Lurene Tuttle
Actress

Lurene Tuttle Net Worth

Lurene Tuttle was a petite, red-headed character actress who was born in Pleasant Lake, Indiana and raised on a ranch close to the Arizona border. She studied acting in Phoenix as a child and went on to receive dramatic training at the Pasadena Playhouse. She was known for her fine speaking voice and mastery of a wide range of dialects, and became one of radio's most recognized voices. She made her film debut in 1947 and went on to appear in many films alongside top stars such as Cary Grant and Marilyn Monroe. She was also a regular in many sitcoms, and was remembered fondly as the matriarch in Life with Father and as the crusty senior nurse on the Diahann Carroll series Julia. Tuttle was also a well-respected drama and diction coach, and some of her more famous students included Red Skelton, Orson Welles, Milton Berle, Steve Allen and Jayne Meadows. She passed away in 1985 at the age of 78, and was survived by her son-in-law John Williams and her three grandchildren.
Lurene Tuttle is a member of Actress

Age, Biography and Wiki

Who is it? Actress
Birth Day August 29, 1907
Birth Place  Pleasant Lake, Indiana, United States
Age 113 YEARS OLD
Died On May 28, 1986(1986-05-28) (aged 78)\nEncino, California, U.S.
Birth Sign Virgo
Cause of death Cancer
Resting place Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale
Occupation Actress
Years active 1934–1986
Spouse(s) Melville Ruick (m. 1928; div. 1945) Frederick W. Cole (m. 1950; div. 1956)
Children Barbara Ruick
Relatives Joseph Williams (grandson)

💰 Net worth: $250,000 (2024)

Lurene Tuttle, a prominent actress in the United States, is estimated to have a net worth of $250,000 by 2024. With her remarkable talent and dedication, Tuttle has made a significant impact in the entertainment industry throughout her illustrious career. Known for her versatile performances and memorable roles in both film and television, she has garnered immense popularity and critical acclaim. Tuttle's impressive net worth reflects her successful career as an actress, further solidifying her status as a respected and influential figure in the world of entertainment.

Biography/Timeline

1907

Tuttle was born August 29, 1907, at Pleasant Lake, Indiana, into a family with strong ties to entertainment. Her father, O.V. Tuttle, had been a performer in minstrel shows before becoming a station agent for a railroad. Her grandfather, Frank Tuttle, managed an opera house and taught drama. She discovered her own knack for acting after moving with her family to Glendale, Arizona. She later credited a drama coach there for "making me aware of life as it really is—by making me study life in real situations."

1930

Tuttle had a hobby of collecting toy dogs. A 1930 newspaper article reported, "Her dressing room shelf is filled with more than 200 miniature replicas of every variety of dog known."

1936

Tuttle's radio debut came in 1936 when she appeared on Hollywood Hotel with Dick Powell. Despite having never performed before a microphone, Tuttle's audition won her a three-year contract with the program.

1944

Tuttle played the swallow in "The Happy Prince", an adaption of Oscar Wilde's short story with Orson Welles and Bing Crosby (1946). The story had earlier been adapted for radio by Orson Welles in 1944, featuring a musical score by Bernard Herrmann. It aired on the Philco Radio Hall of Fame broadcast on December 24, 1944 with Lureen Tuttle playing The Swallow and featuring Bing Crosby alongside Orson Welles, with Herrmann's music conducted by Victor Young.

1947

Heaven Only Knows (1947) was her first film. She went on to roles in other films such as Orson Welles's Macbeth (1948), Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House (1948) and Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho (1960), as the wife of Sheriff Chambers. In Don't Bother to Knock (1952) she portrayed a mother who lets a disturbed Marilyn Monroe babysit her daughter. The next year she appeared again with Marilyn in Niagara, as Mrs. Kettering. She had a rare starring role in Ma Barker's Killer Brood (1960). She played Grandma Pusser in the original Walking Tall film trilogy, and also appeared in horror films such as The Manitou (1978), starring Tony Curtis. Her final film role was in the 1983 film Testament.

1950

Tuttle married Melville Ruick, an actor whom she had met during her radio years; the couple had a daughter, Barbara Ruick,. Tuttle and Ruick eventually divorced. She married Frederick W. Cole, an Engineer, on November 27, 1950 in Pasadena, California; she sued him for divorce on January 4, 1956.

1958

In 1958 and 1959, she was cast in two episodes as Gladys Purvis, the mother of series character Kate McCoy, played by Kathleen Nolan, in the ABC sitcom, The Real McCoys, with Walter Brennan and Richard Crenna. She appeared twice on the NBC western series The Californians, once as Belle Calhoun in "Skeleton in the Closet" (1958) and then as Maude Sorel in "The Painted Lady" (1959). She guest-starred with Andrew Duggan in his crime series, Bourbon Street Beat.

1960

Tuttle has two stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame – "Star of Radio" at 1760 Vine Street and "Star of Television" at 7011 Hollywood Boulevard. Both stars were dedicated February 8, 1960.

1963

Tuttle was cast as Mrs. Grange in the 1963 episode "The Risk" on the NBC drama series Mr. Novak, starring James Franciscus as an idealistic high school Teacher in Los Angeles. She later appeared on the popular 1960s sitcoms I Dream of Jeannie, The Munsters," and "Petticoat Junction".

1968

Tuttle's best-known role to the general public was in 32 episodes of the NBC series Julia (1968–1971) as the humorless but warm-hearted Hannah Yarby.

1972

In 1972, she appeared as Bella Swann, on the season three episode, "Farmer Ted and the News" on The Mary Tyler Moore Show.

1980

In 1980, Tuttle appeared as Mrs. McIntyre in the television movie, White Mama, with Bette Davis. From 1981 to 1984, Tuttle appeared six times on the CBS medical drama series Trapper John, M.D..

1986

Tuttle died from cancer May 28, 1986, at Encino Hospital. She was survived by a granddaughter, two grandsons, and a great-granddaughter. Memorial services were held June 2, 1986, at Church of the Recessional at Forest Lawn Memorial Park, Glendale.

2010

In 1985, Tuttle appeared in episode 25 ("Murder in the Afternoon") of "Murder, She Wrote", playing the character Agnes Cochran, Jessica Fletcher's aunt. The episode first aired 10/13/85. [The Unofficial Murder She Wrote Casebook by James Robert Parish.]

2014

She became a respected acting coach and teacher—something she had always done, even at the height of her acting career (she often re-trained radio actors who had been away from the craft during Service in World War II).

Some Lurene Tuttle images

About the author

Lisa Scholfield

As a Senior Writer at Famous Net Worth, I spearhead an exceptional team dedicated to uncovering and sharing the stories of pioneering individuals. My passion for unearthing untold narratives drives me to delve deep into the essence of each subject, bringing forth a unique blend of factual accuracy and narrative allure. In orchestrating the editorial workflow, I am deeply involved in every step—from initial research to the final touches of publishing, ensuring each biography not only informs but also engages and inspires our readership.