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Philadelphia Inquirer (30/May/1986) - Lurene Tuttle, 79, Actress

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Lurene Tuttle, 79, Actress

OBITUARY

Miss Tuttle, who retired from acting 16 years ago, played the role of Vinnie Day in the 1950s television series Life With Father. She followed that series with minor roles in two other situation comedies, Father of the Bride in 1961-62 and Julia in 1968-71.

The actress began her career in the 1930s, appearing on such classics of radio comedy as Duffy's Tavern and The Great Gildersleeve, the long-running series about a bachelor uncle whose chief intention was to avoid marriage in the town of Summerfield.

On Red Skelton's radio series, which opened in 1941, she played "Junior's mother." Junior, played by Skelton, was "the mean widdle kid" who, after insulting the show's announcer and getting a smack on the rump, would deliver his stock line, "I hurt my widdle self," and blubber.

Mother, played by Miss Tuttle, would comfort Junior with her line, "Bless your little heart."

Miss Tuttle also played opposite Howard Duff, who played Dashiell Hammett's classic detective Sam Spade on the radio for all three networks at various times in the 1940s.

Her motion-picture appearances included Heaven Only Knows, Orson Welle's Macbeth, Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House, The Affairs of Dobie Gillis and the Alfred Hitchcock thriller Psycho.