Barbara Hale - # 152

Barbara Hale, ‘Perry Mason’ Actress, Dies at 94

She was number 152 on the list.

Barbara Hale, who played secretary Della Street in the “Perry Mason” television series and movies, died Thursday. She was 94.

According to a Facebook post by her son William Katt, Hale passed away at her home on Sherman Oaks, California

“Lost my beautiful wonderful mom Barbara Hale yesterday afternoon,” Katt, star of the television series “The Greatest American Hero,” wrote Friday. “She left peacefully at her home in Sherman Oaks Ca surrounded by close family and dear friends. We’ve all been so lucky to have her for so long. She was gracious and kind and silly and always fun to be with. A wonderful actress and smart business woman she was most of all a treasure as a friend and mother! We’re all a little lost without her but we have extraordinary stories and memories to take with us for the rest of our lives.

Hale played Street, assistant to Raymond Burr’s titular lawyer, in nine seasons of the series and 30 television movies. She spent her early career under contract with RKO, and went on to star in “Higher and Higher” with Frank Sinatra, “Lady Luck” with Robert Young and Frank Morgan, “The Window,” “Jolson Sings Again,” “Lorna Doone,” and “The Far Horizons” with Charlton Heston.

“Perry Mason” aired on CBS from 1957 to 1966 and starred Burr as a Los Angeles criminal defense attorney. The show was one of the first hour-long series in television history. Hale won a Primetime Emmy Award in 1959 for playing Street, and reprised the character when “Perry Mason” was revived in the 1980s as a series of television movies by NBC.

Hale was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 1960. Among her later film roles were “Airport” and “Big Wednesday.”

Born in DeKalb, Illinois in 1922, Hale was the second child of Willa and Luther Hale. Her father was a landscape gardener. Her late husband, Bill Williams, starred in the western series “The Adventures of Kit Carson” and died in 1992. She is survived by her son William Katt, daughters Johanna Katt and Juanita King, six grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.

In 1940, Hale was a member of the final graduating class from Rockford High School in Rockford, Illinois, then attended the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts, planning to be an artist. Her performing career began in Chicago, when she started modeling to pay for her education.

Filmography

Films

Year Title Role Notes

1943 Gildersleeve's Bad Day Girl at Party Getting Peavey to Donate Film debut; Uncredited

Mexican Spitfire's Blessed Event Girl at Airport Uncredited

The Seventh Victim Subway Passenger Uncredited

The Iron Major Sarah Cavanaugh Uncredited

Gildersleeve on Broadway Stocking Salesgirl Uncredited

Government Girl Girl in Hotel Lobby Uncredited

Around the World Barbara Hale Uncredited

Higher and Higher Katherine Keating

1944 Prunes and Politics Short

The Falcon Out West Marion Colby

Goin' To Town Patty

Heavenly Days Angie

The Falcon in Hollywood Peggy Callahan

1945 West of the Pecos Rill Lambeth

First Yank into Tokyo Abby Drake

1946 Lady Luck Mary Audrey

1947 A Likely Story Vickie North

1948 The Boy with Green Hair Miss Brand

1949 The Clay Pigeon Martha Gregory

The Window Mrs. Mary Woodry

Jolson Sings Again Ellen Clark

And Baby Makes Three Jacqueline 'Jackie' Walsh

1950 The Jackpot Amy Lawrence

Emergency Wedding Dr. Helen Hunt

1951 Lorna Doone Lorna Doone

1952 The First Time Betsey Bennet

Rainbow 'Round My Shoulder Barbara Hale Uncredited

1953 Last of the Comanches Julia Lanning

Seminole Revere

The Lone Hand Sarah Jane Skaggs

A Lion Is in the Streets Verity Wade

1955 Unchained Mary Davitt

The Far Horizons Julia Hancock

1956 The Houston Story Zoe Crane

7th Cavalry Martha Kellogg

1957 The Oklahoman Anne Barnes

Slim Carter Allie Hanneman

1958 Desert Hell Celie Edwards

1968 Buckskin Sarah Cody

1970 Airport Sarah Demerest

The Red, White and Black Mrs. Alice Grierson

1975 The Giant Spider Invasion Dr. Jenny Langer

1978 Big Wednesday Mrs. Barlow Final film role



Television

Year Title Role Notes

1952–56 The Ford Television Theatre Marta Linden, Nora White Episodes: "The Divided Heart", "Remember to Live", "Behind the Mask"

