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Erle Stanley Gardner

Erle Stanley Gardner

Writer · Died March 11, 1970, aged 80 · Malden, Massachusetts, USA

A writer was born in the city of Malden, Massachusetts, graduated from the Palo Alto High School in 1909 and entered the Valparaiso University School of Law in Indiana; passed the examination of the state commission for the title of lawyer in 1911. In 1917 Gardner opens an attorney's office in Merced, California. A few years later, he moved to work in a sales agency, and five years later, in 1921, he opened a law firm, Sheridan, Orr, Drapo and Gardner, in Ventura, California. Gardner is gaining popularity with vivid presentations at court trials until 1933, but after the release of his first detective novel "The Case of Velvet Claws," it is decided to devote himself to the literature entirely. Gardner in 1946 founded and until the 1960s was one of the members of the committee "The Court of Last Hope," a human rights organization to review the death sentences. For a documentary about this organization, he was awarded the Edgar Poe Award of the American Association of Detective Writers in 1962 in the Grand Master nomination. Gardner also deserves to attract public attention (by publishing an article in the magazine "Life" in 1962) to the rock carvings of Lower California, some of which were later listed as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. In addition, in 1968, together with Charles Hapgood, Gardner participated in the research of the so-called Akambaro figurines later unequivocally recognized as counterfeits of the 20th century. In 1968, Gardner married his longtime secretary Agnes Bethel (1902-2002), who became the prototype of Della Street, the secretary of the main literary hero Gardner, the lawyer of Perry Mason.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
July 17, 1889
Died
March 11, 1970 (aged 80)
From
Malden, Massachusetts, USA
Works as
Writer
Titles
36 on MovieCove · 46 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 63 days to Oct 26

What are Erle Stanley Gardner's films like?

Across their 28 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Bonds.

Genres

Crime24 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 80th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Crime movies
Comedy2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 65th percentile
: browse their Comedy movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
80%
Bonds
8%
Ideas
5%
Power
4%
Survival
1%
Self
1%
Justice28 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception14 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds4 titles, browse their movies with this themeTruth5 titles, browse their movies with this themeBetrayal3 titles, browse their movies with this themeCorruption2 titles, browse their movies with this themeLoyalty2 titles, browse their movies with this themeTrauma2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 28 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Grounded: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their grounded movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 27 · Stylized 1 · Heightened 0

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 4 · Charged 23 · Intense 1

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 23 · Shifting 5 · Whiplash 0

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 15 · Some laughs 12 · Funny 1

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 7 · Even-paced 20 · Relentless 1

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 3 · Engaged 23 · Full focus 2

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 26 · Open-ended 1 · Ambiguous 1

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
27
Contemplative
15
Warm
9
Melancholic
2
Cathartic
2
Other
7

How their films linger

Feel-good20 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteCathartic14 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing7 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet4 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 21 with a twist

  • Happy25
  • Bittersweet3

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Erle Stanley Gardner's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 5 of their 36 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Erle Stanley Gardner's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

46 credits, 36 with a MovieCove page.

Career shape

A full career of 46 titles from 1934 to 2020.

Highest rated

Perry Mason Returns (1985)

Midcredits 88th

Most popular right now

The Case of the Curious Bride (1935)

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting1 of 46: 0 only acting, 1 with another roleWriting45 of 46: 43 only writing, 2 with another role · typical Midcredits score78thOther crew3 of 46: 1 only other crew, 2 with another role

By decade

1930s7 · crew1940s1 · crew1950s3 · 1 acting · 3 crew1970s2 · crew1980s13 · crew1990s19 · crew2020s1 · crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

How do Erle Stanley Gardner's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 78th percentile, the median of all 33; across their 28 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 78th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

78thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 28

Approval · how many liked their films

77thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 28

Reach · how many have seen their films

44thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 28

Midcredits score across 36 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up23
  • 50th to 74th12
  • 25th to 49th1

Shape of the crowd

31 of their 36 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved3
  • Crowd Pleaser31
  • Mixed2

Most divisive · writer

They Call It Murder (1971)

58th percentile spread · 25% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor, writer

Perry Mason (1957)

Midcredits 95th · 92% liked

Reviewers score the dialogue 53/100 and the plot and story 54/100 in their films, across 28 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Who does Erle Stanley Gardner work with?

People who share at least 2 of Erle Stanley Gardner's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Barbara Hale shares the most, 24.

Directors

  • Christian I. Nyby II13 titles    See newest 12 of 13 shared titles with Christian I. Nyby II
  • Ron Satlof7 titles    See all 7 shared titles with Ron Satlof

Writers

  • Dean Hargrove23 titles · 6 as writer    See newest 12 of 23 shared titles with Dean Hargrove
  • Joel Steiger22 titles · 5 as writer    See newest 12 of 22 shared titles with Joel Steiger
  • Anne Collins5 titles    See all 5 shared titles with Anne Collins
  • Gerry Conway3 titles    See all 3 shared titles with Gerry Conway

Actors

  • Barbara Hale24 titles    See newest 12 of 24 shared titles with Barbara Hale
  • Raymond Burr20 titles    See newest 12 of 20 shared titles with Raymond Burr
  • William R. Moses16 titles    See newest 12 of 16 shared titles with William R. Moses
  • William Katt8 titles    See all 8 shared titles with William Katt

Composers, cinematographers and editors

  • Dick DeBenedictis24 titles    See newest 12 of 24 shared titles with Dick DeBenedictis
  • David Solomon19 titles · 11 as editor    See newest 12 of 19 shared titles with David Solomon
  • Carter DeHaven11 titles    See all 11 shared titles with Carter DeHaven
  • Robert Seaman9 titles    See all 9 shared titles with Robert Seaman

Producers

  • Fred Silverman23 titles    See newest 12 of 23 shared titles with Fred Silverman
  • Barry Steinberg12 titles    See all 12 shared titles with Barry Steinberg
  • Billy Ray Smith10 titles    See all 10 shared titles with Billy Ray Smith
  • Peter Katz7 titles    See all 7 shared titles with Peter Katz