Lurene Tuttle

She is survived by her grandchildren, including singer Joseph Williams of Toto.

Lurene Susie Tuttle (August 29, 1907 – May 28, 1986) was an acclaimed American actress whose versatile career across vaudeville, radio, film, television, and coaching earned her the title “First Lady of Radio.” Born in Pleasant Lake, Indiana, into a theatrical family—her grandfather ran an opera house and her father performed in minstrel shows—she was raised in Arizona and California, where a drama coach in Glendale inspired her to pursue acting.

She trained at the Pasadena Playhouse and began her career in vaudeville, then rose to prominence in the 1930s and 1940s golden age of radio, where she was a regular on iconic programs such as Hollywood Hotel, The Great Gildersleeve, Suspense, and The Adventures of Sam Spade (as loyal secretary Effie Perrine).

  • Stand Up and Cheer! (1934)
  • Tom, Dick and Harry (1941)
  • Heaven Only Knows (1947)
  • Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948)
  • Homecoming (1948)
  • Macbeth (1948)
  • The Admiral Was a Lady (1950)
  • A Life of Her Own (1950)
  • Watch the Birdie (1950)
  • Goodbye, My Fancy (1951)
  • Tomorrow Is Another Day (1951)
  • The Whip Hand (1951)
  • Room for One More (1952)
  • Don’t Bother to Knock (1952)
  • Niagara (1953)
  • Never Wave at a WAC (1953)
  • The Affairs of Dobie Gillis (1953)
  • Give a Girl a Break (1953)
  • The Glass Slipper (1955)
  • Sincerely Yours (1955)
  • Slander (1957)
  • Untamed Youth (1957)
  • Sweet Smell of Success (1957)
  • Ma Barker’s Killer Brood (1960)
  • Psycho (1960)
  • Critic’s Choice (1963)
  • The Shoplifters (1964)
  • Nightmare in the Sun (1965)
  • The Restless Ones (1965)
  • The Ghost and Mr. Chicken (1966)
  • The Fortune Cookie (1966)
  • The Horse in the Gray Flannel Suit (1968)
  • Walking Tall (1973)
  • “Down and Dirty Duck” (1974)
  • Walking Tall Part 2 (1975)
  • The World Through the Eyes of Children (1975)
  • Evil Town (1977)
  • Walking Tall: Final Chapter (1977)
  • The Manitou (1978)
  • The Story of Heidi (1979 Voice)
  • Nutcracker Fantasy (1979 Voice)
  • Parts: The Clonus Horror (1979)
  • Human Experiments (1979)
  • The Dukes of Hazzard (1979–1985)
  • White Mama (1980)
  • Return of the Beverly Hillbillies (1981)
  • Testament (1983)
  • It Came Upon the Midnight Clear (1984)

Known for her range and reliability, she sometimes performed in up to 15 shows a week. Tuttle was instrumental in founding the Hollywood chapter of the American Federation of Radio Artists (AFRA), later AFTRA, and became its first female president. She transitioned to film in the late 1940s,

with roles in Macbeth (1948), Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948), Don’t Bother to Knock (1952), Niagara (1953), and Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960), as well as cult films like Ma Barker’s Killer Brood (1960). On television, she appeared in over 100 series, with recurring roles in Life with Father (1953–55) and Julia (1968–71), and guest spots on shows like Perry Mason, Bonanza, and The Andy Griffith Show.

