Movie Review: Nancy Drew....Reporter (1939)

The movie stars Bonita Granville, John Litel, Frankie Thomas, Mary Lee and Dickie Jones.

I came across this movie a few days ago and, since it was raining this morning before work (meaning I couldn't take my walk), I decided to watch it. This is the second Bonita Granville Nancy Drew movie I've seen and hoped this movie would be as good as the first one I watched. As it turns out, I think it was actually better.

As far as murder mysteries go, this movie did lack a little something. Basically, there wasn't much of a mystery at all. The movie reveals the real killer and his motive within the first few minutes and, as it turns out, Nancy (Granville) didn't even need to do much searching for the canister because Eula Denning (Betty Amann) told her where to find it. That being said, this film did turn out to be a charming movie.

I think the thing I liked best about this film is, even though it was a murder mystery, it managed to remain very upbeat. I especially loved how Nancy managed to manipulate all the men she was around, including her boyfriend, Frankie (Thomas), and her father (Litel). This actually resulted in quite a few funny moments, my favorite being when she accidentally caused Frankie to wind up in a boxing match.

Also, while the movie lacked a real mystery, there was still just enough twists and turns to keep it from being too predictable. Some of these were a bit more serious, such as when Nancy and Frankie end up with a gun on them. Others, such as the scene in the Chinese restaurant, were funny. And, the overall movie was entertaining as a result.

I'm still a bit undecided about the two kids in the movie, Killer (Jones) and Mary (Lee), mostly because they really didn't have much to do with Nancy's case. But, I will admit, even though they were annoying at times, they did manage to make some of the scenes (such as the one in the Chinese restaurant) funnier. So, in this case at least, I don't think they hurt my overall opinion of this film.

If you like a good mystery, you might be a little disappointed by this film. However, I do think the excellent story, combined with some pretty funny and upbeat moments do make it worth taking the time to watch.

My Grade: A