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Barbara Hale

Highest Rated: 100% Jolson Sings Again (1949)

Lowest Rated: 67% Big Wednesday (1978)

Birthday: Apr 18, 1922

Birthplace: DeKalb, Illinois, USA

To her fans, Barbara Hale seemed born to play the role of Della Street, savvy and streetwise secretary of Raymond Burr's indefatigable public defender "Perry Mason" (CBS, 1957-1966), but she nearly walked away from the opportunity. Having arrived in Hollywood during World War II, the Illinois native was put to work in bit parts and as a pin-up for home studio RKO. Just as she began to merit better roles - in Joseph Losey's pacifist parable "The Boy with the Green Hair" (1947) and the nifty noir "The Window" (1949) - her contract expired. Floating to Columbia, Hale matured as a leading lady opposite Jimmy Stewart in "The Jackpot" (1951) and James Cagney in "A Lion is in the Streets" (1953) but marriage and motherhood prompted the actress to seek out short-term television work, which kept her closer to home. A shot as a regular on "Perry Mason" failed to spark Hale's interest until she learned her co-star would be Raymond Burr, an old friend from her days at RKO. Burr and Hale weathered nine seasons of the highly-rated courtroom drama and remained lifelong friends, reuniting 20 years after the cancellation of the original series for a run of successful telefilm follow-ups, which found Perry and Della slowed by age but unwavering in their shared devotion to the law. Widowed in 1992 and mourning the loss of Burr the following year, Hale retired in 1995, content in her legacy as a consummate character actress and the definitive Della Street. Barbara Hale died of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease on January 26, 2017. She was 94.

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Highest rated movies

100% 76% The Window
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100% 63% Jolson Sings Again
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95% 63% The Seventh Victim
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80% 57% The Boy With Green Hair
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75% 54% Airport
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67% 87% Big Wednesday
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67% 25% A Lion Is in the Streets
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20% A Perry Mason Mystery: The Case of the Lethal Lifestyle
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33% Perry Mason: The Case of the Ruthless Reporter
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40% Perry Mason: The Case of the Heartbroken Bride
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Filmography

