Barbara Hale

Personal Info

Known For

Acting

Known Credits

94

Gender

Female

Birthday

1922-04-18

Day of death

2017-01-26 (94 years old)

Place of Birth

DeKalb, Illinois, USA

Barbara Hale

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).

Known For

  • Perry Mason

    Perry Mason

  • Adam-12

    Adam-12

  • Lassie

    Lassie

  • Climax!

    Climax!

  • The Doris Day Show

    The Doris Day Show

  • Dinah!

    Dinah!

  • Marcus Welby, M.D.

    Marcus Welby, M.D.

  • The Millionaire

    The Millionaire

  • The Ford Television Theatre

    The Ford Television Theatre

  • The Ford Television Theatre

    The Ford Television Theatre

  • Studio 57

    Studio 57

  • Screen Director's Playhouse

    Screen Director's Playhouse

  • The Flight of the Grey Wolf

    The Flight of the Grey Wolf

  • The Giant Spider Invasion

    The Giant Spider Invasion

  • Perry Mason: The Case of the Telltale Talk Show Host

    Perry Mason: The Case of the Telltale Talk Show Host

  • Perry Mason: The Case of the Skin-Deep Scandal

    Perry Mason: The Case of the Skin-Deep Scandal

  • Perry Mason: The Case of the Shooting Star

    Perry Mason: The Case of the Shooting Star

  • Emergency Wedding

    Emergency Wedding

  • The Houston Story

    The Houston Story

  • And Baby Makes Three

    And Baby Makes Three

  • Letter to Loretta

    Letter to Loretta

  • Perry Mason Returns

    Perry Mason Returns

  • Perry Mason: The Case of the Poisoned Pen

    Perry Mason: The Case of the Poisoned Pen

  • Perry Mason: The Case of the Jealous Jokester

    Perry Mason: The Case of the Jealous Jokester

  • The Window

    The Window

  • Perry Mason: The Case of the Murdered Madam

    Perry Mason: The Case of the Murdered Madam

  • The Jackpot

    The Jackpot

  • Perry Mason: The Case of the Reckless Romeo

    Perry Mason: The Case of the Reckless Romeo

  • The Seventh Victim

    The Seventh Victim

  • Perry Mason: The Case of the Notorious Nun

    Perry Mason: The Case of the Notorious Nun

  • Lady Luck

    Lady Luck

  • The Far Horizons

    The Far Horizons

  • Perry Mason: The Case of the Defiant Daughter

    Perry Mason: The Case of the Defiant Daughter

  • Perry Mason: The Case of the Grimacing Governor

    Perry Mason: The Case of the Grimacing Governor

  • Slim Carter

    Slim Carter

  • Perry Mason: The Case of the Desperate Deception

    Perry Mason: The Case of the Desperate Deception

  • First Yank into Tokyo

    First Yank into Tokyo

  • The Clay Pigeon

    The Clay Pigeon

  • The Falcon in Hollywood

    The Falcon in Hollywood

  • Perry Mason: The Case of the Silenced Singer

    Perry Mason: The Case of the Silenced Singer

  • Perry Mason: The Case of the Fatal Framing

    Perry Mason: The Case of the Fatal Framing

  • Big Wednesday

    Big Wednesday

  • A Lion Is in the Streets

    A Lion Is in the Streets

  • The Lone Hand

    The Lone Hand

  • Airport

    Airport

  • Perry Mason: The Case of the Lethal Lesson

    Perry Mason: The Case of the Lethal Lesson

  • Perry Mason: The Case of the Avenging Ace

    Perry Mason: The Case of the Avenging Ace

  • 7th Cavalry

    7th Cavalry

  • The Boy with Green Hair

    The Boy with Green Hair

  • The Young Runaways

    The Young Runaways

  • Heavenly Days

    Heavenly Days

  • Perry Mason: The Case of the Scandalous Scoundrel

    Perry Mason: The Case of the Scandalous Scoundrel

  • The First Time

    The First Time

  • West of the Pecos

    West of the Pecos

  • Gildersleeve's Bad Day

    Gildersleeve's Bad Day

  • Schlitz Playhouse of Stars

    Schlitz Playhouse of Stars

  • Schlitz Playhouse of Stars

    Schlitz Playhouse of Stars

  • The Country Husband

    The Country Husband

  • Perry Mason: The Case of the All-Star Assassin

    Perry Mason: The Case of the All-Star Assassin

  • The Wonderful World of Disney

    The Wonderful World of Disney

  • Perry Mason: The Case of the Musical Murder

    Perry Mason: The Case of the Musical Murder

  • Around the World

    Around the World

  • Perry Mason: The Case of the Lost Love

    Perry Mason: The Case of the Lost Love

  • Perry Mason: The Case of the Maligned Mobster

    Perry Mason: The Case of the Maligned Mobster

  • The Falcon Out West

    The Falcon Out West

  • Perry Mason: The Case of the Heartbroken Bride

    Perry Mason: The Case of the Heartbroken Bride

  • Perry Mason: The Case of the Glass Coffin

    Perry Mason: The Case of the Glass Coffin

  • Perry Mason: The Case of the Wicked Wives

    Perry Mason: The Case of the Wicked Wives

  • The Red, White, and Black

    The Red, White, and Black

  • Perry Mason: The Case of the Fatal Fashion

    Perry Mason: The Case of the Fatal Fashion

  • The Oklahoman

    The Oklahoman

  • Perry Mason: The Case of the Lethal Lifestyle

    Perry Mason: The Case of the Lethal Lifestyle

  • General Electric Theater

    General Electric Theater

  • General Electric Theater

    General Electric Theater

  • Seminole

    Seminole

  • Unchained

    Unchained

  • Lorna Doone

    Lorna Doone

  • Perry Mason: The Case of the Lady in the Lake

    Perry Mason: The Case of the Lady in the Lake

  • Perry Mason: The Case of the Ruthless Reporter

    Perry Mason: The Case of the Ruthless Reporter

  • Perry Mason Returns

    Perry Mason Returns

  • Last of the Comanches

    Last of the Comanches

  • Perry Mason: The Case of the Killer Kiss

    Perry Mason: The Case of the Killer Kiss

  • Government Girl

    Government Girl

  • Goin' to Town

    Goin' to Town

  • Meet the Governor

    Meet the Governor

  • Higher and Higher

    Higher and Higher

  • Perry Mason: The Case of the Sinister Spirit

    Perry Mason: The Case of the Sinister Spirit

  • Buckskin

    Buckskin

  • The Iron Major

    The Iron Major

  • Chester, Yesterday’s Horse

    Chester, Yesterday’s Horse

  • A Likely Story

    A Likely Story

  • Prunes and Politics

    Prunes and Politics

  • Desert Hell

    Desert Hell

  • Jolson Sings Again

    Jolson Sings Again