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Barbara Hale is a popular actress who is best remembered for playing Della Street on Perry Mason
She was born Barbara Bernice Hale on April 18, 1922 in DeKalb, Illinois. Her father, Luther Hale, was a landscape gardener. When she was a child she took tap and ballet lessons. After graduating from high school she enrolled at the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts. To make some extra money she began modeling. Barbara started dating a soldier and moved with him to Hollywood in 1942. She signed a contract at RKO and made her film debut in the 1943 comedy Gildersleeve’s Bad Day. The beautiful brunette appeared in numerous movies including The Falcon In Hollywood, Lady Luck, and The Window. While filming West Of The Pecos in 1945 she fell in love with actor Bill Williams. On June 22, 1946 she and Bill were married. The couple had three children together – Jody, William, and Juanita. Barbara left RKO in 1949 and was signed by Columbia Pictures. She costarred with Jimmy Stewart in The Jackpot and with Rock Hudson in the western Seminole. In 1957 she was offered a role on the new television series Perry Mason starring Raymond Burr. Playing Della Street, Perry’s loyal legal secretary, made her a popular TV star.
The show ran for nine seasons and she won an Emmy award for Best Supporting Actress in 1959. Off screen she and Raymond Burr, who was gay, became close friends. After Perry Mason ended she began to work less. In 1970 she had a supporting role in the hit disaster film Airport. Her son, William Katt, also became a successful actor. They worked together in the 1978 film Big Wednesday. Barbara reunited with Raymond Burr in 1985 to make the television movie Perry Mason Returns. It was such a ratings success that she and Raymond would make twenty-five more Perry Mason movies together. She and Bill enjoyed a happy marriage that lasted until his death in 1992. Following Raymond Burr’s death she continued to play Della Street in four more Perry Mason TV movies. Barbara retired from acting in 1995. On January 26, 2017 she passed away from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease at the age of ninety-four. She was buried next to her husband at
Forest Lawn Memorial Park in
Hollywood Hills, California.
Forest Lawn Memorial Park in
Hollywood Hills, California.
With Raymond Burr
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