![The Original Nancy Drew Movie Mystery Collection [DVD]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61dPyLcVCML._AC_UL160_SR160,160_.jpg)
I'm a big fan of thirties and forties movies, though usually ones more important than this. But since it was on Amazon Prime at this time I wanted to see it as an example of what a B-movie for teens and kids was like in the thirties. I've seen a few films of the Dead End Kids but those had actors like Humphrey Bogart and jimmy Cagney in them so I don't think those would count. The same with MGM's Andy Hardy series and some of the Rooney/Garland films which were made for a more general audience I've also seen a few episodes of old serials of the period but those are just laughable, very brief cliff-hanging episodes shot with the Southern California desert standing in for Africa, Asia or another planet. Frankie Thomas, who plays Nancy's sidekick, Ted Nickerson, came out of one of these titled Tim Tyler's Luck.
Nancy Drew, Reporter is a step above those, a reasonably good-looking, competently directed studio product from Warner Brothers even though it is barely more than an hour long. Bonita Granville is a revelation; she's vivacious, energetic and spunky as Nancy Drew. I would compare her to Deanna Durbin in terms of being wholesome and fresh but without the singing. Frankie Thomas is brave and stalwart if often put-upon as her sidekick and seeming romantic interest. Everyone else is a supporting character and most play them well enough though Ted's younger sister and her friend were written as too obnoxious.
You have to give a lot of leeway for something like this which, after all, was written for kids. The villains would be twirling their mustaches if they had them, the legal case is overly circumstantial to begin with, and Nancy's lawyer father, city editor Bostwick and Police Detective Entwhistle are awfully accommodating to Nancy and her plans. Nancy herself is more scheming than I would have thought and openly lies when her fingers are crossed, but it's all in fun anyway. There's just no way to fairly apply the standards of a regular film to this and having not read the books have no idea how she stands up to the written character (not always a fair thing to do anyway).
It's breezy and moves along very fast with some really funny bits like Ted trying to pose as a boxer. I enjoyed the whole thing so much I ordered the entire series of four films so I could check them all out.
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| Additional DVD options | Edition | Discs | Price | New from | Used from |
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December 18, 2010 "Please retry" | — | 1 | $12.99 | — |
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April 4, 2004 "Please retry" | — | 1 | $2.22 | $2.29 |
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Trudy C. Ciortan
Wonderful. Wish to see more offered
Reviewed in Canada on June 26, 2016
