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Barbara Hale

Acting 94 (deceased) years old DeKalb, Illinois, USA ★ 1.7
Born: April 18, 1922
Died: January 26, 2017

Biography

Barbara Hale (April 18, 1922 - January 26, 2017) was 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 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).

External Links

🌐 Official Website 🎬 IMDb

Known For

Airport
Airport Sarah Demerest 1970
Big Wednesday
Big Wednesday Mrs. Barlow 1978
The Boy with Green Hair
The Boy with Green Hair Miss Brand 1948
The Seventh Victim
The Seventh Victim Subway Passenger (Uncredited) 1943
Perry Mason Returns
Perry Mason Returns Della Street 1985

Filmography

Acting Credits (94)

Perry Mason: The Case of the Jealous Jokester
Perry Mason: The Case of the Jealous Jokester Della Street 1995
Perry Mason: The Case of the Grimacing Governor
Perry Mason: The Case of the Grimacing Governor Della Street 1994
Perry Mason: The Case of the Lethal Lifestyle
Perry Mason: The Case of the Lethal Lifestyle Della Street 1994
Perry Mason: The Case of the Wicked Wives
Perry Mason: The Case of the Wicked Wives Della Street 1993
Perry Mason: The Case of the Killer Kiss
Perry Mason: The Case of the Killer Kiss Della Street 1993
Perry Mason: The Case of the Telltale Talk Show Host
Perry Mason: The Case of the Telltale Talk Show Host Della Street 1993
Perry Mason: The Case of the Skin-Deep Scandal
Perry Mason: The Case of the Skin-Deep Scandal Della Street 1993
Perry Mason: The Case of the Heartbroken Bride
Perry Mason: The Case of the Heartbroken Bride Della Street 1992
Perry Mason: The Case of the Reckless Romeo
Perry Mason: The Case of the Reckless Romeo Della Street 1992
Perry Mason: The Case of the Fatal Framing
Perry Mason: The Case of the Fatal Framing Della Street 1992
Perry Mason: The Case of the Fatal Fashion
Perry Mason: The Case of the Fatal Fashion Della Street 1991
Perry Mason: The Case of the Glass Coffin
Perry Mason: The Case of the Glass Coffin Della Street 1991
Perry Mason: The Case of the Maligned Mobster
Perry Mason: The Case of the Maligned Mobster Della Street 1991
Perry Mason: The Case of the Ruthless Reporter
Perry Mason: The Case of the Ruthless Reporter Della Street 1991
Perry Mason: The Case of the Defiant Daughter
Perry Mason: The Case of the Defiant Daughter Della Street 1990
Perry Mason: The Case of the Silenced Singer
Perry Mason: The Case of the Silenced Singer Della Street 1990
Perry Mason: The Case of the Desperate Deception
Perry Mason: The Case of the Desperate Deception Della Street 1990
Perry Mason: The Case of the Poisoned Pen
Perry Mason: The Case of the Poisoned Pen Della Street 1990
Perry Mason: The Case of the All-Star Assassin
Perry Mason: The Case of the All-Star Assassin Della Street 1989
Perry Mason: The Case of the Musical Murder
Perry Mason: The Case of the Musical Murder Della Street 1989
Perry Mason: The Case of the Lethal Lesson
Perry Mason: The Case of the Lethal Lesson Della Street 1989
Perry Mason: The Case of the Lady in the Lake
Perry Mason: The Case of the Lady in the Lake Della Street 1988
Perry Mason: The Case of the Avenging Ace
Perry Mason: The Case of the Avenging Ace Della Street 1988
Perry Mason: The Case of the Scandalous Scoundrel
Perry Mason: The Case of the Scandalous Scoundrel Della Street 1987
Perry Mason: The Case of the Murdered Madam
Perry Mason: The Case of the Murdered Madam Della Street 1987
Perry Mason: The Case of the Sinister Spirit
Perry Mason: The Case of the Sinister Spirit Della Street 1987
Perry Mason: The Case of the Lost Love
Perry Mason: The Case of the Lost Love Della Street 1987
Perry Mason: The Case of the Shooting Star
Perry Mason: The Case of the Shooting Star Della Street 1986
