"nancy was a titian-haired, slim, attractive girl..."

There's just something about old movies. The black-and-white, the vintage outfits, the women with their adorable floofy hairstyles and the men with their slick suits.

And then, there's the old books. My, how I enjoy them--the unique, {somewhat cheesy} suited-to-the-time writing style, the eloquent description of the snack Mrs. Roberts had waiting for little Bobby when he returned from school..they cheer me up. My, how I love the 'olden days.'

 Nancy Drew is one of my favorite 'olden days' heroines. Not only did I grow up on all 30+ books bound in their yellow covers and illustrated in the charming pen-and-ink fashion, but recently, I discovered the "Nancy Drew Episodes" which were created based on the books in the mid to late 1930's. Bonita Granville stars as the super sleuth Nancy (have any "Nancy Drew" readers ever noticed that they over-use this word in the books? That and "the slim, attractive titian-haired girl..." :P), Frankie Thomas plays Ted Nickerson (yes, they changed his name. Lame!), and John Litel as Carson Drew.

On the movies:

 

There are four mysteries in the series (I wish there were more!):

Nancy Drew, Reporter

Nancy Drew, Trouble Shooter

Nancy Drew, Detective

Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase

...all of the stories are rather cheesy little mysteries, so if you're looking for some 'thrilling action,' there is none. :) But, I find them all extremely cute, comical, and entertaining. I think Olivia and I have watched all four of them at least five times each. :]

On the cast:

 

Bonita Granville

as

Nancy Drew

Bonita is an okay Nancy, but I find her character slightly annoying at times. In the movies, Nancy is a very jealous creature, and spoiled, too (which is seen when she doesn't want her father to get married...she wants him all to herself!). She whines and wheedles alot, and is rather deceitful. But, she is cute, and she was only 16 when filming the movies, and fits how I imagined Nancy's physical appearance to be. She also comes across as very clever and thoughtful, which is good.

Frankie Thomas

as

Ted Nickerson

I don't like that his name is changed from "Ned," but I love how this character is, in the movies, WAY better than in the books. The Ned of the written series is too perfect, and too lovey-dovey for me. Frankie portrays Ned--er--Ted wonderfully...he is absolutely hilarious, and does not seem like Nancy's "boyfriend" at all. Instead, he seems like he almost resents her always being around...in good reason: she is extremely pushy towards him. Anyways, Ted is great, and I wouldn't like the series without him!

John Litel

as

Carson Drew

I think John is a good Carson..though his character does treat Nancy like a very small child alot of the time. Which is okay, but she is supposed to have proven herself a good detective by now, and he makes it seem like she can't be trusted to dust fingerprints by herself! I like how John acts the part, though; he has a good fatherly atmosphere and comes across as a careful but fun-loving dad.

 

 

I just love these movies, and always will. If you haven't seen them yet, and are in for something that will cheer you right up...do!