Beanbioca As Good As It Gets

Sexyloutak Absolutely the worst movie.

Pacionsbo Absolutely Fantastic

Portia Hilton Blistering performances.

JLRMovieReviews Rather than writing a long review on all four movies, I will be remarking on the whole series and the individual movies here.Bonita Granville stars as sleuth Nancy Drew, based on books by Carolyn Keane, though I hear they're not completely faithful as they take out some of her girlfriends, which was probably a good thing, as they want to emphasize on Miss Granville's character and her on-going relationship with supposed boyfriend and partner in sleuthing, Ted Nickerson, played by Frankie Thomas, but against his better judgment. Dad is lawyer Carson Drew, played John Litel, and the law is represented by Frank Orth, a rather inept police chief who takes the easy decisions with less work to it. He is seen in the first installment and the last, Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase.I won't be going into the actual plots of each, but I will say that if you want a fun fast-paced mystery, then you should see this mystery series which is out on DVD. Of the four movies, I would rank the third, Nancy Drew - Troubleshooter, as the best with a rating of '9', with some great aerial shots of Nancy and Ted in a plane they can't fly (they were put in that position by the bad guys) and with a subplot of a love interest for her dad. This installment moves very briskly and is very funny. The last one, Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase, I would rank as '8' and the first one, maybe '8', too. (My favorite two are the last two, but they are all entertaining.) But the weakest in my opinion is the second one, Nancy Drew - Reporter, ranked '6' or '7' tops, due mainly to the presence of two young actors who are too obnoxious to bear, Ted's younger sister and friend. In almost all of these movies, the killer is already known by the viewer as there are very few suspects. The fun and entertainment is in the case, the chase, and the predicaments that Nancy Drew gets in with Ted. On the whole, the Nancy Drew series does provide Bonita Granville a chance to stand out and shine from her other films and from other stars of her age. And, you get to see Hollywood making some family entertainment that should be enjoyed by all. My rating of '8' at the top is for the whole series. I just wish they could have made more, but maybe Miss Granville or the bigwigs got tired of them. It all ends with a remark that "Ted" is in trouble again, "dad." Ironic, of course, it's because of Nancy Drew, that he got in trouble. Nancy Drew may help her friends and solve murders, but it also has its consequences for others along the way.

Neil Doyle While not quite capturing the essence and old-fashioned charm of the original Nancy Drew novels, Warner Bros. turned out a series of pleasant programmers starring BONITA GRANVILLE as the teen-age sleuth who is a lot smarter at solving crimes than her elders.The Nancy Drew of the original stories came across as a bit more sophisticated in her behavior than she is in any of the Nancy Drew films. And sometimes Granville's girlish behavior borders on brat territory and can be slightly annoying--but overall she's a bundle of teen-age energy in the role and FRANKIE THOMAS as Ted makes an appealing helpmate out of a rather colorless role.JOHN LITEL, a reliable Warner contract player, is perfectly cast as Nancy's attorney father. The story involves the disappearance of a nice old lady who has contributed a good sum of money to Nancy's school and then promptly disappears from sight. Nancy takes a chance on tracking her down (in some highly improbable ways) and she and her boyfriend are able to solve the case in time for the predictable happy ending.Based on "The Password to Larkspur Lane", it passes the time pleasantly enough in a modest running time, although it's not without its faults and is clearly aimed at younger viewers familiar with the Drew stories.Summing up: A fairly good start to the series.

jcholguin I have never read a Nancy Drew book, I was more into the Hardy Boy books and the only exposure to Nancy Drew was a television series in the 70's. After seeing this very old version of Nancy Drew starring Bonita Granville, a familiar name involving a dog named Lassie, I vote this film as the best and most interesting story for someone that is unbiased. Granville plays Drew with excitement and girlish energy. A mind that is continuing thinking of "possibilities" when an old lady disappears. John Litel plays Carson Drew which I believe showcases the talent of Litel with poise, wits and fatherly love. Lastly, Ted Nickerson, a boy that Nancy likes and uses is played by Frankie Thomas. This is a solid mystery team for the whole film.

sdiner82 In my opinion, the two best series of movie murder-mysteries adapted from books featuring an amateur female sleuth were the 'Miss Marple' treats of the early 1960s (with the unforgettable Margaret Rutherford) and the Nancy Drew comedy-thrillers of the late 1930s (with vivacious, lovely Bonita Granville as the constantly imperilled teenaged heroine). Unfortunately, only four entries were made in each series, and each and every one are to be cherished."Nancy Drew--Detective," the first of its quartet, is an unalloyed delight. A wealthy elderly woman donates her fortune to Nancy's highschool (to build a swimming pool) and then promptly disappears. Nancy, spurred to action by the beating of the woman's physician, enlists the reluctant aid of her athletic boyfriend (the extremely appealing and good-humored Frankie Thomas) to find out what happened to the missing lady. Clues are provided by a carrier pigeon, a breathtaking airplane expedition, an ominous gunman who breaks into the Drews' residence threatening them to keep quiet--or else!Undeterred, Nancy drags Ted on a hair-raising adventure where they eventually track down the missing benefactor to a bogus nursing home on Larkspur Lane (password to anyone trying to enter the front gate is "blueberries"). What makes the film (and its successors) such delectable diversions is, besides the intricate plots, fast-paced direction, and splendid production design and cinematography, is the definitive performances by Ms. Granville, Thomas, John Litel (as Nancy's attorney father), Rene Riano (as the Drews' hyperventilating housekeeper), and a host of first-rate supporting actors.The Nancy Drew films are as beguiling today as they were over 60 years ago (and, incidentally, depict family life in that era with a sassy sweetness that is truly enchanting).Don't miss "Nancy Drew--Detective" or any of its three sequels, which TCM has been showing with regularity. These four treasures of yesteryear sparkle with wit, suspense, expert plotting and performances today's movies couldn't recapture if they tried to. The talent so abundant in the studio films of years gone by no longer exists.