  • Crazy Like a Fox (1984)
  • Amazing Stories (1985)
  • Murder, She Wrote (1984)
  • Hollywood Beat (1985)
  • Matt Houston (1982)
  • It Came Upon the Midnight Clear (1984) TV Movie
  • Trapper John, M.D. (1979-1984) 6 episodes
  • St. Elsewhere (1982)
  • Shooting Stars (1983) TV Movie
  • Voyagers! (1982)
  • The Love Boat (1977)
  • Dynasty (1981) 2 episodes
  • Strike Force (1981)
  • The Return of the Beverly Hillbillies (1981) TV Movie
  • The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1981) TV Movie
  • Hart to Hart (1979)
  • Dorothy in the Land of Oz (1980) TV Movie – Voice
  • For the Love of It (1980) TV Movie
  • Carlton Your Doorman (1980) TV Movie
  • Barnaby Jones (1973)
  • White Mama (1980) TV Movie
  • Fantasy Island (1978-79) 2 episodes
  • The Dukes of Hazzard (1979)
  • Crash (1978) TV Movie
  • Charlie’s Angels (1976)
  • Police Woman (1974)
  • Switch (1975) 2 episodes
  • Alice (1976)
  • Law and Order (1976) TV Movie
  • Little House on the Prairie (1974) 2 episodes
  • The Great Grape Ape Show (1975) (voice)
  • Medical Center (1969)
  • Mannix (1967)
  • These Are the Days (1974)
  • Bette Davis in Hello Mother, Goodbye! (1974) TV Movie
  • The Cowboys (1974)
  • Live Again, Die Again (1974) TV Movie
  • The Rookies (1972)
  • Mrs. Sundance (1974) TV Movie
  • Adam’s Rib (1973)
  • Adam-12 (1973) 2 episodes
  • Gunsmoke (1960-1973) 2 episodes
  • The Partridge Family (1970)
  • The Bold Ones: The New Doctors (1969)
  • The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970)
  • Insight (1960)
  • Mod Squad (1968)
  • The Jimmy Stewart Show (1971)
  • The Smith Family (1971)
  • The Name of the Game (1968)
  • Julia (1968-70) 48 episodes
  • My Three Sons (1968)
  • Petticoat Junction (1964–1968) 3 episodes
  • Judd for the Defense (1967)
  • The Second Hundred Years (1967)
  • Iron Horse (1966)
  • The Beverly Hillbillies (1967)
  • Bonanza (1967)
  • Pistols ‘n’ Petticoats (1966)
  • Perry Mason (1958–1966) 6 episodes
  • I Dream of Jeannie (1965)
  • My Favorite Martian (1963)
  • Tammy (1965)
  • Valentine’s Day (1965) 2 episodes
  • Karen (1965)
  • My Living Doll (1964)
  • The Munsters (1964)
  • Summer Playhouse (1964)
  • The Twilight Zone (1964)
  • The Andy Griffith Show (1960–1964) 2 episodes
  • Burke’s Law (1964)
  • The Danny Thomas Show (1957-1964) 3 episodes
  • Ripcord (1963)
  • Dr. Kildare (1963)
  • Mr. Novak (1963)
  • Hazel (1961-1963) 2 episodes
  • Saints and Sinners (1962)
  • Alcoa Premiere (1962)
  • Wide Country (1962)
  • Leave It to Beaver (1959–1962) 2 episodes
  • Father of the Bride (1961-1962) 32 episodes
  • Shotgun Slade (1961)
  • Rawhide (1959)
  • The Asphalt Jungle (1961)
  • Pete and Gladys (1961) 2 episodes
  • The Americans (1961)
  • Lawman (1959–1961) 2 episodes
  • The Ann Sothern Show (1960–1961) 2 episodes
  • Tales of Wells Fargo (1961)
  • The Barbara Stanwyck Show (1961)
  • Adventures in Paradise (1961)
  • Grand Jury (1959–1960) 3 episodes
  • Dennis the Menace (1960)
  • Michael Shayne (1960)
  • Johnny Ringo (1960)
  • Colt .45 (1957–1960) 2 episodes
  • Johnny Midnight (1960) 2 episodes
  • Goodyear Theatre (1959–1960) 2 episodes
  • Bourbon Street Beat (1960)
  • Wagon Train (1960)
  • This Is the Life (1953–1959) 2 episodes
  • The DuPont Show with June Allyson (1959)
  • Bachelor Father (1957)
  • The Real McCoys (1958–1959) 2 episodes
  • The Californians (1958–1959) 2 episodes
  • Playhouse 90 (1959)
  • The Texan (1958)
  • The Thin Man (1958)
  • Wanted: Dead or Alive (1958)
  • General Electric Theater (1953–1958) 2 episodes
  • Buckskin (1958)
  • Matinee Theatre (1956–1958) 3 episodes
  • Have Gun – Will Travel (1958)
  • The Millionaire (1956–1958) 2 episodes
  • Hemo the Magnificent (1957) TV Movie – voice
  • The Gray Ghost (1957)
  • Studio 57 (1956–1957) 2 episodes
  • The Restless Gun (1957)
  • The Adventures of Jim Bowie (1957) 2 episodes
  • The 20th Century-Fox Hour (1957)
  • Broken Arrow (1957)
  • Cavalcade of America (1953–1957) 2 episodes
  • The Joseph Cotten Show: On Trial (1956)
  • The Bob Cummings Show (1956) 2 episodes
  • Crusader (1956) 2 episodes
  • Front Row Center (1956)
  • My Friend Flicka (1956)
  • Life with Father (1953–1955) 11 episodes
  • Soldiers of Fortune (1955)
  • The Loretta Young Show (1954)
  • Schlitz Playhouse (1953)
  • The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (1953)
  • You Are There (1953)
  • I Love Lucy (1951)
  • The George Burns and Gracie Allen Show (1953)
  • The Unexpected (1952)
  • Hollywood Opening Night (1951)
  • Stars Over Hollywood (1950)
  • NBC Comics (1950–1951) voice

Tuttle earned two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (for radio and television) in 1960 and received several honors including awards from Radio Life, AFTRA, and the Pasadena Playhouse. A dedicated acting coach, she taught at USC and privately, mentoring many radio actors after World War II. Personally, she was known for her Republican politics, support of Dwight Eisenhower’s campaign, and collecting miniature toy dogs. She was married to actor Melville Ruick

and was the mother of actress Barbara Ruick, who married composer John Williams. Tuttle died of cancer in Encino, California, on May 28, 1986, and was survived by her grandchildren, including singer Joseph Williams of Toto.

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Author: Doyle

I was born in Atlanta, moved to Alpharetta at 4, lived there for 53 years and moved to Decatur in 2016. I've worked at such places as Richway, North Fulton Medical Center, Management Science America (Computer Tech/Project Manager) and Stacy's Compounding Pharmacy (Pharmacy Tech).

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