from "New Stars Over Hollywood," June, 1946, page 25.

STRICTLY SENTIMENTAL

Barbara Gave Up Art But Not Her Love Letters For Movies

IF YOU want to know what kind of a girl Barbara Hale is--that winsome newcomer 
who made such a stir with her role in "First Man Into Tokyo"--we'll give you a 
tip right off. When she stepped down from the train in Los Angeles, a Hollywood 
recruit from the Middle West--fugitive from the pen and pencil arts--one of her 
suitcases contained, not clothes, but old letters and photographs.

Not that she's found much time for perusing them--even on rainy days. Within 
twenty-four hours after she reported at the RKO studio they had her made up and 
before the kleigs for her first screen role in "Gildersleeve's Bad Day." But 
she's an incurable sentimentalist and she likes having such mementoes within 
reach should she be in a reminiscent mood.

While in high school, in Rockford, Illinois, her home town, she worked at a 
fountain in an ice cream store and clerked in a department store. The latter 
she thought would help her when she became a fashion designer. She had long 
been ably expressing herself with pencil, crayon and paints. During her senior 
year still another avenue opened up to her. She began to win beauty and 
popularity contests, finally bringing home the most coveted honor--that of 
Queen of May. All of which started her advice-giving friends to saying: 
"Barbara, you should be a model."

Instead, she enrolled in the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts to study commercial 
art for two years. At the end of that time Al Seaman of a Chicago models 
bureau talked her into devoting all her time to being painted rather than 
being the painter. As it turned out, Al was Barbara's good genie.

Unknown to her he sent her picture to an old classmate of his--then an RKO 
executive. Things began to happen. Two weeks after Al mailed the picture a 
talent scout was in Chicago to talk to Barbara. Add two weeks more and Barbara 
had a long term RKO contract and was Hollywood-bound.

The studio plunged her immediately up to her beautiful neck in work. She made 
a succession of films including, "Higher and Higher," "The Falcon Out West," 
"Heavenly Days." Then came "First Man Into Tokyo" and the brown-eyed lass from 
the windy city was getting the breaks, but good!

She takes time off, however, for sports. They are her idea of a good time as 
well as a good way to keep her 115 lbs. status quo. She is five feet, five and 
a half inches tall, has a gorgeous smile, and that even temperament so often 
found in people of Scotch Irish descent. She loves to dance, to be with people 
and to read. When working, her day starts at 6 a.m. When not, she gets up 
late--8 a.m. She thinks that the title of her current picture, "Lady Luck," in 
which she is starred opposite Robert Young--is very applicable to her.

Soon to be released is "A Likely Story" in which Barbara Hale plays opposite 
curly-haired Bill Williams. What a story that turned out to be for Barbara
--the most exciting one of her life, For she and Bill are engaged--one of 
Hollywood's handsomest and happiest young couples. They're seen everywhere 
together and they're planning on a summer wedding. Then, as Mrs. Williams, 
she'll have yet another career to handle--that of wife. She'll make a 
good one.