Erle Stanley Gardner was a pulp writer. And he also created Perry Mason. I suppose that’s what he is best known for, even though we pulp fans remember him for his work as published in Black Mask, Top-Notch Magazine, Fawcett’s Triple-X, Argosy, Flynn’s Detective Fiction, Clues, Ace High, Dime Detective, Double Detective… and that’s just scratching the surface.
Gardner honed his craft in the pulp magazines, and so Perry Mason fans must recognize that without the pulps, it’s likely that Perry Mason wouldn’t have existed.
In my on-going series of reviews of the Perry Mason novels, today I’ll be taking a look at his 11th and 12th Perry Mason mystery novels.
The Case Of The Lame Canary
In the 11th Perry Mason mystery, The Case Of The Lame Canary, Erle Stanley Gardner has Perry proposing marriage to his secretary, Della Street. It’s incidental to the mystery, happens at the end, so let’s focus on the main plot for now. This story was published in September 1937, and starts out with a female visitor at the offices of Perry Mason. Her name is Rita Swaine, and she carries a small bird cage containing a canary — a canary with an injured right foot.
She tells a story of a married sister, Rosalind Prescott, who wants a divorce from her unfeeling husband. The canary belongs to the sister. Rossy, as her sister is known, is truly in love with young Jimmy Driscoll. Rita wants Perry to represent her sister in a divorce action. Perry doesn’t do those kinds of cases, but he’s intrigued by the canary with the bad foot. So he agrees to look into it. And before you know it, Walter Prescott, the unfeeling husband, is found dead. Rita, sister Rossy, and Jimmy Driscoll all flee jurisdiction, and Perry is left holding the bag. Yes, it’s another convoluted murder mystery that only Erle Stanley Gardner could write.
Our three main characters are present: Perry, Della Street, and private detective Paul Drake. Law clerk Jackson is briefly mentioned. District Attorney Hamilton Burger isn’t mentioned. And Lt. Tragg hasn’t been introduced into the series yet. There are no courtroom scenes for which the series became so famous. But there are two separate coroner’s inquests, in which Perry gets to strut his stuff. It all makes for a suspenseful story that you won’t want to miss.
Now about that marriage proposal… As our story ends, Perry and Della sail off into the sunset. Literally! They board a oceanliner for a trip to the Orient. And, interestingly enough, that’s where the next novel picks up. But before we move on to the next Perry Mason case, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that this story was adapted for the Raymond Burr television series. It was broadcast on June 27, 1959, the last episode of the second season.
The Case of the Substitute Face
Now in the 12th Perry Mason mystery, The Case of the Substitute Face, Perry and Della are leaving Honolulu, winding up the final leg of the cruise they started in the previous Perry Mason story, The Case of the Lame Canary. And no, they’re not married. Perry is restless and anxious to get back to Los Angeles and his law practice; he wants the excitement of a murder trial. He’s about to get his wish.
A murder occurs on board the ship. Carl Newberry is shot twice on deck one stormy night, and his body is thrown overboard. He leaves behind a wife and daughter, along with a money belt containing over $20,000. And a witness claims to have seen Mrs. Newberry commit the crime. It’s Perry’s job to defend Mrs. Newberry and prove her innocent. And he does it in his usual flamboyant style.
This story takes place both at sea and in San Francisco. It features Perry and his secretary, Della Street. Private detective Paul Drake flies from LA up to San Francisco to join them. Those three complete the cast of regulars. The judge, district attorney and policemen are all strangers to us. No sign of Hamilton Burger, and still no sign in this series of telephone operator Gertie or police Lt. Tragg. Guess they’ll be showing up later…
And when the 1950s television series was in its first season, an adaptation of this story was aired on May 10, 1958. I think they must have adapted all 86 of the Perry Mason novels for TV, although they might have skipped one… I don’t have a definitive list. And then they created a bunch more, realizing they’d run out of original novels before the public interest in the television series ran out. There were 271 episodes of Perry Mason, in case you were curious.
The Perry and Della romance
So, did Perry ever marry Della? Well, not in Gardner’s series of books, and not in the Raymond Burr television series. Oh, there were hints. But officially, there was no romance between the two. As author Erle Stanley Gardner himself is quoted as saying, “If Perry and Della ever have a romance, I’d write about it.” And he didn’t.
Two terrific Perry Mason mysteries, here. Both are ones I recommend. And just try to get that theme music out of your head…
