Nancy Drew... Reporter

The Nancy Drew series of films was made by Warner Brothers as part of their B-picture unit and was intended for viewing primarily by children. Nancy Drew...Reporter is a fine example of the series. The film was highly enjoyable, the acting was excellent, very clever bits in the plot. The film holds up just as well today, and makes a fine movie for children to sit down and watch. The film is in the public domain and can be found on DVD, Video, and TV.

A very enjoyable movie. Oh sure, there will be the people who analyze everything to the last degree who will find things to complain about. But for a fun, lighthearted 68 minutes be sure to watch the movie. Since I never read a Nancy Drew book I don't know how close it was to the character, but this one was about teenager Nancy getting herself into and out of plenty of scrapes and near disasters. She takes on a murder case as a mis-representing cub reporter and gets her father lawyer to help the accused lady whom she feels was framed and innocent. She sneaks into the murder house where one of the bad guys is hiding and watching her. I found myself feeling the suspense. Bonita Granville does a great job. I didn't like her in the part at first but she won me over fast. She apparently did other Nancy Drew movies and now I will have to keep a look out for them. She also did some Andy Hardy movies with Mickey Rooney and was a producer of the Lassie TV series. The younger sister of the male lead was Mary Lee and was in some Gene Autry movies and if that was her really singing in this movie, wow what a voice for a young girl! The younger brother Dickie Jones went on to become Buffalo Bill Jr on TV when he was a bit older and I remember watching and liking him in that show. John Litel as the father and of course, he was in so many movies over the years and always did a professional job. The movie is just plain, good old fashioned fun - give it a watch.

I watched this film last Saturday night, thinking it's been a long time since I saw this or the other 3 in the series. It didn't disappoint, I knew exactly what I was going to get and did. It all depends on personal preferences of course, but if this is an ancient cheap B pic how come 67 minutes simply flew by? I happened to watch Blazing Saddles for the first time the night before and found myself continually counting down the time remaining on the VCR clock.

It's a highly enjoyable romp in the best family Warner Bros tradition, even with that juvenile Vaudeville/Swing scene in it - it's not something that I can easily relate to! Having read most of the "classic" Nancy Drew books ghosted by Mildred Wirt (and the few by Walter Karig), I still think it was a perfect part for Bonita Granville as the teenage heroine (John Litel was a litel stocky as her Dad). Maybe the plot was also a bit less implausible and full of marvellously astronomical co-incidences than most of MW's stories were too!

And to top it all the DVD only cost £3, a nice production from Alpha Video.

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.

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.