storm Over Tibet (Elaine March Simms)
- aka Mask of the Himalayas (USA: alternative title)
- aka Sturm über Tibet (West Germany)
- 1953 Monsoon
- 1953 Studio One - Greed
- aka Studio One Summer Theatre (summer title)
- aka Studio One in Hollywood (new title)
- aka Summer Theatre (summer title)
- aka Westinghouse Studio One
- aka Westinghouse Summer Theatre (summer title) (TV Episode)
- 1953 Medallion Theatre - The Decision at Arrowsmith (TV Episode)
- 1953 Three Steps to HeavenThree Steps to Heaven (TV series)Three Steps to Heaven was a soap opera that aired on NBC from August 3, 1953 to December 31, 1954. It was created by Irving Vendig. Don Pardo was the announcer....
Mary Claire 'Pogo' Thurmond Morgan #2 - 1953 Willys Theatre Presenting Ben Hecht's Tales of the City
- - Episode 1.6 (TV Episode)
- 1955 General Electric TheaterGeneral Electric TheaterGeneral Electric Theater is an American anthology series hosted by Ronald W. Reagan that was broadcast on CBS radio and television. The series was sponsored by General Electric's Department of Public Relations.-Radio:...
- The Seeds of Hate - aka G.E. Theater (USA: informal short title) (TV Episode) Nora
- 1955 The Indian FighterThe Indian FighterThe Indian Fighter is a 1956 Western movie. It is from an original story by Robert L. Richards.-Plot:Johnny Hawks is a man who made his name fighting Indians...
Actor [Starring] Susan Rogers - 1956 Medic
- - Reach of the Giant: Part 2 (TV Episode) Edith Martin
- - Reach of the Giant: Part 1 (TV Episode) Edith Martin
- 1956 Science Fiction TheatreScience Fiction TheatreScience Fiction Theatre is an American science fiction anthology series that aired in syndication from April 1955 to April 1957. It was produced by Ivan Tors and Maurice Ziv.-Overview:...
- - Brain Unlimited (TV Episode) Elaine Conover
- - End of Tomorrow (TV Episode)Jane Brandon
- 1956 West Point
- aka The West Point Story
- - Officer's Wife (TV Episode)
- 1953 Robert Montgomery PresentsRobert Montgomery PresentsRobert Montgomery Presents is an American dramatic television series which was produced by NBC from January 30, 1950 until June 24, 1957. The live show had several sponsors during its seven-year run, and the title was altered to feature the sponsor, usually Lucky Strike cigarettes, for example,...
- - Element of Risk (TV Episode)
- aka Lucky Strike Theater
- aka Montgomery's Summer Stock
- aka The Robert Montgomery Summer Theater
- 1956 Robert Montgomery Presents
- - Goodbye, Grey Flannel (TV Episode)
- 1959 Naked CityNaked City (TV series)Naked City is a police drama series which aired from 1958 to 1963 on the ABC television network. It was inspired by the 1948 motion picture of the same name, and mimics its dramatic "semi-documentary" format....
- - The Scorpion Sting (TV Episode) Meg
- - Even Crows Sing Good (TV Episode) Hilda
- 1964 FlipperFlipper (1964 TV series)Flipper, from Ivan Tors Films in association with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Television, is an American television program first broadcast on NBC from September 19, 1964, until April 15, 1967. Flipper, a bottlenose dolphin, is the companion animal of Porter Ricks, Chief Warden at fictional Coral Key Park...
- - The Second Time Around (TV Episode) Mrs. Granville
- 1965 For the People
- - The Influence of Fear (TV Episode)
- 1965 Ben CaseyBen CaseyBen Casey is an American medical drama series which ran on ABC from 1961 to 1966. The show was known for its opening titles, which consisted of a hand drawing the symbols "♂, ♀, *, †, ∞" on a chalkboard, as cast member Sam Jaffe intoned, "Man, woman, birth, death, infinity." Neurosurgeon Joseph...
- - War of Nerves (TV Episode) Martha English
- 1967 N.Y.P.D.
- - The Boy Witness (TV Episode) Mrs. Whitaker
- 1970 Loving
- 1967 Love Is a Many Splendored Thing (TV)
- 1971 Hawkins (TV)
- Episode A Life for a Life (Clara Guilfoyle)
- Episode Die Die, Darling (Clara Guilfoyle)
- 1973 Kung Fu (TV)
- Episode The Tong (Sister Richardson)
- 1974 The Streets of San Francisco [TV]
- Episode Chapel of the Damned
- 1974 The Cowboys (TV Series) (Mrs. Annie Andersen)
- 1975 Dead Man on the Run [TV]
- 1977 Un Autre Homme Une Autre Chance (aka Another Man, Another Chance; aka Another Man, Another Woman
- 1977 Billy: Portrait of a Street Kid [TV]
- 1978 A Fire in the Sky [TV]
- 1979 Roots: The Next GenerationsRoots: The Next GenerationsRoots: The Next Generations is a 1979 television miniseries that continues the story of the family of Alex Haley from the 1880s, and their life in Henning, Tennessee, to the 1960s, with Haley researching his family history and his travels to Africa to learn of his ancestor, Kunta Kinte...
- 1981 Jaws of Satan (aka King Cobra)
- 1982 Sister, Sister [TV]
- 1983 The Star Chamber
- 1987 Planes, Trains and Automobiles
- 1987 Beauty and the Beast [TV]
- Episode 8: Song of Orpheus
- 1992 A Town Torn Apart [TV] (aka Doc: The Dennis Littky Story)
- 1992 Cold HeavenCold Heaven (film)Cold Heaven is a film, released in 1991, which was directed by Nicolas Roeg. The screenplay, by Allan Scott, is based on a novel by Northern Irish-Canadian writer Brian Moore, which was published in 1983.-Plot:...
- 2003 It Runs in the FamilyIt Runs in the Family (2003 film)It Runs in the Family is a 2003 comedy-drama movie directed by Fred Schepisi and starring three generations of the Douglas family: Kirk Douglas, his son Michael Douglas, and Michael's son Cameron Douglas, who play three generations of a family....
External links
- All Movie Biography and Filmography
- Life Magazine Issues, 1943
- Barnes & Noble Excerpt from Diana Dill's autobiography, "In The Wings"
- Review of Diana Dill's autobiography, "In The Wings"
- Essay on Bermuda Militia Artillery, by Jennifer Hind, which makes frequent mention of father, TM Dill
- Roots Web: Portrait of father, T.M. Dill
- Hello Magazine: Michael Douglas' Mum Weds at 79