Movie life of BARBARA HALE

By William Lynch Vallée

BARBARA HALE'S story could have happened to almost any girl in 
the U. S. She hails from Rockford, Illinois, where she, with her 
sister and her parents, lived in modest circumstances. They owned 
a car, ate in the kitchen; Barbara went to public schools, worked 
as a baby-sitter and planned a career--as an artist. She enrolled 
at the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts, later swapped art for 
modeling. The model-agency head sent her picture to a school 
chum, now an RKO executive, and a talent scout appeared, signed 
her to a contract. Aside from a spot of amateur acting, Barbara 
was a stranger to the art, but she's adaptable, and she was 
willing to study dramatics. She worked with Frank Sinatra in 
Higher and Higher, followed that with a lot of B's, then was 
given the lead opposite Bob Young in Lady Luck--which meant 
stardom. In 1949, Barbara signed with Columbia and was handed a 
choice role opposite Larry Parks, who was playing the late Al in 
Jolson Sings Again. The company's new slogan is Hale Columbia! 
She met actor Bill Williams while making West of the Pecos, and 
they were married in 1946. A daughter, Miss Barbara Willa 
Johanna, arrived in 1947, and their happiness was complete. 
They've recently moved into a new home, a good-sized one with 
lots of land in case they want to build an addition to the house, 
now that the family's becoming a foursome. Casual is the word for 
the Williams place. Everyone feels at home with them, and 
Barbara has morning coffee with a neighbor who was a schoolmate 
back in Rockford. They like Early American, and the house has 
student lamps, farmhouse wall papers, a lazy-susan dining-room 
table. Bill's workshop is open for repairs and small additions. 
The Bob Ryans are typical of their friends, who understand that 
a last-moment buzz isn't a slight--studio calls prevent 
long-range planning and the accent is, you'll remember, on the 
casual. But Bill and Barbi aren't casual about their jobs. They 
like their work and take it seriously, with excellent results.