Nancy Drew... Trouble Shooter

Of the four classic Nancy Drew films Warner Bros. released from 1938-1939, NANCY DREW...TROUBLE SHOOTER is perhaps the most imaginative, humorous, creepy and expensively produced of them all. Moving the locale from the Drews' home in River City to the nearby farm resort Sylvan Lake, where Nancy's lawyer father Carson is summoned to prove a relative not guilty of a murder, the breath of rural country air enlivens everyone involved. The widowed Mr. Drew's attraction to a lovely neighbor (Charlotte Wynters) sets Nancy's jealousy in full force, making her relationship with her reluctant (though none-the-less-enchanted) boyfriend Ted, played to droll perfection by the engaging Frankie Thomas, all the more delightful--and in some sequences downright romantic. Aside from the beautifully photographed location backgrounds, the deliciously intricate plot (a transplanted tropical flower, the torching of the local nursery, and farmhand Willie Best's dithering about seeing two "ghosts" on the night of the murder) provides the necessary clues for Nancy and Ted to piece together the identity of the murderer--and enriches their relationship at the same time. Of the four Nancy Drew films, this third entry shines with its subtle, underlying portrayals of the love and dependence that draw the principal characters together--along with good-natured humor (for once, Willie Best is not denigrated by the time's racial stereotypes--he's treated as an affectionate equal by the other characters--and seems to be having a ball poking fun at the "chicken-stealing darkies" he was called to portray in that era of moviemaking). Bonita Granville is as blonde, buoyant, perky and loving a teenager as has ever been presented in movies of any era. And the underrated Frankie Thomas is her equal as the sweetest, bravest, most caring fellow a teenaged girl could ever wish for. The witty, intelligent depiction of their relationship--and unacknowledged love for each other--makes NANCY DREW...TROUBLE SHOOTER perhaps one of the most captivating portrayals of friendship and family life ever put on screen, with equal praise for John Litel (as Nancy's all-too-understanding father)and the warm and enchanting Ms. Wynters. And all in the guise of a suspense-filled murder mystery (incidentally, the use of a homicidal crop-dusting plane precedes Hitchcock's "North by Northwest" by a good 20 years!). In short, NANCY DREW...TROUBLE SHOOTER is as unpretentious, disarming and downright lovable an entertainment to come out of Hollywood during its Golden Age. Turner Classic Movies has apparently gotten the message, and the quartet of Nancy Drew movies (after too long a time languishing in obscurity) are now being shown on a fairly regular basis. Don't miss any of them, but put NANCY DREW...TROUBLE SHOOTER at the top of your list. Dated (as other IMDB comments claim)? Perhaps, and more's the pity. A rare and timeless treat? Absolutely!

Bonita Granville and Frankie Thomas make this little mystery a lot of fun for the family to watch. This and the Nancy Drew films in general made with Granville are little gems that sadly do not get shown as much as they should. My big question is, why were there not more. These Drew movies are more entertaining than the Monogram Charlie Chans and Mr. Wong movies-yet those lasted longer than the Drew series did at Warners. If you have a chance to see the Nancy Drew/Bonita Granville series-please do so. MM

Nancy Drew--Trouble Shooter (1939)

*** (out of 4)

Third film in Warner's teenage detective series has Bonita Granville returning as Nancy Drew. This time out she's trying to save her uncle farmer whose been accused of killing a man. This is probably my favorite of the first three films because it takes on a lot more than just the actual mystery behind the killing. There's an entire subplot where Nancy gets jealous that her father is dating a woman and you'd expect something like this to come off silly but it actually works pretty well. There are plenty of laughs as well especially one sequence where Nancy tries to cook dinner. The mystery in the film doesn't actually get too much attention but it leads to a nice, if unbelievable, ending.

Nancy Drew battles to prove that her uncle Matt is innocent of murder. Nancy also battles her father Carson Drew but not over how to prove her uncle innocent but over his love life. Mr Drew has been single for many years but meets Edna Gregory, a single woman that likes him. What, another woman for Mr Drew, heavens no!, not for Nancy's father! She enlists the help of her friend Ted to battle this Gregory woman. But love transcends all ages as Ted is bitten by the "cupid" arrow also. Fine performance by John Litel and Charlotte Wynters "Drew & Gregory" make this Nancy Drew film one of the best ever made. The ending will also take your breathe away as Nancy becomes co-air pilot w/Ted a self taught "by book" pilot. So I leave these questions with you, can Nancy free her uncle? Can Nancy stop her father from asking a certain question?

Nancy Drew... Trouble Shooter (1939) was the third in the series of four films about the teenage heroine. All starred Bonita Granville as the title character. But Granville's "Nancy" owes more to the heroines of 1930's screwball comedies than to her literary counterpart. This Nancy alternates between master of deductive reasoning and teenage airhead, causing as many problems as she solves; with nice guy neighbor Ted Nickerson (Frankie Thomas) her comic foil. Granville was extremely expressive and did not seem to mind being shown in unflattering situations (much like Zasu Pitts back then and Miley Cyrus today).

In "Trouble Shooter", Nancy and her attorney father head to the country with their housekeeper to defend old family friend Matt Brandon (Nancy calls him Uncle Matt) from a murder charge. Their escapades include poison ivy, an enraged bull, crop-dusting, a rare flower, Ted's new boat, and a rival for Mr. Drew's affections. Nancy is still crushing on poor Ted-who wanders around with a dazed expression on his face for most of the film.

Willie Best appears as his standard stereotype character, this time named Apollo Johnson. Also known as "Sleep 'n' Eat", in almost all of his films this early black actor encounters a ghost and gives the audience a wide-eyed look of terror. I don't know why people found this repeated gag so funny back then, maybe Hollywood just thought they did and kept using it. At least in "Trouble Shooter" Nancy has the good grace to exhibit the same exaggerated reaction when the ghost appears.

All four films in the Nancy Drew series are surprisingly entertaining and have a lot of charm. "Trouble Shooter" has Nancy at her daffiest. There is more silliness than characterization so I suggest watching at least one of the others first.

Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child.