Nancy Drew... Reporter (1939)

Great Film overall

A Masterpiece!

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

The movie might be good to some people - in-fact I know it is. But for me trying to sit through this movie is like sitting in a dentist chair - nerve-racking! I'm easily irritated buy a bunch of teens on screen trying to pull off comedy - it's just me and my taste-buds I know.I've never been a fan of the Nancy Drew books and I'm not a fan of the films - the films are worse for me because now I see and hear the teens. Nothing personal towards the publisher Edward Stratemeyer nor the many writers under the pseudonym Carolyn Keene - Nancy Drew is just not my style.IF you are a fan of the books then I do recommend the films! I'm sure you will enjoy them! They are family style / kid friendly stories.2/10

William Clemens returned to direct this second case of Nancy Drew(played by Bonita Granville) her father Carson Drew(played by John Litel) and boyfriend Ted Nickerson(played by Frankie Thomas). This time, Nancy wins a newspaper prize with her class to be a reporter, which the reluctant editor agreed to. She tries to find evidence to clear a young woman wrongfully accused of murdering her employer for the inheritance money, which it turns out she was framed for by crooks. Ted's little brother and his girlfriend get in the act as well, though they tend to bring this film to a halt with their silliness, which can pretty much describe this installment as well. Bonita shines though.

I wasn't able to see the first film in this series, so my reviewing "Nancy Drew...Reporter" is not ideal. I know that they made several of these films starring Bonita Granville in the late 30s and early 40s--but somehow I never got around to watching any of them. My reason for picking this one first is that it is the only one that is currently in the public domain (downloadable from IMDb's link). But considering I love B detective films, I was excited to see it--especially since it gave Miss Granville a different sort of film role. You see, usually she was cast as an obnoxious brat--and here she is sweet and precocious instead."Nancy Drew...Reporter" begins with Nancy and a group of other teens all going to the local newspaper. The editor has no interest in working with these kids and tells them he's got a contest to see which of them can write the best story--and gives them very mundane story ideas out of a hat. Nancy, however, has better ideas and goes off to investigate a real honest to goodness murder (just what every teen should be doing). In the process, she manipulates her boyfriend, father, the cops and just about anyone else in order to get her story. And, being almost terminally plucky, she is able to do just that by the end.This is a very typical B-detective story aside from having it star kids. In a lot of ways, it's like "The Thin Man" meets "Babaes on Broadway". Some may object to all the kiddie hi-jinx (especially that of the bratty little kids who tag along) but it's all well-written and fun. While I'd never put this on the same level as a Falcon or Boston Blackie film, it is close and worth a look if you like these sorts of films.By the way, while not nearly as good and culminating with a cute musical number, the film replicated the Laurel & Hardy bit from "Men 'O War" where Stan and Ollie try to take out a couple girls even though they haven't enough money for them all to get sodas.

This was a really fun and snappy series. The only question I have is why only four???? There were several Nancy Drew books of which only the last film (Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase) was based.Bonita Granville showed her versatility as an actress - a few years before she played a psychotic school girl in "These Three" and now she was in a series in which she played a typical all American girl. The supporting cast was tops as well. John Lytell, who had been a dependable supporting actor, played her dad, Carson Drew and Frankie Thomas was excellent as her long suffering boyfriend Ted Nickerson. If you recognise the voice of the City Editor Bostwick, it is Thomas E. Jackson, who played Sergeant Tom Flaherty in "Little Ceasar" (1930).Nancy wins a journalistic prize at school and she gets a chance to be a reporter for a day. Disgusted at the topics they are given (Squirrels in a park - a day in the life of a goldfish) she secretly changes topics and now finds she is investigating a murder of an elderly lady. While she is leaving court she is sideswiped by a speeding car. In hot pursuit she chases the driver to the house where the elderly lady was murdered. The trail leads to a boxing gym and a comical scene involving Ted masquerading as "One Hit Louie". There is a pretty girl, behind bars begging Nancy to let her father, Carson Drew, defend her. Most of the film is played for laughs and you lose sight of the mystery. Ted's pesky little sister and her pal (Mary Lee and Dickie Jones) are heavily featured - they are all involved in a musical quartet at a restaurant, they have to "sing for their supper". The comedy gets in the way of the mystery. Bonita Granville is very peppy and resourceful as Nancy although I think this is the weakest entry in the series.