TVXOHOF, MAY, 2020 - DELLA STREET

We celebrate the ladies of Television in the month of May, the Queens of May as it were, beginning with our showcase star for the month and then each Friday, including the TV show to be inducted on the last Friday of May.

This month’s showcase inductee is a tribute to a great lady whom we lost three years ago.  She may not have accrued actual crossovers, but she certainly cleaned up in the sequels department.

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you…

DELLA STREET

From Wikipedia:

Della Street is the fictional secretary of Perry Mason in the long-running series of novels, short stories, films, and radio and television programs featuring the fictional defense attorney created by Erle Stanley Gardner.

Gardner described her this way:

"Della Street … Secretary, twenty-seven, quiet, fast as hell on her feet, had been places. Worked in a carnival or side show, knows all the lines, hard-boiled exterior, quietly efficient, puzzled over the lawyer, chestnut hair, trim figure, some lines on her face, a hint of weariness at the corners of her eyes."

When Gardner submitted “Reasonable Doubt” to William Morrow, an editor suggested that "Della Street is a better character than the secretary." Gardner took this suggestion when he rewrote “Reasonable Doubt” as “The Case of the Velvet Claws” and made Della Street Perry Mason's secretary. In the published novel, the carnival or side show was jettisoned, and Street came from a more "respectable" background.

On television, Della Street was played by Barbara Hale in the series, for which she received an Emmy Award, and in the 30 made-for-TV movies.

Hale was considering retirement from acting when she accepted her best known role as legal secretary Della Street in the television series ‘Perry Mason’, starring Raymond Burr as the titular character.

The show ran for nine seasons from 1957 to 1966, with 271 episodes produced. The role won Hale a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series.

In 1985, Hale and Burr (by then the only surviving cast members from the original series) reprised their roles for the TV movie Perry Mason Returns. The film was such a ratings hit, that a further 29 movies were produced until 1995.

Hale continued her role as Della in the four telefilms produced after Burr's death in 1993, subtitled “A Perry Mason Mystery” (and starring Paul Sorvino as Anthony Caruso in the first film and Hal Holbrook as "Wild" Bill McKenzie in the remaining three). Hale is thus the only actor to feature in all 30 films.

From the Perry Mason wiki:
Della Street is Mason loyal, compent, confidential secretary.  Not as clever as Mason, she is a very smart, practical self possessed person.  Paul Drake is very respectful to her and teases her with the words "Hi Beautiful"

Usually referred to as Della Street; there is a question as to whether or not she is unmarried or a widow.  One episode refers to her as Mrs. Della Street.

[I have no way of verifying that.]

Here are the list of Della Street’s qualifications for membership in the Television Crossover Hall of Fame:

Perry Mason
271 episodes

THE TV MOVIES

• Perry Mason Returns (1985)  
• Perry Mason: The Case of the Notorious Nun (1986)  
• Perry Mason: The Case of the Shooting Star (1986)  
• Perry Mason: The Case of the Lost Love (1987)  
• Perry Mason: The Case of the Sinister Spirit (1987)  
• Perry Mason: The Case of the Murdered Madam (1987)  
• Perry Mason: The Case of the Scandalous Scoundrel (1987)  
• Perry Mason: The Case of the Avenging Ace (1988)  
• Perry Mason: The Case of the Lady in the Lake (1988)  
• Perry Mason: The Case of the Lethal Lesson (1989)  
• Perry Mason: The Case of the Musical Murder (1989)  
• Perry Mason: The Case of the All-Star Assassin (1989)  
• Perry Mason: The Case of the Poisoned Pen (1990)  
• Perry Mason: The Case of the Desperate Deception (1990)  
• Perry Mason: The Case of the Silenced Singer (1990)  
• Perry Mason: The Case of the Defiant Daughter (1990)  
• Perry Mason: The Case of the Ruthless Reporter (1991)  
• Perry Mason: The Case of the Maligned Mobster (1991)  
• Perry Mason: The Case of the Glass Coffin (1991)  
• Perry Mason: The Case of the Fatal Fashion (1991)  
• Perry Mason: The Case of the Fatal Framing (1992)  
• Perry Mason: The Case of the Reckless Romeo (1992)  
• Perry Mason: The Case of the Heartbroken Bride (1992)  
• Perry Mason: The Case of the Skin-Deep Scandal (1993)  
• Perry Mason: The Case of the Telltale Talk Show Host (1993)  
• Perry Mason: The Case of the Killer Kiss (1993)  
• A Perry Mason Mystery: The Case of the Wicked Wives (1993)  
• A Perry Mason Mystery: The Case of the Lethal Lifestyle (1994)  
• A Perry Mason Mystery: The Case of the Grimacing Governor (1994)  
• A Perry Mason Mystery: The Case of the Jealous Jokester (1995)  

 30 in all.

That’s close to 331 hours of television featuring Della.  Not too shabby!

Welcome to the Hall, Miss Street!