Perry Mason: The Case of the Notorious Nun
Perry Mason: The Case of the Notorious Nun Della Street 1986
Perry Mason Returns
Perry Mason Returns Della Street 1985
Perry Mason Returns
Perry Mason Returns Della Street 1985
The Young Runaways
The Young Runaways Mrs. Ogle 1978
Big Wednesday
Big Wednesday Mrs. Barlow 1978
The Flight of the Grey Wolf
The Flight of the Grey Wolf Mrs Hanson 1976
The Giant Spider Invasion
The Giant Spider Invasion Dr. Jenny Langer 1975
Dinah!
Dinah! Self 1974
Chester, Yesterday’s Horse
Chester, Yesterday’s Horse Mrs. Belle Kincaid 1973
The Red, White, and Black
The Red, White, and Black Mrs. Alice Grierson 1970
Airport
Airport Sarah Demerest 1970
Marcus Welby, M.D.
Marcus Welby, M.D. Marjorie Brandon 1969
The Doris Day Show
The Doris Day Show Thelma King 1968
Adam-12
Adam-12 Bonnie Jessup 1968
Buckskin
Buckskin Sarah Cody 1968
Desert Hell
Desert Hell Celie Edwards 1958
Slim Carter
Slim Carter Allie Hanneman 1957
Perry Mason
Perry Mason Della Street 1957
The Oklahoman
The Oklahoman Anne 1957
7th Cavalry
7th Cavalry Martha Kellogg 1956
The Country Husband
The Country Husband Mrs. Julia Wiley 1956
The Houston Story
The Houston Story Zoe Crane 1956
Meet the Governor
Meet the Governor June Waters 1955
Screen Director's Playhouse
Screen Director's Playhouse June Waters 1955
Unchained
Unchained Mary Davitt 1955
The Far Horizons
The Far Horizons Julia Hancock 1955
The Millionaire
The Millionaire Kathy Munson / Marian Munson 1955
The Wonderful World of Disney
The Wonderful World of Disney Mrs. Ogle 1954
Climax!
Climax! Mamie Eunson 1954
Studio 57
Studio 57 Ruth 1954
Lassie
Lassie 1954
A Lion Is in the Streets
A Lion Is in the Streets Verity Wade 1953
Letter to Loretta
Letter to Loretta Mrs. Strawn 1953
The Lone Hand
The Lone Hand Sarah Jane Skaggs 1953
Seminole
Seminole Revere 1953
Last of the Comanches
Last of the Comanches Julia Lanning 1953
General Electric Theater
General Electric Theater Ellen Newman 1953
General Electric Theater
General Electric Theater Lorraine 1953
The Ford Television Theatre
The Ford Television Theatre Marta Linden 1952
The Ford Television Theatre
The Ford Television Theatre Katherine Charles 1952
The First Time
The First Time Betsey Bennett 1952
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars Ginny Morgan 1951
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars 1951
Lorna Doone
Lorna Doone Lorna Doone 1951
Emergency Wedding
Emergency Wedding Dr. Helen Hunt 1950
The Jackpot
The Jackpot Amy Lawrence 1950
And Baby Makes Three
And Baby Makes Three Jacqueline 'Jackie' Walsh 1949
Jolson Sings Again
Jolson Sings Again Ellen Clark 1949
The Window
The Window Mary Woodry 1949
The Clay Pigeon
The Clay Pigeon Martha Gregory 1949
The Boy with Green Hair
The Boy with Green Hair Miss Brand 1948
A Likely Story
A Likely Story Vicki 1947
Lady Luck
Lady Luck Mary Audrey 1946
First Yank into Tokyo
First Yank into Tokyo Abby Drake 1945
West of the Pecos
West of the Pecos Rill Lambeth 1945
The Falcon in Hollywood
The Falcon in Hollywood Peggy Callahan 1944
Heavenly Days
Heavenly Days Angie 1944
Goin' to Town
Goin' to Town Patty 1944
The Falcon Out West
The Falcon Out West Marion Colby 1944
Prunes and Politics
Prunes and Politics Miss Barlow 1944
Higher and Higher
Higher and Higher Katherine 1943
Around the World
Around the World Barbara Hale 1943
Government Girl
Government Girl Girl in Hotel Lobby (uncredited) 1943
The Iron Major
The Iron Major Sarah Cavanaugh 1943
The Seventh Victim
The Seventh Victim Subway Passenger (Uncredited) 1943
Gildersleeve's Bad Day
Gildersleeve's Bad Day Girl seeking donations from Gildersleeve 1943

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