# Is "The Case of the Musical Cow" by Erle Stanley Gardner a First Edition?

> **Quick answer.** A first edition of The Case of the Musical Cow by Erle Stanley Gardner (William Morrow, 1950) is identified by: First published in book form by William Morrow, New York, 1950. The US William Morrow edition of 1950 is the true first.

**Checklist — a true first has these:**
- First published in book form by William Morrow, New York, 1950
- This is NOT a Perry Mason novel; the protagonist is dog trainer Rob Trenton
- It was serialized in Collier's as The Case of the Smuggler's Bell
- First printing shows no statement of a later printing on the copyright page
- Publisher imprint reads William Morrow
- Not a book-club edition (see below)

| | |
|---|---|
| Author | Erle Stanley Gardner |
| Publisher | William Morrow |
| Year | 1950 |
| True first | US edition |
| Format | Hardcover (trade) |
| Key point | First published in book form by William Morrow, New York, 1950 |
| Book-club edition exists? | — |

## Points of issue
First published in book form by William Morrow, New York, 1950. This is NOT a Perry Mason novel; the protagonist is dog trainer Rob Trenton. It was serialized in Collier's as The Case of the Smuggler's Bell. First printing shows no statement of a later printing on the copyright page.

## Is this the true first?
The US William Morrow edition of 1950 is the true first.

## Telling it from reprints & book-club editions
Later printings follow.

## Source
New Mexico Literacy Project — Is *The Case of the Musical Cow* by Erle Stanley Gardner a first edition? https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/first-edition/the-case-of-the-musical-cow
CC BY 4.0. Part of the Canonical First-Edition Points of Issue dataset (https://newmexicoliteracyproject.org/api/first-edition-titles.json). Last reviewed 2026-07-03.