144:
290:, where she was a secretary, but not the secretary of the lawyer, Ed Stark. 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
345:
25:
379:
317:, Della Street is revealed to have come from a wealthy, or at least well-to-do, family that was wiped out by the stock market crash of 1929. Della was forced to get a job as a secretary. By the time of the TV series in the 1950s and 1960s, this would not have fit well with the age of the characters as then portrayed. According to
369:
Erle
Stanley Gardner, the creator of Perry Mason in a series of novels, was a very prolific author, who simultaneously employed three secretaries—all sisters—to keep up with his output. One of them he eventually married, after his first wife—from whom he was separated for 30 years—died. This was Jean
324:
Several instances of sexual tension are seen between Mason and Street in the
Gardner novels, multiple glances, kisses, and so on, and several proposals of marriage, all of which Della turned down because, at the time, wives of professional men did not work. Thus, she could not have continued as his
370:
Gardner, born Agnes Helene Walter. People who knew her believed she was the inspiration for Della Street, though neither she nor
Gardner himself admitted it. Mrs. Gardner said she thought he put several women together to create the character.
515:
676:
302:
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.
1003:
954:
477:
294:
to
William Morrow, an editor suggested that "Della Street is a better character than the secretary." Gardner took this suggestion when he rewrote
266:
in the long-running series of novels, short stories, films, and radio and television programs featuring the fictional defense attorney created by
721:
314:
836:
659:
601:
576:
449:
378:
108:
897:
998:
1008:
46:
636:
89:
804:
413:
42:
61:
925:
919:
891:
881:
820:
540:
519:
511:
419:
388:
161:
796:
403:
677:"'Perry Mason': Juliet Rylance, Andrew Howard, Eric Lange, Robert Patrick & Stephen Root Join HBO Limited Series"
401:
In the film adaptations made in the 1930s, Della Street was portrayed by five different actresses: Helen
Trenholme (
68:
904:
863:
812:
429:
361:
273:
In 1950, Gardner published the short story "The Case of the
Suspect Sweethearts" under the pseudonym Della Street.
143:
35:
828:
714:
439:
333:
Gardner was disappointed by the initial set of movies. One such change was how Street ended up married to Mason.
779:
618:
75:
753:
57:
488:"Madge"). The character portrayed in the radio series was reworked into Sara Lane on the daytime show
972:
730:
707:
267:
174:
913:
844:
528:
465:
967:
681:
594:
Secrets of the World's Best-Selling Writer: The
Storytelling Techniques of Erle Stanley Gardner
947:
699:
655:
597:
572:
485:
961:
325:
secretary (and effective partner) and she did not want to give up this aspect of her life.
748:
461:
424:
348:
202:
190:
82:
544:
469:
356:
352:
222:
206:
992:
533:
490:
344:
523:
507:
336:
In the 2020 HBO adaptation, Della Street is a lesbian, living with her girlfriend.
218:
214:
156:
152:
758:
734:
434:
408:
263:
194:
186:
148:
133:
24:
977:
444:
198:
286:
A character named Della Street first appeared in
Gardner's unpublished novel
481:
473:
210:
619:"Perry Mason is Coming to HBO. Here's What to Know About His History"
652:
The Great Radio Soap Operas: The 31 Classic
Daytime Dramas, 1930-60
377:
343:
306:
464:
was the first actress to portray Street regularly, albeit on the
637:"Perry Mason recreates Thirties LA but needs a killer one-liner"
703:
383:
18:
569:
Erle
Stanley Gardner: The Case of the Real Perry Mason
526:
played Della Street in the short-lived revival series
939:
873:
855:
788:
772:
741:
249:
241:
233:
228:
180:
170:
126:
49:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
498:until Gardner pulled his support for the project.
321:, she is about 15 years younger than Perry Mason.
592:Fugate, Francis L.; Fugate, Roberta B. (1980).
543:, Della Street is portrayed by British actress
715:
8:
955:Perry Mason: The Case of the Mandarin Murder
722:
708:
700:
506:On television, Della Street was played by
142:
562:
560:
109:Learn how and when to remove this message
556:
1004:Literary characters introduced in 1933
123:
16:Confidential secretary of Perry Mason
7:
47:adding citations to reliable sources
468:. She was succeeded in the role by
313:, written in the early days of the
14:
837:The Case of the Stuttering Bishop
450:The Case of the Stuttering Bishop
898:The Case of the Restless Redhead
675:Petski, Denise (July 23, 2019).
650:Cox, Jim (1999). "Perry Mason".