Movies

Credit
No Score Yet 20% A Perry Mason Mystery: The Case of the Jealous Jokester Della Street (Character) - 1995
No Score Yet 20% A Perry Mason Mystery: The Case of the Lethal Lifestyle Della Street (Character) - 1994
No Score Yet 33% A Perry Mason Mystery: The Case of the Grimacing Governor Della Street (Character) - 1994
No Score Yet 56% Perry Mason: The Case of the Tell-Tale Talk Show Host Della Street (Character) - 1993
No Score Yet 50% A Perry Mason Mystery: The Case of the Wicked Wives Della Street (Character) - 1993
No Score Yet No Score Yet Perry Mason: The Case of the Killer Kiss Della Street (Character) - 1993
No Score Yet 50% Perry Mason: The Case of the Skin-Deep Scandal Della Street (Character) - 1993
No Score Yet 40% Perry Mason: The Case of the Heartbroken Bride Della Street (Character) - 1992
No Score Yet 25% Perry Mason: The Case of the Reckless Romeo Della Street (Character) - 1992
No Score Yet No Score Yet Perry Mason: The Case of the Glass Coffin Della Street (Character) - 1991
No Score Yet 40% Perry Mason: The Case of the Fatal Fashion Della Street (Character) - 1991
No Score Yet 33% Perry Mason: The Case of the Ruthless Reporter Della Street (Character) - 1991
No Score Yet No Score Yet Perry Mason: The Case of the Maligned Mobster Della Street (Character) - 1991
No Score Yet 60% Perry Mason: The Case of the Desperate Deception Della Street (Character) - 1990
No Score Yet No Score Yet Perry Mason: The Case of the Poisoned Pen Della Street (Character) - 1990
No Score Yet No Score Yet Perry Mason: The Case of the Silenced Singer Della Street (Character) - 1990
No Score Yet 57% Perry Mason: The Case of the Defiant Daughter Della Street (Character) - 1990
No Score Yet 38% Perry Mason: The Case of the All-Star Assassin Della Street (Character) - 1989
No Score Yet 50% Perry Mason: The Case of the Musical Murder Della Street (Character) - 1989
No Score Yet No Score Yet Perry Mason: The Case of the Lethal Lesson Della Street (Character) - 1989
No Score Yet 71% Perry Mason: The Case of the Lady in the Lake Della Street (Character) - 1988
No Score Yet 60% Perry Mason: The Case of the Avenging Ace Della Street (Character) - 1988
No Score Yet No Score Yet Perry Mason: The Case of the Scandalous Scoundrel Della Street (Character) - 1987
No Score Yet 80% Perry Mason: The Case of the Sinister Spirit Della Street (Character) - 1987
No Score Yet 60% Perry Mason: The Case of the Murdered Madam Della Street (Character) - 1987
No Score Yet 80% Perry Mason: The Case of the Lost Love Della Street (Character) - 1987
No Score Yet No Score Yet Perry Mason: The Case of the Shooting Star Della Street (Character) - 1986
No Score Yet 56% Perry Mason: The Case of the Notorious Nun Della Street (Character) - 1986
No Score Yet 75% Perry Mason Returns Della Street (Character) - 1985
67% 87% Big Wednesday Mrs. Barlow (Character) - 1978
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Flight of the Grey Wolf Mrs. Hanson (Character) - 1976
No Score Yet 14% The Giant Spider Invasion Dr. Jenny Langer (Character) - 1975
No Score Yet No Score Yet Soul Soldier Mrs. Alice Grierson (Character) - 1970
75% 54% Airport Sarah Bakersfeld Demerest (Character) - 1970
No Score Yet No Score Yet Buckskin Sarah Cody (Character) - 1968
No Score Yet No Score Yet Desert Hell Celie Edwards (Character) - 1958
No Score Yet 25% The Oklahoman Ann Barnes (Character) - 1957
No Score Yet No Score Yet Slim Carter Allie Hanneman (Character) - 1957
No Score Yet 42% 7th Cavalry Martha Kellogg (Character) - 1956
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Country Husband Mrs. Julia Wiley (Character) - 1956
No Score Yet 50% The Houston Story Zoe Crane (Character) - 1956
No Score Yet 40% The Far Horizons Julia Hancock (Character) - 1955
No Score Yet No Score Yet Unchained Mary Davitt (Character) - 1955
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Lone Hand Sarah Jane Skaggs (Character) - 1954
No Score Yet 40% Seminole Revere (Character) - 1953
67% 25% A Lion Is in the Streets Verity Wade (Character) - 1953
No Score Yet 62% Last of the Comanches Julie Lanning (Character) - 1952
No Score Yet No Score Yet The First Time Betsey Bennet (Character) - 1952
No Score Yet No Score Yet Lorna Doone Lorna Doone (Character) - 1951
No Score Yet No Score Yet Emergency Wedding Dr. Helen Hunt (Character) - 1950
No Score Yet 59% The Jackpot Amy Lawrence (Character) - 1950
No Score Yet No Score Yet And Baby Makes Three Jacqueline "Jackie" Walsh (Character) - 1949
100% 76% The Window Mrs. Mary Woodry (Character) - 1949
100% 63% Jolson Sings Again Ellen Clark (Character) - 1949
No Score Yet 38% The Clay Pigeon Martha Gregory (Character) - 1949
80% 57% The Boy With Green Hair Miss Brand (Character) - 1948
No Score Yet No Score Yet A Likely Story Vickie North (Character) - 1947
No Score Yet No Score Yet Lady Luck Mary Audrey (Character) - 1946
No Score Yet No Score Yet First Yank Into Tokyo Abby Drake (Character) - 1945
No Score Yet No Score Yet West of the Pecos Rill Lambeth (Character) - 1945
No Score Yet No Score Yet Goin' to Town Patty (Character) - 1944
No Score Yet No Score Yet Prunes and Politics Unknown (Character) - 1944
No Score Yet 42% The Falcon in Hollywood Peggy Callahan (Character) - 1944
No Score Yet 14% The Falcon Out West Marion Colby (Character) - 1944
No Score Yet 43% Higher and Higher Katherine Keating (Character) - 1943
95% 63% The Seventh Victim Subway Passenger (uncredited) (Character) - 1943

TV

Credit
No Score Yet No Score Yet Greatest American Hero Paula Hinkley (Guest Star) 1982
No Score Yet No Score Yet Marcus Welby, M.D. Marjorie Brandon (Guest Star) 1974
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Doris Day Show Unknown (Guest Star) 1972
No Score Yet No Score Yet Adam-12 Unknown (Guest Star) 1971
No Score Yet No Score Yet Lassie Sarah Caldwell (Guest Star) 1969
No Score Yet No Score Yet Perry Mason Della Street (Character) 1957-1966
No Score Yet No Score Yet Screen Directors Playhouse Unknown (Character) 1955
No Score Yet No Score Yet Showcase 39 Unknown (Character) 1952