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Barbara Hale
Actor
Born April 18, 1922Died January 26, 2017 (94 years)
Barbara Hale is an American actress best known for her role as legal secretary Della Street on more than 250 episodes of the long-running Perry Mason television series and later reprising the role in 30 made-for-TV movies.
Hale was born in DeKalb, Illinois, to Luther Ezra Hale, a landscape gardener, and his wife, Wilma Colvin. She is of Scots-Irish ancestry. Hale graduated from high school in Rockford, Illinois, then attended the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts, planning to become an artist. Her performing career began in Chicago when she started modeling to pay for her education. She moved to Hollywood in 1943, and made her first screen appearances playing small parts (often uncredited).
Hale was under contract to RKO Radio Pictures through the late 1940s. She appeared in Higher and Higher (1943) with Frank Sinatra; played leading lady to Robert Mitchum in West of the Pecos (1945); enjoyed top billing in both Lady Luck (1946) opposite Robert Young and The Window (1949) with Arthur Kennedy; and co-starred in Jolson Sings Again (1949), with Larry Parks playing Al Jolson and Hale as Jolson's wife, Ellen Clark. She played the top-billed title role in Lorna Doone (1951) and portrayed Julia Hancock in The Far Horizons (1955) with Fred MacMurray and Charlton Heston.
Her flourishing movie career more or less ended when Hale accepted her best known role, Della Street, secretary to attorney Perry Mason, in the TV series with Raymond Burr. The show ran from 1957 to 1966, and she reprised the role in several television movies. Her last performance to date was in 2000 at age 78. In 1967 she guest starred on the ABC series Custer. Hale also had a featured role in the 1970 ensemble film Airport, playing the wife of a jetliner pilot (Dean Martin).
Hale was born in DeKalb, Illinois, to Luther Ezra Hale, a landscape gardener, and his wife, Wilma Colvin. She is of Scots-Irish ancestry. Hale graduated from high school in Rockford, Illinois, then attended the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts, planning to become an artist. Her performing career began in Chicago when she started modeling to pay for her education. She moved to Hollywood in 1943, and made her first screen appearances playing small parts (often uncredited).
Hale was under contract to RKO Radio Pictures through the late 1940s. She appeared in Higher and Higher (1943) with Frank Sinatra; played leading lady to Robert Mitchum in West of the Pecos (1945); enjoyed top billing in both Lady Luck (1946) opposite Robert Young and The Window (1949) with Arthur Kennedy; and co-starred in Jolson Sings Again (1949), with Larry Parks playing Al Jolson and Hale as Jolson's wife, Ellen Clark. She played the top-billed title role in Lorna Doone (1951) and portrayed Julia Hancock in The Far Horizons (1955) with Fred MacMurray and Charlton Heston.
Her flourishing movie career more or less ended when Hale accepted her best known role, Della Street, secretary to attorney Perry Mason, in the TV series with Raymond Burr. The show ran from 1957 to 1966, and she reprised the role in several television movies. Her last performance to date was in 2000 at age 78. In 1967 she guest starred on the ABC series Custer. Hale also had a featured role in the 1970 ensemble film Airport, playing the wife of a jetliner pilot (Dean Martin).
Known For
Filmography
| 1995 | A Perry Mason Mystery: The Case of the Jealous Jokester · as Della Street |
| 1994 | A Perry Mason Mystery: The Case of the Grimacing Governor · as Della Street |
| 1994 | A Perry Mason Mystery: The Case of the Lethal Lifestyle · as Della Street |
| 1993 | A Perry Mason Mystery: The Case of the Wicked Wives · as Della Street |
| 1993 | Perry Mason: The Case of the Killer Kiss · as Della Street |
| 1993 | Perry Mason: The Case of the Telltale Talk Show Host · as Della Street |
| 1993 | Perry Mason: The Case of the Skin-Deep Scandal · as Della Street |
| 1992 | Perry Mason: The Case of the Heartbroken Bride · as Della Street |
| 1992 | Perry Mason: The Case of the Reckless Romeo · as Della Street |
| 1992 | Perry Mason: The Case of the Fatal Framing · as Della Street |
| 1991 | Perry Mason: The Case of the Fatal Fashion · as Della Street |
| 1991 | Perry Mason: The Case of the Glass Coffin · as Della Street |
| 1991 | Perry Mason: The Case of the Maligned Mobster · as Della Street |
