MartinHafer 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.

Alexandra Logan Bonita Granville plays an excellent Nancy Drew. Sure, she's scatty, flighty...manipulative even but it's a refreshing change from the ole play-by-the-rules Nancy Drew in the books. In this one Ned Nickerson (changed to Ted)is not her perfect boyfriend but he makes the perfect sidekick: awkward, bumbling fool who always falls for Nancy's (his annoying next door neighbor by the way) tricks. Frankie Thomas plays Ted/Ned to perfection! This is a great movie; perfect for the whole family...just make sure the kids can love and appreciate black and white pictures, old cars, clothes and money (five dollars to get the bumper fixed?)

Neil Doyle Another pleasant programmer in the Nancy Drew series starring BONITA GRANVILLE as the girl sleuth, this time it's NANCY DREW...REPORTER based on the Nancy Drew books by Carolyn Keene.This one was written by an original screenplay writer, not based on an actual Drew story, but it follows the mold of the original books, using some of the same characters again. Nancy is determined to prove Eulah Denning is not a murderess but her father (JOHN LITEL) vehemently disagrees with her. DICKIE JONES (he was the voice for "Pinocchio"), is her pesky kid neighbor and once again, Nancy has to enlist the aid of FRANKIE THOMAS to help her do some investigating.Watch for JOAN LESLIE in a bit role as one of Granville's classmates on a field trip.The story has Nancy tricking her father into defending the accused woman while she works on finding exculpatory evidence. Litel, by the way, has a much lighter touch than usual as the stolid attorney and actually kids around with his daughter in this one. FRANKIE THOMAS has his usual line where he says, "You're not going there alone, are you?", as Nancy talks him into joining in on her detective work. The accent is more on comedy than mystery, especially when Nancy gets boyfriend Ned involved in a boxing match.There's even a totally unexpected sequence where Nancy, Ned and the pesky kids have to literally sing for their supper in a Mandarin restaurant. The plot goes off in all directions without keeping track of finding the real murderer, which makes it one of the weaker entries in the series.Perhaps it wasn't a good idea to have a writer work up an original screenplay. At any rate, it doesn't work this time.

xredgarnetx NANCY DREW REPORTER is the second in a series of four programmers from the late 1930s, all directed by the same individual and starring the same cast. In this one, our junior reporter is hot on the trail of a poisoner, and her frantic hunt takes her into the netherworld of boxing, among other intriguing places. As has been noted elsewhere, the manic Nancy Drew of the movie series is not the more sedate Nancy Drew of the books, plus she is a bit older on film. But Bonita Granville's high spirits and fast-paced delivery are infectious, and so we go along for the wild ride. Granville, who later produced LASSIE on TV and in films, was absolutely charming at age 16, and is supported by some of the best actors of the day, including Frankie Thomas as her long-suffering boyfriend and John Litel as her authoritative lawyer dad. The 68 minutes on this one go by very fast, aided by a highly whimsical musical score. There's even a musical interlude halfway through that makes good use of Granville terrific singing voice. To add to the merriment, the cars seen throughout are an absolute riot. A must see. Also, the film quality and sound are first rate, way above many B films of the era. The people who put this trifle together clearly treated it the way they would any A production of the time.