Ina Balin, born Ina Rosenberg on November 12, 1937, in Brooklyn, New York, was a talented actress with a passion for the craft. Her early life was marked by a tumultuous family situation, with her parents divorcing when she was just nine years old. Her father, a dancer, singer, and comedian, eventually left the entertainment industry to pursue a career in the furrier business.
Ina's mother, a professional dancer, had escaped a troubled family life by marrying at the age of 15. She later divorced her third husband and married a wealthy shoe magnate, Harold Balin, who adopted Ina and her brother, Richard.
Ina's love for acting was encouraged by her mother, who enrolled her in ballet lessons at a young age. Her big break came at the age of 15, when she appeared on Perry Como's TV show. She went on to attend New York University, majoring in theater, and studied with renowned acting coaches Lonny Chapman and Curt Conway.
Ina made her Broadway debut in 1957 in the play "Compulsion," followed by a Theatre World Award for her outstanding performance in "A Majority of One" in 1959. Her impressive performance caught the attention of producer Carlo Ponti, who cast her in the film "The Black Orchid" alongside Sophia Loren and Anthony Quinn.
Throughout the 1960s, Ina appeared in a range of films, including "From the Terrace" with Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, for which she received a Golden Globe nomination. However, she struggled with typecasting and eventually left the studio system.
In the 1970s, Ina continued to work in film and television, appearing in Westerns, comedies, and dramas. She also became involved in humanitarian work, touring Vietnam with the USO in 1970 and later adopting three children from the An Lac orphanage.
Ina's life took a dramatic turn when she participated in the evacuation of nearly 400 orphans from Saigon in 1975. Her experiences were documented in the TV film "The Children of an Lac" in 1980, in which she portrayed herself.
In the 1980s, Ina's professional career slowed, and she focused on raising her children and her ongoing interest in foreign relief. She made sporadic appearances on TV shows, including "Battlestar Galactica," "Murder, She Wrote," and "As the World Turns."
Tragically, Ina's life was cut short when she succumbed to pulmonary hypertension at the age of 52. She was survived by her three children, and her legacy as a talented actress and humanitarian continues to inspire.
