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                                                                     EXHIBIT 5.1


                                                                 212-859-8272
March 5, 1998                                                (FAX: 212-859-8587)

The Dial Corporation
15501 N. Dial Boulevard
Scottsdale, AZ  85260-1619

Ladies and Gentlemen:

                  We have acted as special counsel to The Dial Corporation, a
Delaware corporation (the "Company"), in connection with the preparation of a
Registration Statement on Form S-3 (File No. 333- ) (together with any
amendments thereto, the "Registration Statement") under the Securities Act of
1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), covering $300,000,000 aggregate issue
amount of debt securities (the "Debt Securities") to be issued from time to time
by the Company. All capitalized terms used herein that are defined in, or by
reference in, the Registration Statement have the meanings assigned to such
terms therein or by reference therein, unless otherwise defined herein. With
your permission, all assumptions and statements of reliance herein have been
made without any independent investigation or verification on our part except to
the extent otherwise expressly stated, and we express no opinion with respect to
the subject matter or accuracy of such assumptions or items relied upon.

                  In connection with this opinion, we have (i) investigated such
questions of law, (ii) examined originals or certified, conformed or
reproduction copies of such agreements, instruments, documents and records of
the Company, such certificates of public officials and such other documents, and
(iii) received such information from officers and representatives of the Company
as we have deemed necessary or appropriate for the purposes of this opinion. We
have examined, among other documents, the following:

                  (a)       Registration Statement; and

                  (b)       Indenture.
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The Dial Corporation                  - 2 -                        March 5, 1998


The documents referred to in items (a) through (c) above, inclusive, are
referred to herein collectively as the "Documents".

                  In all such examinations, we have assumed the legal capacity
of all natural persons executing Documents, the genuineness of all signatures,
the authenticity of original and certified documents and the conformity to
original or certified documents of all copies submitted to us as conformed or
reproduction copies. As to various questions of fact relevant to the opinion
expressed herein, we have relied upon, and assume the accuracy of,
representations and warranties contained in the Documents and certificates and
oral or written statements and other information of or from representatives of
the Company and others and assume compliance on the part of all parties to the
Documents with their covenants and agreements contained therein.

                  To the extent it may be relevant to the opinion expressed
herein, we have assumed that the parties to the Documents other than the Company
have the power and authority to enter into and perform such Documents and to
consummate the transactions contemplated thereby, that the documents have been
duly authorized, executed and delivered by, and constitute legal, valid and
binding obligations of such parties enforceable against such parties in
accordance with their terms, and that such parties will comply with all of their
obligations under the Documents and all laws applicable thereto.

                  Based upon the foregoing, and subject to the limitations,
qualifications and assumptions set forth herein, we are of the opinion that when
(i) the Registration Statement has become effective under the Securities Act,
(ii) the terms of the Debt Securities and their issue and sale have been duly
established in conformity with the Indenture so as not to violate any applicable
law or agreement or instrument then binding on the Company and (iii) the Debt
Securities have been duly executed and authenticated in accordance with the
terms of the Indenture and (iv) the Debt Securities have been issued and sold as
contemplated in the Registration Statement, the Debt Securities will constitute
valid and binding obligations of the Company.

                  We express no opinion as to the legality or binding effect of
any provision of the Debt Securities or the Indenture providing for payments
thereunder in a currency other than currency of the United States of America to
the extent that a court of competent jurisdiction, under applicable law, will
convert any judgment rendered in such other currency into currency of the United
States of America or to the extent that payment in a currency other than the
currency of the United States of America is contrary to applicable law. In this
connection, we note that, as of the date of this opinion, in the case of a Debt
Security denominated in 
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The Dial Corporation                - 3 -                          March 5, 1998


foreign currency, a state court in the State of New York rendering a judgment on
such Debt Security would be required under Section 27 of the New York Judiciary
Law to render such judgment in the foreign currency in which the Debt Security
is denominated, and such judgment would be converted into United States dollars
at the exchange rate prevailing on the date of entry of the judgment.

                  The opinion expressed herein is limited to the laws of the
United States of America and the laws of the State of New York and, to the
extent relevant to the opinion expressed above, the General Corporation Law of
the State of Delaware, as currently in effect. The opinion expressed herein is
given as of the date hereof, and we undertake no obligation to supplement this
letter if any applicable laws change after the date hereof or if we become aware
of any facts that might change the opinion expressed herein after the date
hereof or for any other reason.

                  We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit
to the Registration Statement and to the reference to this firm under the
caption "Legal Matters" in the Prospectus and the caption "Legal Matters" in any
Prospectus Supplement forming a part of the Registration Statement to the extent
that a "Legal Matters" section is included in such Prospectus Supplement. In
giving these consents, we do not hereby admit that we are in the category of
persons whose consent is required under Section 7 of the Securities Act.

                  The opinion expressed herein is solely for your benefit in
connection with the Registration Statement and may not be relied on in any
manner or for any purpose by any other person or entity and may not be quoted in
whole or in part without our prior written consent.

                                               Very truly yours,

                               FRIED, FRANK, HARRIS, SHRIVER & JACOBSON


                               By:  /s/ STUART H. GELFOND
                                   -----------------------------------------
                                        Stuart H. Gelfond


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