Barbara Hale

I've had an angel on my shoulder all my life.

When you were a stock player, you worked on anything that was shooting on the lot in any capacity.

I'm proud that Della was sort of a prototype for TV secretaries. There really was no such established character on TV when 'Perry Mason' came along.

I guess I was just meant to be a secretary who doesn't take shorthand. I'm a lousy typist, too - 33 words a minute.

If we could have seen through the televisions, we would probably have seen many a child grow up.

That was my challenge as an actress: to be a necessary part of the office without being too aggressive.