Watch Nancy Drew... Trouble Shooter For Free

Too many fans seem to be blown away

I gave this film a 9 out of 10, because it was exactly what I expected it to be.

It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

The film's masterful storytelling did its job. The message was clear. No need to overdo.

Nancy Drew is back and Warner Brothers did a fine job with the character. However, sadly, the film also features Willie Best as Apollo...a rather politically incorrect character to say the least. He's lazy, steals chickens and is a black man who would clearly make many folks uncomfortable today. But if you can look past this, it's a solid B-movie worth watching.The story begins with the dumb police arresting a man for murder. There are only two problems...there's no body nor is there any real proof the man was killed! Not surprisingly, it turns out the accused is a friend of the Drews and they soon arrive to get him out of jail AND find out what happened to the man and why. Naturally, Mr. Drew is unable to restrain his curious daughter and she and her friend Ted figure out what really happened.The conclusion to the story is a bit silly. After all, instead of murdering Nancy and Ted, the baddies come up with a way that is complicated AND offers them a chance to escape! But despite this and Best, the film is watchable and reasonably well made.

Third entry in the delightful Nancy Drew series starring Bonita Granville. This time Nancy's lawyer dad (John Litel) has to leave town to help an old friend accused of murder. Nancy comes along and, of course, takes it upon herself to investigate the case. While there, Mr. Drew meets a woman and becomes enamored but Nancy isn't crazy about her. Granville's wonderful as ever as the headstrong sleuth. Litel's great as well. Frankie Thomas is also here as Nancy's sidekick and would-be boyfriend, Ted. He and Granville had great chemistry. Aldrich Bowker steals every scene he's in as the cantankerous accused murderer. Additional comic relief in this one comes from Willie Best. It goes without saying Mr. Best's negative stereotype character will offend some modern viewers. Exciting climax involving a barn, a bull, and an airplane. Points for creativity.

Sixteen-year-old amateur detective Bonita Granville (as Nancy Drew) is suspicious when widower father John Litel (as Carson Drew) announces they are going on a fishing and hunting vacation in the country. A successful lawyer, Mr. Litel has "never been an outdoorsman." He's really there to represent a friendly uncle charged with murder, which Ms. Granville quickly surmises. With help from wavy-haired boyfriend Frankie Thomas (as Ted Nickerson), also on vacation with his family, Granville sets out to solve the crime. They are assisted by superstitious chicken-thief Willie Best (as Apollo Johnson). Not very funny, Mr. Best's intellectually challenged character is the film's missing lynchpin. In one scene, Best is outfitted in bedclothes resembling a Ku Klux Klan uniform...Cute and perky, Granville is best playing off attractive Charlotte Wynters (as Edna Gregory), who arouses interest from both her father and young Thomas. Granville's dinner scene is a delight. Thomas is an excellent foil, with great timing and some physical comedy. After decades of success on stage, this was the first film for "Uncle" Aldrich Bowker (as Matt Brandon). Younger John Harron, brother of acclaimed "silent" actor Robert Harron, appears as the "Crossman" shop clerk. Now appearing mostly as an uncredited extra, Mr. Harron's second scene gives him some relatively good screen time. John Harron died, unexpectedly, later in 1939. This entry in Warner Bros' short but sweet "Nancy Drew" series plays more like a situation comedy than a crime mystery, but it works.****** Nancy Drew... Trouble Shooter (6/17/39) William Clemens ~ Bonita Granville, Frankie Thomas, John Litel, Willie Best

"Nancy Drew - Troubleshooter" is a delightful piece of fluff, marred only by an embarrassing racial stereotype (Apollo, the black hired help who is a near-retard), though I supposed it can be overlooked given the trends of the time (1939). Bonita Granville is an utter joy to watch, and Frankie Thomas, as Nancy Drew's on-and-off boyfriend, has great comic timing. Leonard Maltin correctly reports that the emphasis here is more on comedy than on mystery: there are some very funny scenes (Nancy "interrogating" Effie, Nancy's cooking attempt, etc.), while the mystery plot is thin (the killers are even revealed to the audience in the middle of the picture) but functional. There is even a pretty spectacular climax, starting with an out-of-control bull and going to an out-of-control plane. I enjoyed both of the Bonita Granville-Nancy Drew films I've seen so far (this one and "Reporter"), and wonder why no more than the existing four were made. **1/2 out of 4.