BARBARA HALE BIOGRAPHY & FILMOGRAPHY:

Barbara Hale was born on April 18th, 1922 in Dekalb, Illinois and had one sibling, Juanita.  Her parents were Willa and Luther and they moved the family to Rockford, Illinois quite soon after she was born.  As a young girl she developed an interest in art and planed to grow up and be an artist.  She graduated from Rockford Illinois High School in 1940 and then found work as a model for a comic strip, "Ramblin Bill.  At the same time Hale was attending the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts.  Her goal was to pursue a career in advertising, but she began to realize how difficult that industry was.  

When a man by the name of Al Seaman, who was the head of the Chicago Model Bureau saw her photo's, he submitted them to RKO productions.  She was immediately brought out to California and signed to a 6 month film contract trial which later was extended to a stock contract.  

At first she worked on a number of films being cast in very small roles such as on one of her earlier films, "GilderSleeves Bad Day" (1943) and "7th Victim".  In 1944 she got a decent break with her role on the film, "Higher and Higher" alongside Frank Sinatra. 

As her career proceeded she went from being cast in a number of 'B' rated films such as, "The Falcon Out West" (1944) and "First Yank into Tokyo" (1945) to more prominent roles in a number of Westerns and some drama and comedy films such as, "Lady Luck" (1946).  

Her contract with RKO was a total of six years and then she moved on to do some work with Columbia Studio's in 1948 such as on the film, "Jolson Sings Again" (1949).  In 1956 she was offered the role of Della Street in the television series, "Perry Masson" for which she received an Emmy in 1959 and was nominated again in 1961.  Then in 1980 she was offered to be involved in the television , "Perry Mason" Movies series as long as she was able to continue to play the same character, Della Street. 
 
Along with working on the Perry Masson Movies she also appeared in a number of other big screen films such as, "Airport" (1970) and "The Spider Invasion" (1975).  She also began in 1971 doing some commercial work with Amana Kitchen Appliances.  

Hale married only once on June 22nd, 1946 to Bill Williams with who she had three children, Jody, William and Juanita. They remained together until he passed away on September 21st, 1992.
 
She currently resides in California and her last known television appearance was in 2002 on, "Entertainment Tonight" What Happened To Your Favorite TV Star?".     

Filmography

1995 A Perry Mason Mystery: The Case of the Jealous Jokester 
1994 A Perry Mason Mystery: The Case of the Grimacing Governor 
1994 A Perry Mason Mystery: The Case of the Lethal Lifestyle 
1993 A Perry Mason Mystery: The Case of the Wicked Wives 
1993 Perry Mason: The Case of the Killer Kiss 
1993 Perry Mason: The Case of the Telltale Talk Show Host 
1993 Perry Mason: The Case of the Skin-Deep Scandal 
1992 Perry Mason: The Case of the Heartbroken Bride 
1992 Perry Mason: The Case of the Reckless Romeo 
1992 Perry Mason: The Case of the Fatal Framing 
1991 Perry Mason: The Case of the Fatal Fashion 
1991 Perry Mason: The Case of the Glass Coffin 
1991 Perry Mason: The Case of the Maligned Mobster 
1991 Perry Mason: The Case of the Ruthless Reporter 
1990 Perry Mason: The Case of the Defiant Daughter 
1990 Perry Mason: The Case of the Silenced Singer 
1990 Perry Mason: The Case of the Desperate Deception 
1990 Perry Mason: The Case of the Poisoned Pen 
1989 Perry Mason: The Case of the All-Star Assassin 
1989 Perry Mason: The Case of the Musical Murder 
1989 Perry Mason: The Case of the Lethal Lesson 
1988 Perry Mason: The Case of the Lady in the Lake 
1988 Perry Mason: The Case of the Avenging Ace 
1987 Perry Mason: The Case of the Scandalous Scoundrel 
1987 Perry Mason: The Case of the Murdered Madam 
1987 Perry Mason: The Case of the Sinister Spirit 
1987 Perry Mason: The Case of the Lost Love
1986 Perry Mason: The Case of the Shooting Star 
1986 Perry Mason: The Case of the Notorious Nun 
1985 Perry Mason Returns 
1982 The Greatest American Hero
1978 Big Wednesday 
1973-1978 Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color
1978 The Young Runaways 
1976 Flight of the Grey Wolf 
1975 The Giant Spider Invasion 
1974 Marcus Welby, M.D.
1973 Chester, Yesterday's Horse 
1972 The Doris Day Show
1971 Adam-12
1971 Ironside
1970 The Most Deadly Game
1970 The Red, White, and Black 
1970 Airport 
1969 Lassie
1969 Insight
1968 Buckskin 
1967 Custer
1957-1966 Perry Mason
1955-1959 G.E. True Theater 
1958 Desert Hell 
1957 Slim Carter 
1957 The Oklahoman 
1956-1957 Playhouse 90
1956 7th Cavalry 
1956 The Millionaire
1956 Crossroads
1956 Star Stage
1952-1956 The Ford Television Theatre
1956 The Houston Story 
1956 Damon Runyon Theater 
1956 The Loretta Young Show 
1955 Climax!
1955 Science Fiction Theatre
1955 Celebrity Playhouse
1955 Screen Directors Playhouse
1955 Studio 57
1955 The Far Horizons 
1953-1955 Schlitz Playhouse
1955 Unchained 
1955 Young Couples Only 
1953 A Lion Is in the Streets 
1953 Footlights Theater
1953 The Lone Hand 
1953 Seminole 
1953 Last of the Comanches 
1952 The First Time 
1951 Lorna Doone  
1950 Emergency Wedding 
1950 The Jackpot 
1949 And Baby Makes Three
1949 Jolson Sings Again 
1949 The Window 
1949 The Clay Pigeon 
1948 The Boy with Green Hair 
1947 A Likely Story 
1946 Lady Luck 
1945 First Yank Into Tokyo 
1945 West of the Pecos 
1944 The Falcon in Hollywood 
1944 Heavenly Days 
1944 Goin' to Town 
1944 The Falcon Out West 
1944 Prunes and Politics 
1943 Higher and Higher 
1943 Around the World 
1943 Government Girl
1943 Gildersleeve on Broadway 
1943 The Iron Major 
1943 The Seventh Victim 
1943 Mexican Spitfire's Blessed Event 
1943 Gildersleeve's Bad