With so many reviews of Perry Mason mysteries popping up, I went back to one of my favorite titles in the series by Erle Stanley Gardner (1889-1970). Not his best written nor his strongest characters, I loved The Case of the Terrified Typist (Morrow, 1956) for its plot points which struck me as highly original when I first read it. I was learning to type when I discovered this one, and I was completely in awe of the typist of the title whose speed and accuracy entranced Perry and Della. I could neither type quickly or accurately and was amazed by anyone who could. Then, the typist was also quick-witted. She not only took advantage of the receptionist’s misunderstanding to secure a temporary hiding place for herself, she also found an impeccable place of concealment for a couple of diamonds. Who thinks to look for missing gems in the office of a prominent attorney? And I was deeply impressed by the devious methods the murder victim used to smuggle diamonds.

The story’s beginning offers insights into standard office practices of the mid-1950s. Mason needs to get a brief printed, no such thing as a copy machine yet, and he’s editing a draft, presumably written in longhand, while Della lines up a typist at short notice. The receptionist reports that the typist has arrived and wants to know what Mason did to frighten the typist, that she was clearly terrified. Mason overlooked the receptionist’s dramatics and Della set the new staff member to work at a spare desk. In minutes the office was dumbstruck by the sound of the keys rattling away “like hail”, someone said. Fast, accurate, Mason was all set to keep her on for awhile.

The typist took a break near the end of the manuscript and inexplicably did not come back. Shortly thereafter Mason learns that there had been a ruckus on the floor earlier in the day, when an office reported a break-in. It didn’t take much for him to connect the disappearing typist with the burglary and he was off on one of his inquiries.

Short, only 154 pages in its first edition, without the depth of back story typical of many Mason puzzles, Terrified Typist still has the signature courtroom scenes and the last-minute surprises. As usual Paul Drake provided ground troops and District Attorney Hamilton Burger is sure that he will win this case against Mason.

It is one of the last books with Gertie the receptionist, who Gardner decided to write out of the series, I don’t know why. She was stereotyped but so was Paul Drake. Terrified Typist was one of three Mason mysteries and one Cool and Lam published in 1956.

The 1950s was Gardner’s most productive decade. In addition to turning out 7 Cool and Lam mysteries and 26 Mason books, he was deeply immersed in researching and writing monthly articles for Argosy called The Court of Last Resort which ran for 10 years beginning in 1948. Gardner consulted police, private detectives, and other professional experts in examining the cases of dozens of convicts who maintained their innocence. His book The Court of Last Resort (William Sloane Associates, 1952) won an Edgar. It was the basis for the NBC TV series that ran from October 1957 to April 1958. Gardner edited all of the scripts.

It was during the time Terrified Typist was written that Gardner was developing the original Perry Mason television series. After some unfortunate early experiences with movies, Gardner was determined to retain full creative control over his characters and established his own company Paisano Productions to cast and film the television portrayal of his books. The series premiered on CBS during prime time on Saturday night, 21 September 1957, with the unknown Canadian actor Raymond Burr in the title role. Gardner could not have known that his television creation, on which he lavished care and attention, would still be shown in reruns nearly 60 years after its end in 1966.     

So if The Case of the Terrified Typist falls short of the usual Gardner standard, there is sound reason. It is still good reading.