23:
319:The Case of The Caretaker's Cat
34:needs additional citations for
494:, which was to be the daytime
262:is the fictional secretary of
1:
805:The Case of the Curious Bride
617:Murray, Noel (18 June 2020).
414:The Case of the Curious Bride
351:(left) as Della Street, with
821:The Case of the Velvet Claws
596:. New York: William Morrow.
571:. New York: William Morrow.
514:, for which she received an
420:The Case of the Velvet Claws
311:The Case of the Velvet Claws
300:The Case of the Velvet Claws
797:The Case of the Howling Dog
567:Hughes, Dorothy B. (1978).
404:The Case of the Howling Dog
1025:
905:The Case of Constant Doyle
813:The Case of the Lucky Legs
654:. McFarland. p. 176.
430:The Case of the Lucky Legs
362:The Case of the Lucky Legs
829:The Case of the Black Cat
478:the Superman radio series
440:The Case of the Black Cat
305:In the first Perry Mason
141:
131:
159:) in the CBS-TV series,
229:In-universe information
999:Perry Mason characters
920:Television film series
393:
366:
1009:Fictional secretaries
381:
347:
973:Perry Mason syndrome
731:Erle Stanley Gardner
268:Erle Stanley Gardner
175:Erle Stanley Gardner
155:) and Della Street (
43:improve this article
914:The New Perry Mason
845:Granny Get Your Gun
529:The New Perry Mason
121:Fictional character
968:Perry Mason moment
682:Deadline Hollywood
623:The New York Times
520:made-for-TV movies
394:
382:Juliet Rylance in
367:
986:
985:
948:The Edge of Night
472:(better known as
257:
256:
119:
118:
111:
93:
1016:
962:Park Avenue Beat
931:
887:
724:
717:
710:
701:
694:
693:
691:
689:
672:
666:
665:
647:
641:
640:
633:
627:
626:
614:
608:
607:
589:
583:
582:
564:
518:, and in the 30
315:Great Depression
296:Reasonable Doubt
292:Reasonable Doubt
288:Reasonable Doubt
146:
124:
114:
107:
103:
100:
94:
92:
51:
27:
19:
1024:
1023:
1019:
1018:
1017:
1015:
1014:
1013:
989:
988:
987:
982:
935:
929:
885:
869:
851:
784:
768:
749:Hamilton Burger
737:
728:
698:
697:
687:
685:
674:
673:
669:
662:
649:
648:
644:
639:. 22 June 2020.
635:
634:
630:
616:
615:
611:
604:
591:
590:
586:
579:
566:
565:
558:
553:
504:
462:Gertrude Warner
459:
425:Genevieve Tobin
399:
376:
349:Genevieve Tobin
342:
331:
284:
282:Original novels
279:
221:
217:
213:
209:
205:
203:Gertrude Warner
201:
197:
193:
191:Genevieve Tobin
189:
185:
184:Helen Trenholme
166:
122:
115:
104:
98:
95:
52:
50:
40:
28:
17:
12:
11:
5:
1022:
1020:
1012:
1011:
1006:
1001:
991:
990:
984:
983:
981:
980:
975:
970:
965:
958:
951:
943:
941:
937:
936:
934:
933:
922:
917:
910:
909:
908:
901:
894:
877:
875:
871:
870:
868:
867:
859:
857:
853:
852:
850:
849:
841:
833:
825:
817:
809:
801:
792:
790:
786:
785:
783:
782:
776:
774:
770:
769:
767:
766:
761:
756:
751:
745:
743:
739:
738:
729:
727:
726:
719:
712:
704:
696:
695:
667:
660:
642:
628:
609:
602:
584:
577:
555:
554:
552:
549:
545:Juliet Rylance
503:
500:
470:Joan Alexander
458:
455:
398:
395:
375:
372:
357:Patricia Ellis
353:Warren William
341:
338:
330:
327:
283:
280:
278:
275:
255:
254:
251:
247:
246:
243:
239:
238:
235:
231:
230:
226:
225:
223:Juliet Rylance
207:Joan Alexander
182:
178:
177:
172:
168:
167:
147:
139:
138:
129:
128:
120:
117:
116:
58:"Della Street"
31:
29:
22:
15:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1021:
1010:
1007:
1005:
1002:
1000:
997:
996:
994:
979:
976:
974:
971:
969:
966:
963:
959:
957:
956:
952:
950:
949:
