Barbara Hale (born April 18, 1922 in DeKalb, Illinois) is an American actress best known as Perry Mason's secretary "Della Street". She first began appearing in motion pictures in 1943 after training at the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts. In 1946 she married actor Bill Williams, a union that produced three children (including actor William Katt) and four grandchildren (two grandsons by her son William Katt and one grandson and one grand-daughter by youngest daughter Juanita).
The marriage lasted for forty-six years until his death in 1992 from brain cancer. Hale herself has survived several bouts of cancer.
She played a significant role as the loyal and knowledgeable secretary in the Perry Mason series that ran from 1957 to 1966 and was reprised in several movies afterwards. The show was so successful that her contribution was recognized with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. She was nominated for the Emmy Award twice for her performance on the show, in 1959 and 1961, winning the award in 1959.
Hale had a featured role in the movie "Airport" portraying the wife of pilot Dean Martin.
She has also been a spokeswoman for Amana appliances.
She was an adherent of the Bahá'à Faith.
The Window (1949)
