The Foote Files: The Last Lady Standing: Barbara Hale

FORT WORTH (CBS11) - We lost the last main cast member of Perry Mason in January, Barbara Hale, at age 94.

Born in DeKalb, Illinois, Hale had planned to major in art and drawing. She began as a model for a comic strip, "Ramblin' Bill," while working her way through the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts. She started her motion picture career in 1943 before making her way to television in 1953. But her big break came in 1957 when producer Gail Patrick Jackson cast her in Perry Mason as Della Street. Based on novels by writer Erle Stanley Gardner, Perry Mason was a Los Angeles-based attorney whose specialty was criminal law and with cases that seemed impossible to solve, along with his confidential secretary Della Street and his own private investigator, Paul Drake (William Hopper). William Talman was cast as LA District Attorney Hamilton Burger and Ray Collins as LA Police LT. Arthur Tragg. Tallman had been a movie actor playing tough guys. Collins was part of Orson Welles' LUX Radio Theatre but also had a number of supporting roles in the movies, notably in Welles' blockbuster, Citizen Kane.

Perry Mason aired on the CBS Television Network from 1957-1966 with 271 episodes, with the final one in color (the only one). Only Burr, Hopper, and Barbara were in all 271 (during one of the seasons, Burr was actually in the hospital recuperating from dental surgery for four episodes but was still seen in a "hospital" with someone else handling Perry's cases, one being Bette Davis).

The Della Street character was one of a lady who was professional, courteous, kept confidences, tough when needed to be, but gentle and kind when necessary. She knew when to speak up to Perry and Paul, yet never rude. and knew how to handle Burger and Tragg. Always fashionable and always in a dress and high heels!

When the Mason show ended, Hale made a number of guest star appearances until NBC aired Perry Mason Returns in 1985. Hale returned as Della Street. For next 29 movies, the Mason movies were some of the highest ratings NBC garnered so they were always saved for the major Nielsen "sweeps" periods.

The last movie she appeared with Burr was 1993 in The Case Of The Killer Kiss. Burr died shortly thereafter on September 12, 1993.

Hale was married to actor Bill Williams. Her son William Katt was in a number of the Mason movies as Paul Drake, Jr.

There is one piece of Texas trivia she is connected to: back in the 40's and 50's, Hale was one of the original Dr. Pepper girls in the company's calendars. Her photo can be seen today at the Dr. Pepper Museum in Dublin TX, 80 miles SW of Fort Worth.

I was one of those lucky TV programmers who had the local syndication rights to Perry Mason when I was with KDFI. For years only the first 195 episodes were released in syndication but it was until about 20 years ago that the remaining 76 were released. Today you can see the show on KTXA 21.2 MeTV weekdays at 8am and 10:30pm.

Thank you Barbara for entertaining us for so many years.