1953 Footlights Theater Katherine Charles Episode: "Change of Heart"

1953–55 Schlitz Playhouse of Stars Episodes: "Vacation for Ginny", "Tourists-Overnight"

1955 Studio 57 Ruth Episode: "Young Couples Only"

General Electric Theater Ellen Newman Episode: "The Windmill"

Screen Director's Playhouse June Waters Episode: "Meet the Governor"

Celebrity Playhouse Episode: "He Knew All About Women"

Climax! Mamie Eunson Episode: "The Day They Gave Babies Away"

Science Fiction Theatre Nancy Stanton, Pat Hastings Episodes: "Conversations With an Ape", "The Hastings Secret"

1956 The Loretta Young Show Bill's Wife Episode: "The Challenge"

Damon Runyon Theater Wendy Longfield Episode: "The Good Luck Kid"

Crossroads Jane Sherman Episode: "Lifeline"

The Millionaire Kathy Munson and Marian Munson Episode: "The Kathy Munson Story"

1956–57 Playhouse 90 Mrs. Julia Wiley, Ann Barnes, Allie Hanneman Episodes: "The Country Husband", "The Blackwell Story"

1957–66 Perry Mason Della Street Credited in all 271 episodes

Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (1959)

Nominated—Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series (1961)

1959 General Electric Theater Lorraine Episode: "Night Club"

1960 Here's Hollywood Herself

1963 Stump the Stars Herself 2 episodes

1967 Custer Melinda Terry Episode: "Death Hunt"

1969 Insight Mom Episode: "A Thousand Red Flowers"

Lassie Sarah Caldwell Episode: "Lassie and the Water Bottles"

1970 The Most Deadly Game Episode: "Model for Murder"

1971 Ironside Marsha Connell Episode: "Murder Impromptu"

Adam-12 Bonnie Jessup Episode: "Pick-up"; Hale's husband Bill Williams also appears

1972 The Doris Day Show Thelma King Episode: "Doris' House Guest"

1973–78 Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color Mrs. Belle Kincaid, Mrs. Hanson, Mrs. Ogle, Mrs. Barlow Episodes: "Chester, Yesterday's Horse", "Flight of the Grey Wolf, Parts 1 and 2", "The Young Runaways", "Big Wednesday"

1974 Marcus Welby, M.D. Marjorie Episode: "The Faith of Childish Things"

1976 Dinah! Herself

1982 The Greatest American Hero Paula Hinkley Episode: "Who's Woo in America"

1985 Perry Mason Returns Della Street Perry Mason TV movie

1986 The Case of the Notorious Nun

The Case of the Shooting Star

1987 The Case of the Lost Love

The Case of the Sinister Spirit

The Case of the Murdered Madam

The Case of the Scandalous Scoundrel

1988 The Case of the Avenging Ace

The Case of the Lady in the Lake

1989 The Case of the Lethal Lesson

The Case of the Musical Murder

The Case of the All-Star Assassin

1990 The Case of the Poisoned Pen

The Case of the Desperate Deception

The Case of the Silenced Singer

The Case of the Defiant Daughter

1991 The Case of the Ruthless Reporter

The Case of the Maligned Mobster

The Case of the Glass Coffin

The Case of the Fatal Fashion

1992 The Case of the Fatal Framing

The Case of the Reckless Romeo

The Case of the Heartbroken Bride

1993 The Case of the Skin-Deep Scandal

The Case of the Telltale Talk Show Host

The Case of the Killer Kiss

The Case of the Wicked Wives A Perry Mason Mystery TV movie

1994 The Case of the Lethal Lifestyle

The Case of the Grimacing Governor

1995 The Case of the Jealous Jokester

2000 Biography Herself Episode: "Raymond Burr, The Case of the TV Legend"