Perry Mason: The Case of the Vagabond Virgin

Raymond Burr as Perry Mason, 1957 - 1966. Yes,
he's in black-and-white; color not yet invented.

          All of your old friends are here (if you are over 50 or so): Perry Mason, Della Street, Paul Drake, Hamilton Burger, and Lieutenant Tragg. We know them well from the television show Perry Mason that ran from 1957 to 1966. It was a favorite of my mom's and if she watched it, I probably did, too. (Yes, I first watched Star Trek with my mom, who was attracted to Captain Kirk.) Mason, the defense attorney, used every nuance of law, every scrap of a right or privilege, every possible interpretation of statute. The 1948 book The Case of the Vagabond Virgin, by Erle Stanley Gardner, has it all--familiar characters and savvy law--along with a juicy murder to solve.

Hamilton Burger, prosecutor; Lt. Tragg police
detective; Della Street, legal secretary; Perry
Mason, defense attorney; and Paul Drake, private
investigator (left to right)

          Vagabond Virgin at last satisfies my desire for a literate mystery that follows the classic rules thereof. Nothing is wasted in this book. Almost every detail--from appearance, clothing, casual utterances, make and model of car, everything--has a direct bearing upon the plot, upon the resolution of the murder mystery. It all becomes a big Bucky ball of causality and inference.

           The Perry Mason books are pot-boilers--somewhat gritty, delving into the seamier neighborhoods, and quite frank about sexuality. This one was urban with forays into the countryside. There is wry wit that often leads to a realization. And the characters are sharply drawn. I knew what each character looked like (not just the ones I knew from TV) and appreciated their personalities. The pace was fast, snappy. I had to keep my brain on or I missed things. It was clear that Gardner was an attorney and that he scoured statutes and case law to build his intricate plots. Mason is a bit on the shifty side...some of his projects border on illegal/unethical practice. But Mason's facility with the law keeps him in the clear every time.

Warren William as Perry Mason in a 1935 film

          In Vagabond Virgin, a businessman is accused of killing his partner. A hitch-hiking young woman is the alibi--or is she? The titular heroine engages in self-exploitation for money, playing the innocent virgin with drivers that pick her up. Her virginal story is so woebegone that the drivers press money (rather than their attentions) upon her.The partner's ex-wife and a mysterious reporter also figure into things. The final resolution of the plot occurs when Mason actually engages in meta-cognition (thinking about how you think) and realizes that he has accepted a batch of assumptions without checking their validity. He rethinks the case from its origins and comes up with a solution that leads to an amazing bit of courtroom drama. The criminals definitely get their comeuppance (also a standard of classic mystery).

         It's fun to be the reader sitting on Mason's shoulder throughout this book, seeing the inside of his maneuverings, getting the inside dope that the police and suspects do not have. The Mason team (Della, Paul, and even Gertie at the switchboard) work smoothly and efficiently, questioning Mason, but generally doing exactly as he directs. He doesn't always disclose all to them, not like he does to his reader.

Erle Stanley Gardner, 1889 - 1970. He worked with a
a group in California that sought to overturn convictions
that came about through inept legal representation.

          Erle Stanley Gardner is a masterful storyteller with a confident and unapologetic world view. Mason does not anguish when he bends the rules. The sexual escapades of the characters (not Mason!) are accepted as is--more faulted for their execution than for their morality. This is refreshing--I'm a bit tired of characters agonizing and self-excoriating, and regretting and seeing both sides of question. (I'm tired of doing it myself!) Mason's certainty and willingness to just move forward with the ends justifying the means keep the books about him cerebral and satisfying--just like a mystery novel (which is NOT real life) should be! Mason is not damaged or changed. He operates as a sort of matrix through which the plot operates and resolves, but is not used up--he's the catalyst, not a reactant.

1940s cover--the book is a
bit risque

          Some of the Perry Mason movies are pretty good. I saw one recently that starred Warren William as Mason and was made in 1935. It had a 1920s New York-type setting (lots of action in high-rises and lots of cabs). William's Mason was quite droll and a bit decadent, which is a bit truer to the books than perhaps the TV series is. Although I am still filtering the TV series through my child-self memories--"adult" content may have gone right over my head. I do remember one episode where someone said "cherche la femme" to Mason. I didn't know what it meant, but I remember Mason's face being tired and melancholy when the line was said.

          If I had more Mason mysteries, I would certainly read them. The Case of the Vagabond Virgin was a delightful diversion from reality and took me into another world. I think that's the true goal of a murder mystery. It's a genre about right and wrong, innocent and guilty, wit versus stupidity. The good and the smart triumph. It's not reality--but it's OK to take a break now and then. I recommend Perry Mason in all of its forms--book, radio, and TV.