945:
944:
942:
938:
928:
927:
923:
921:
918:
916:
915:
911:
906:
902:
899:
895:
893:
890:
889:
884:
883:
879:
878:
876:
872:
866:
865:
861:
860:
858:
854:
847:
846:
842:
839:
838:
834:
831:
830:
826:
823:
822:
818:
815:
814:
810:
807:
806:
802:
799:
798:
794:
793:
791:
787:
781:
778:
777:
775:
771:
765:
762:
760:
757:
755:
752:
750:
747:
746:
744:
740:
736:
732:
725:
720:
718:
713:
711:
706:
705:
702:
684:
683:
678:
671:
668:
663:
661:0-7864-0589-9
657:
653:
646:
643:
638:
632:
629:
624:
620:
613:
610:
605:
603:9780688037017
599:
595:
588:
585:
580:
578:9780688032821
574:
570:
563:
561:
557:
550:
548:
546:
542:
537:
535:
534:Monte Markham
531:
530:
525:
521:
517:
513:
509:
501:
499:
497:
493:
492:
491:Edge of Night
487:
483:
479:
475:
471:
467:
463:
456:
454:
452:
451:
446:
442:
441:
436:
432:
431:
426:
422:
421:
416:
415:
410:
406:
405:
396:
391:
390:
385:
380:
373:
371:
364:
363:
358:
354:
350:
346:
339:
337:
334:
328:
326:
322:
320:
316:
312:
308:
303:
301:
297:
293:
289:
281:
276:
274:
271:
269:
265:
261:
252:
248:
244:
240:
236:
232:
227:
224:
220:
216:
212:
208:
204:
200:
196:
192:
188:
183:
179:
176:
173:
169:
164:
163:
158:
154:
150:
145:
140:
136:
135:
130:
125:
113:
110:
102:
91:
88:
84:
81:
77:
74:
70:
67:
63:
60: –
59:
55:
54:Find sources:
48:
44:
38:
37:
32:This article
30:
26:
21:
20:
953:
946:
924:
912:
892:episode list
888:(1957, CBS)
880:
862:
843:
835:
827:
819:
811:
803:
795:
780:Bibliography
764:Della Street
763:
686:. Retrieved
680:
670:
651:
645:
631:
622:
612:
593:
587:
568:
538:
527:
524:Sharon Acker
508:Barbara Hale
505:
495:
489:
466:radio series
460:
448:
438:
428:
418:
412:
402:
400:
387:
368:
360:
335:
332:
323:
318:
310:
304:
299:
295:
291:
287:
285:
272:
260:Della Street
259:
258:
219:Sharon Acker
215:Barbara Hale
181:Portrayed by
160:
157:Barbara Hale
153:Raymond Burr
132:
127:Della Street
105:
96:
86:
79:
72:
65:
53:
41:Please help
36:verification
33:
932:(2020, HBO)
926:Perry Mason
882:Perry Mason
864:Perry Mason
759:Perry Mason
735:Perry Mason
496:Perry Mason
486:Palmolive's
435:June Travis
409:Claire Dodd
389:Perry Mason
329:Adaptations
277:Description
264:Perry Mason
250:Nationality
195:June Travis
187:Claire Dodd
162:Perry Mason
149:Perry Mason
134:Perry Mason
993:Categories
978:P. K. Basu
874:Television
754:Paul Drake
742:Characters
551:References
541:HBO series
536:as Mason.
516:Emmy Award
502:Television
445:Ann Dvorak
374:Portrayals
242:Occupation
199:Ann Dvorak
171:Created by
99:April 2015
69:newspapers
688:April 18,
532:starring
482:Jan Miner
474:Lois Lane
245:Secretary
211:Jan Miner
137:character
253:American
539:In the
510:in the
480:), and
443:), and
83:scholar
930:
886:
848:(1940)
840:(1937)
832:(1936)
824:(1936)
816:(1935)
808:(1935)
800:(1934)
658:
600:
575:
512:series
392:(2020)
365:(1935)
340:Origin
237:Female
234:Gender
165:(1958)
85:
78:
71:
64:
56:
940:Other
856:Radio
789:Films
773:Books
457:Radio
307:novel
90:JSTOR
76:books
690:2020
656:ISBN
598:ISBN
573:ISBN
417:and
397:Film
355:and
62:news
733:'s
476:in
453:).
433:),
423:),
407:),
386:'s
384:HBO
359:in
298:as
45:by
995::
679:.
621:.
559:^
547:.
522:.
309:,
270:.
964:"
960:"
907:"
903:"
900:"
896:"
723:e
716:t
709:v
692:.
664:.
625:.
606:.
581:.
484:(
447:(
437:(
427:(
411:(
151:(
112:)
106:(
101:)
97:(
87:·
80:·
73:·
66:·
39:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
