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Barbara Hale

Barbara Hale

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).

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Perry Mason: The Case of the Jealous Jokester

Perry Mason: The Case of the Jealous Jokester

1995

as Della Street

Perry Mason: The Case of the Grimacing Governor

Perry Mason: The Case of the Grimacing Governor

1994

as Della Street

Perry Mason: The Case of the Lethal Lifestyle

Perry Mason: The Case of the Lethal Lifestyle

1994

as Della Street

Perry Mason: The Case of the Wicked Wives

Perry Mason: The Case of the Wicked Wives

1993

as Della Street

Perry Mason: The Case of the Killer Kiss

Perry Mason: The Case of the Killer Kiss

1993

as Della Street

Perry Mason: The Case of the Telltale Talk Show Host

Perry Mason: The Case of the Telltale Talk Show Host

1993

as Della Street

Perry Mason: The Case of the Skin-Deep Scandal

Perry Mason: The Case of the Skin-Deep Scandal

1993

as Della Street

Perry Mason: The Case of the Heartbroken Bride

Perry Mason: The Case of the Heartbroken Bride

1992

as Della Street

Perry Mason: The Case of the Reckless Romeo

Perry Mason: The Case of the Reckless Romeo

1992

as Della Street

Perry Mason: The Case of the Fatal Framing

Perry Mason: The Case of the Fatal Framing

1992

as Della Street

Perry Mason: The Case of the Fatal Fashion

Perry Mason: The Case of the Fatal Fashion

1991

as Della Street

Perry Mason: The Case of the Glass Coffin

Perry Mason: The Case of the Glass Coffin

1991

as Della Street

Perry Mason: The Case of the Maligned Mobster

Perry Mason: The Case of the Maligned Mobster

1991

as Della Street

Perry Mason: The Case of the Ruthless Reporter

Perry Mason: The Case of the Ruthless Reporter

1991

as Della Street

Perry Mason: The Case of the Defiant Daughter

Perry Mason: The Case of the Defiant Daughter

1990

as Della Street

Perry Mason: The Case of the Silenced Singer

Perry Mason: The Case of the Silenced Singer

1990

as Della Street

Perry Mason: The Case of the Desperate Deception

Perry Mason: The Case of the Desperate Deception

1990

as Della Street

Perry Mason: The Case of the Poisoned Pen

Perry Mason: The Case of the Poisoned Pen

1990

as Della Street

Perry Mason: The Case of the All-Star Assassin

Perry Mason: The Case of the All-Star Assassin

1989

as Della Street

Perry Mason: The Case of the Musical Murder

Perry Mason: The Case of the Musical Murder

1989

as Della Street

Perry Mason: The Case of the Lethal Lesson

Perry Mason: The Case of the Lethal Lesson

1989

as Della Street

Perry Mason: The Case of the Lady in the Lake

Perry Mason: The Case of the Lady in the Lake

1988

as Della Street

Perry Mason: The Case of the Avenging Ace

Perry Mason: The Case of the Avenging Ace

1988

as Della Street

Perry Mason: The Case of the Scandalous Scoundrel

Perry Mason: The Case of the Scandalous Scoundrel

1987

as Della Street

Perry Mason: The Case of the Murdered Madam

Perry Mason: The Case of the Murdered Madam

1987

as Della Street

Perry Mason: The Case of the Sinister Spirit

Perry Mason: The Case of the Sinister Spirit

1987

as Della Street

Perry Mason: The Case of the Lost Love

Perry Mason: The Case of the Lost Love

1987

as Della Street

Perry Mason: The Case of the Shooting Star

Perry Mason: The Case of the Shooting Star

1986

as Della Street

Perry Mason: The Case of the Notorious Nun

Perry Mason: The Case of the Notorious Nun

1986

as Della Street

Perry Mason Returns

Perry Mason Returns

1985

as Della Street

The Young Runaways

The Young Runaways

1978

as Mrs. Ogle

Big Wednesday

Big Wednesday

1978

as Mrs. Barlow

The Flight of the Grey Wolf

The Flight of the Grey Wolf

1976

as Mrs Hanson

The Giant Spider Invasion

The Giant Spider Invasion

1975

as Dr. Jenny Langer

Dinah!

Dinah!

