Nancy Drew... Reporter

Before Veronica Mars, there was Nancy Drew, the teenage amateur detective with an attorney father created in a series of juvenile novels by "Carolyn Keene" (not a real name). Nancy Drew...Reporter was the second of four films that starred Bonita Granville as the title character for Warner Bros. Directed at a fast pace with crackling dialogue and humorous and suspenseful moments throughout, this movie is a breeze at just 68 minutes. Wonderful supporting cast includes John Litel as Nancy's father, Frankie Thomas as Nancy's boyfriend Ted, and Mary Lee and Dickie Jones as Ted's sister and her friend who cause trouble wherever they go. The last two had a future association with Gene Autry with Lee appearing in some of his '40s movies and Dickie (later Dick) also appearing with him then starring in later TV series "Range Rider" and "Buffalo Bill, Jr." for Autry's production company. Though it stops the story, there is a wonderful swinging version of Nursery Rhymes as sung by Granville, Thomas, Lee, and Jones. Dickie would also be famous as the title character voice of Walt Disney's Pinocchio. Well worth seeing for fans of Drew and '30s programmers. P.S. Joan Leslie and Florence Halop appear as classmates of Nancy in the newsroom field trip sequence.

Bonita Granville is "Nancy Drew, Reporter," in this 1939 B feature, which also stars Frankie Thomas and John Litel. This particular story is not based on any of the books. Nancy is one of a group of teens vying for an award from the local newspaper, and of course, she steals an assignment off of someone's desk that will put her at an inquest. She decides that the woman accused of murdering an elderly woman is innocent and goes after evidence that will clear her.

Granville isn't the Nancy of the books, but the Nancy of the books isn't probably the best Nancy for the movies. I always think of Nancy as a very serious young woman with a sharp mind for mysteries. Granville is energetic, conniving, and a fast driver. She gets into trouble as well as danger. For some reason, her boyfriend Ned is now her boyfriend Ted (Thomas). Nancy's girlfriends aren't in the film. Instead, Ted has two brat siblings that follow them around.

The most interesting parts of the film are actually its depiction of life in 1939, with the old houses, the pay phones, and the fact that Nancy always looked more formally dressed than one sees today.

Very entertaining.

This very enjoyable B-feature was part of a series that starred Bonita Granville as Nancy Drew, with Frankie Thomas as her loyal and often beleaguered friend Ted. As long as you have the right expectations, it's good fun to watch. The detective story is simple but lively, and it has many pleasant light moments that make the time fly by.

In this feature (which is not one of the stories adapted directly from the books), Nancy tries her hand at being a reporter while she simultaneously attempts to clear an heiress of a murder charge. The plot is meant to be enjoyed rather than analyzed, and the settings likewise are pleasantly varied, as long as you aren't too critical of the details.

Granville probably didn't find this role much of a challenge, but she gives it exactly what is called for. She makes it believable that Nancy really could outsmart all of the 'adult' characters, and she also has plenty of lively energy. Thomas makes Ted seem appropriately fretful about Nancy's taste for adventure, yet always ready to help.

Several of the sequences work pretty well as light entertainment, and the brisk pace holds it together rather effectively. This is really just what you hope for in a B-feature - not much of a weighty nature, to be sure, but more than enough to make for an enjoyable hour or so of viewing.

You can get this movie on DVD nearly anywhere for a dollar, usually a double feature with a Dick Tracy movie. It is well worth the investment. It is fast paced, and entertaining. Bonita Granville could give any current teen queens a run for their money. The other main character, Ted, (played by Frank Thomas, Jr.) reminds me of a young Jimmy Stewart. Also,in this movie,two other child actors play roles that were probably used as the basis for ChimChim and Spreidel in the Speed Racer cartoons. They are annoying, popping up throughout the movie, but show off their talent in a musical number. Great voices! The story also gives a look at what life was like in the 1930s. At least for the upper middle class. It is interesting to see the old cars and camera equipment used by Nancy and her "boyfriend". This movie is great for families with teens and small children. Adults will also find the hour long movie worthwhile.

"Fun" would be the best way to describe this film in one word. It is not a cinematic masterpiece, nor is it especially well made, but it is a delight to watch nonetheless. Granville gives it her best in the title role and some of the situations that she and her friends get involved in, such as having to do karaoke and a boxing match, make really amusing viewing. There is a certain charm to the film that is hard to deny. It fails to create much suspense with most of the mystery solution given early on, the plot is slim, the supporting performances are mediocre… but overall it really hits the spot if one is in the mood for an entertaining film that does not require much thought.