| 1991 | Perry Mason: The Case of the Ruthless Reporter · as Della Street |
| 1990 | Perry Mason: The Case of the Defiant Daughter · as Della Street |
| 1990 | Perry Mason: The Case of the Silenced Singer · as Della Street |
| 1990 | Perry Mason: The Case of the Desperate Deception · as Della Street |
| 1990 | Perry Mason: The Case of the Poisoned Pen · as Della Street |
| 1989 | Perry Mason: The Case of the All-Star Assassin · as Della Street |
| 1989 | Perry Mason: The Case of the Musical Murder · as Della Street |
| 1989 | Perry Mason: The Case of the Lethal Lesson · as Della Street |
| 1988 | Perry Mason: The Case of the Lady in the Lake · as Della Street |
| 1988 | Perry Mason: The Case of the Avenging Ace · as Della Street |
| 1987 | Perry Mason: The Case of the Scandalous Scoundrel · as Della Street |
| 1987 | Perry Mason: The Case of the Murdered Madam · as Della Street |
| 1987 | Perry Mason: The Case of the Sinister Spirit · as Della Street |
| 1987 | Perry Mason: The Case of the Lost Love · as Della Street |
| 1986 | Perry Mason: The Case of the Shooting Star · as Della Street |
| 1986 | Perry Mason: The Case of the Notorious Nun · as Della Street |
| 1985 | Perry Mason Returns · as Della Street |
| 1985 | Perry Mason Returns (TV Series) · as Della Street |
| 1981 | The Greatest American Hero (TV Series) · as Paula Hinkley |
| 1978 | Big Wednesday · as Mrs. Barlow |
| 1976 | The Flight of the Grey Wolf · as Mrs Hanson |
| 1975 | The Giant Spider Invasion · as Dr. Jenny Langer |
| 1970 | The Red, White, and Black · as Mrs. Alice Grierson |
| 1970 | Most Deadly Game (TV Series) · as Cast |
| 1970 | Airport · as Sarah Demerest |
| 1969 | Marcus Welby, M.D. (TV Series) · as Marjorie Brandon |
| 1968 | The Doris Day Show (TV Series) · as Thelma King |
| 1968 | Adam-12 (TV Series) · as Bonnie Jessup |
| 1968 | Buckskin · as Sarah Cody |
| 1967 | Ironside (TV Series) · as Marsha Connell |
| 1967 | Custer (TV Series) · as Melinda Terry |
| 1960 | Insight (TV Series) · as Mom |
| 1957 | Slim Carter · as Allie Hanneman |
| 1957 | Perry Mason (TV Series) · as Della Street |
| 1957 | The Oklahoman · as Anne |
| 1956 | 7th Cavalry · as Martha Kellogg |
| 1956 | Playhouse 90 (TV Series) · as Mrs. Julia Wiley |
| 1956 | The Houston Story · as Zoe Crane |
| 1955 | Crossroads (1955) (TV Series) · as Jane Sherman |
| 1955 | Screen Directors Playhouse (TV Series) · as June Waters |
| 1955 | Unchained · as Mary Davitt |
| 1955 | The Far Horizons · as Julia Hancock |
| 1955 | Damon Runyon Theater (TV Series) · as Wendy Longfield |
| 1955 | Science Fiction Theatre (TV Series) · as Nancy Stanton |
| 1955 | The Millionaire (TV Series) · as Kathy Munson / Marian Munson |
| 1954 | Disneyland (TV Series) · as Mrs. Ogle |
| 1954 | Climax! (TV Series) · as Mamie Eunson |
| 1954 | Studio 57 (TV Series) · as Ruth |
| 1954 | Lassie (TV Series) |
| 1953 | Seminole · as Revere |
| 1953 | A Lion Is in the Streets · as Verity Wade |
| 1953 | The Loretta Young Show (TV Series) · as Mrs. Strawn |
| 1953 | The Lone Hand · as Sarah Jane Skaggs |
| 1953 | General Electric Theater (TV Series) · as Ellen Newman |
| 1953 | Last of the Comanches · as Julia Lanning |
| 1952 | Ford Theatre: All Star Theatre (TV Series) · as Marta Linden |
| 1952 | The First Time · as Betsey Bennett |
| 1951 | Schlitz Playhouse of Stars (TV Series) · as Ginny Morgan |
| 1951 | Lorna Doone · as Lorna Doone |
| 1950 | Emergency Wedding · as Dr. Helen Hunt |
| 1950 | The Jackpot · as Amy Lawrence |
| 1949 | And Baby Makes Three · as Jacqueline 'jackie' Walsh |
| 1949 | The Clay Pigeon · as Martha Gregory |
| 1949 | Jolson Sings Again · as Ellen Clark |
| 1949 | The Window · as Mary Woodry |
| 1948 | The Boy with Green Hair · as Miss Brand |
| 1947 | A Likely Story · as Vicki |
| 1946 | Lady Luck · as Mary Audrey |
| 1945 | First Yank Into Tokyo · as Abby Drake |
| 1945 | West of the Pecos · as Rill Lambeth |
| 1944 | The Falcon in Hollywood · as Peggy Callahan |
| 1944 | Heavenly Days · as Angie |
| 1944 | The Falcon Out West · as Marion Colby |
| 1943 | Higher and Higher · as Katherine |
| 1943 | Government Girl · as Girl In Hotel Lobby (uncredited) |
| 1943 | The Iron Major · as Sarah Cavanaugh |
| 1943 | Gildersleeve on Broadway · as Stocking Salesgirl |
| 1943 | The Seventh Victim · as Subway Passenger (uncredited) |
| 1943 | Mexican Spitfire's Blessed Event · as Girl At Airport |
| 1943 | Gildersleeve's Bad Day · as Girl Seeking Donations From Gildersleeve |