1974

as Self

Chester, Yesterday’s Horse

Chester, Yesterday’s Horse

1973

as Mrs. Belle Kincaid

The Red, White, and Black

The Red, White, and Black

1970

as Mrs. Alice Grierson

Airport

Airport

1970

as Sarah Demerest

Marcus Welby, M.D.

Marcus Welby, M.D.

1969

as Marjorie Brandon

The Doris Day Show

The Doris Day Show

1968

as Thelma King

Adam-12

Adam-12

1968

as Bonnie Jessup

Buckskin

Buckskin

1968

as Sarah Cody

Desert Hell

Desert Hell

1958

as Celie Edwards

Slim Carter

Slim Carter

1957

as Allie Hanneman

Perry Mason

Perry Mason

1957

as Della Street

The Oklahoman

The Oklahoman

1957

as Anne

7th Cavalry

7th Cavalry

1956

as Martha Kellogg

The Houston Story

The Houston Story

1956

as Zoe Crane

Meet the Governor

Meet the Governor

1955

as June Waters

Screen Director's Playhouse

Screen Director's Playhouse

1955

as June Waters

Unchained

Unchained

1955

as Mary Davitt

The Far Horizons

The Far Horizons

1955

as Julia Hancock

The Millionaire

The Millionaire

1955

as Kathy Munson / Marian Munson

The Wonderful World of Disney

The Wonderful World of Disney

1954

as Mrs. Ogle

Climax!

Climax!

1954

as Mamie Eunson

Studio 57

Studio 57

1954

as Ruth

Lassie

Lassie

1954

A Lion Is in the Streets

A Lion Is in the Streets

1953

as Verity Wade

Letter to Loretta

Letter to Loretta

1953

as Mrs. Strawn

The Lone Hand

The Lone Hand

1953

as Sarah Jane Skaggs

Seminole

Seminole

1953

as Revere

Last of the Comanches

Last of the Comanches

1953

as Julia Lanning

General Electric Theater

General Electric Theater

1953

as Ellen Newman

General Electric Theater

General Electric Theater

1953

as Lorraine

The Ford Television Theatre

The Ford Television Theatre

1952

as Marta Linden

The Ford Television Theatre

The Ford Television Theatre

1952

as Katherine Charles

The First Time

The First Time

1952

as Betsey Bennett

Schlitz Playhouse of Stars

Schlitz Playhouse of Stars

1951

as Ginny Morgan

Schlitz Playhouse of Stars

Schlitz Playhouse of Stars

1951

Lorna Doone

Lorna Doone

1951

as Lorna Doone

Emergency Wedding

Emergency Wedding

1950

as Dr. Helen Hunt

The Jackpot

The Jackpot

1950

as Amy Lawrence

And Baby Makes Three

And Baby Makes Three

1949

as Jacqueline 'Jackie' Walsh

Jolson Sings Again

Jolson Sings Again

1949

as Ellen Clark

The Window

The Window

1949

as Mary Woodry

The Clay Pigeon

The Clay Pigeon

1949

as Martha Gregory

The Boy with Green Hair

The Boy with Green Hair

1948

as Miss Brand

A Likely Story

A Likely Story

1947

as Vicki

Lady Luck

Lady Luck

1946

as Mary Audrey

First Yank into Tokyo

First Yank into Tokyo

1945

as Abby Drake

West of the Pecos

West of the Pecos

1945

as Rill Lambeth

The Falcon in Hollywood

The Falcon in Hollywood

1944

as Peggy Callahan

Heavenly Days

Heavenly Days

1944

as Angie

Goin' to Town

Goin' to Town

1944

as Patty

The Falcon Out West

The Falcon Out West

1944

as Marion Colby

Prunes and Politics

Prunes and Politics

1944

as Miss Barlow

Higher and Higher

Higher and Higher

1943

as Katherine

Around the World

Around the World

1943

as Barbara Hale

Government Girl

Government Girl

1943

as Girl in Hotel Lobby (uncredited)

The Iron Major

The Iron Major

1943

as Sarah Cavanaugh

The Seventh Victim

The Seventh Victim

1943

as Subway Passenger (Uncredited)

Gildersleeve's Bad Day

Gildersleeve's Bad Day

1943

as Girl seeking donations from Gildersleeve