Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase (1939) User Reviews (23)

Overly energetic Nancy still heads a solid, fun film

[eschetic · 7/10 · 21 March 2007]

Long before Harry Potter arrived to slake the thirst of voracious young readers, the factory minted Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew mystery series were getting regular readers.

While straight forward and relatively uncomplicated in their mystery plotting, they were basically solid "B" level templates, and at the height of the 30's Hollywood mystery vogue, Warner Brothers jumped on the bandwagon with a creditable four film series of Nancy Drew's - this final effort arguably the best (and the only one to share a title and a couple plot elements with an actual Nancy Drew book).

Bonita Granville makes a borderline silly Nancy, with a mad energy level approaching Betty Hutton levels and (plot-wise) causing as many problems as she solves, but once accepted, her chemistry with John Litel's warm Carson Drew (the father figure) and Frankie Thomas' guileless comic foil/boyfriend Ted Nickerson is outstanding. Had the series tried for more, these solid supporting performances might well have kept it around for a longer run, but Granville's frequently charming caricature and Frank Orth's even sillier Police Captain Tweedy (who never listens to ANYONE once he hears half a clue) firmly place it in limited audience "B" territory - above the cartoonish "Dick Tracy" series, but several steps below the longer running "adult" Charlie Chan's, Mr. Moto's, Sherlock Holmes', Thin Man's or even the solid Saint's, Falcon's or Lone Wolf's.

The best thing about the series 70 years after it was first shown (and which should still hold the attention of the serious film lover) is its beautifully observed picture of life in small town America just before World War II, when icemen actually did deliver blocks of ice to the actual ice boxes which adorned most kitchens (and the standard system for calling for delivery) both of which form interesting plot points.

We're not talking great art here. Consider the drop in quality of the still decent 3rd and 4th Harry Potter films - as the books got better, "movie-movie" directors made the films less faithful and less effective. At least the Nancy Drew series ended on a high note as they edged closer to the source material.

Gotta love that Frankie

[blanche-2 · 6/10 · 20 March 2009]

Bonita Granville has the title role in "Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase," the final entry into the Nancy Drew series. It also stars Frankie Thomas and John Litel. This particular film is based on one of the actual books, but how closely it sticks to the story - well, I haven't read Nancy Drew in nearly 50 years, so I can't remember. Since in the books, Nancy had two girlfriends, missing in the series, it probably doesn't stick all that closely.

In this one, Nancy is determined to make sure that two elderly sisters keep to their father's will so that the house can be donated to a hospital. That won't happen unless at least one of them is in the house every night for twenty years. With only two weeks to go, and their chauffeur shot dead in the house, the ladies want out - fast.

Nancy manages to drag Ted Nickerson, her quasi-boyfriend, into all kinds of trouble, and that's where the fun happens. Thomas is a riot. Nancy always got into deep water in the books, but I remember her as more serious and perfect. That wouldn't have worked for the films, so Nancy is kind of a Lucy and Ted is Ethel, an unwilling participant in her schemes.

Bonita Granville was a fine movie Nancy, very lively, wacky, and likable. It's a shame there are only four "Nancy Drew" films. It is a very good series.

An enjoyable B-mystery

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 25 December 2017]

This is the fourth of four Nancy Drew films by Warner Brothers starring Bonita Granville. It was based on the Drew story "The Hidden Staircase", though I've never read the book and have no idea how close it is to the original tale. But, knowing Hollywood, many liberties were taken with the story.

The story begins by learning that two elderly sisters, the Turnbulls, stand to inherit the home they've been living in many years. However, the will has an odd proviso--that they MUST remain in it every night until some goal is met. Well, they've abided by the will so far, but when their servant is murdered and all sorts of mayhem follows, the sisters' resolve begins to wane. Naturally, the pushy Nancy Drew has decided to make the case her business and naturally the cops investigating are all idiots!

This film is one of about 600,000 B-mysteries made by Hollywood...and they were churned out like mad by both the big studios and the tiny ones. Why? Well, they were pretty cheap to make and made plenty of money! And, compared to the rest of them, this one is a bit better due mostly to better and more competent direction. Too many of them simply looked rushed but this one seemed more polished and complete. Well worth seeing.

Ditto

[westegg · 28 November 2002]

I stumbled upon this series, courtesy of TCM, and was pleasantly surprised by their almost effortless charm. Bonita Granville was especially well cast as Drew, and cohort Frankie Thomas shared a good onscreen chemistry with her. I too wish there were more episodes in this underrated series; one can still appreciate its breezily innocent yet often witty qualities--all too rare to find let alone do nowadays. It remains a homage to the skills of workaday backlot Hollywood, circa 1939, showcasing plenty of talent for an otherwise unassuming footnote in the Warner Bros. vault. Thanks again, TCM.

"A half-wit is a person who spends half their time trying to be witty."

[utgard14 · 6/10 · 4 August 2014]

Fourth and final entry in the wonderful Nancy Drew series starring the ever-adorable Bonita Granville. This time out Nancy's trying to help a couple of elderly sisters. They want to donate their mansion for a children's hospital but their father's will stipulates the ladies must live in the house every night for twenty years before it's theirs. With two weeks to go before the twenty year deadline, someone is trying to scare the old ladies out of the house. So Nancy investigates, dragging best friend Ted (Frankie Thomas) into trouble along the way.

As in the other films in the all-too-short series, pretty Bonita Granville is extremely likable. John Litel as her dad and Frankie Thomas as her sidekick are also great. Frank Orth's Captain Tweedy is amusing. The culprit behind the mystery is pretty obvious but it's still fun. Seems odd nobody suggested someone stay with the two old ladies to keep them safe, but I guess we wouldn't have had much of a movie then. Exciting finish, as the Drew series was usually good at providing. Wish there had been more of these movies.

In name only. . . .

[lehartter · 7/10 · 5 January 2006]

In the last of the Nancy Drew film series, another volume is adapted for the big screen, but mostly in title and character only. Again depicted as giddy, the film takes plot elements from the book of the same title, and adds much comic relief, and much nonsense, plus darkens the entire plot with murder. In the novel, Nancy helps the acquaintances of a person involved in her first case in investigating their "haunted" mansion. Her father turns up missing, and Nancy must investigate thoroughly before she discovers the two cases are connected, by illegally entering another home and discovering a secret passageway, connected to the haunted house by several flights of a "Hidden Staircase." In the 1930 novel, Nancy carries a revolver in addition to her trusty electric torch.

The film keeps a passageway between two homes, under a city street, no less, and involves much mayhem as Nancy tries to find out who killed a servant in the home of the Turnball sisters. Nancy is involved as she arranged for the ladies to donate the house to River Heights following completion of the terms of a will, requiring one of the sisters to occupy the home daily for twenty years. Ted is there for comic relief, now as an iceman. The series stoops to ridiculous comic levels, with Ted losing his pants once in public and then having his clothes stolen while he sleeps, leaving him with the choice of another public underwear appearance, or wearing "drag," turn of the century gowns, complete with a bonnet.

The story resolves with silly conclusions, and not much of a staircase, and, despite drawing on the novel, is far worse than the two films not drawing on texts. Entertaining for the very young (although the appropriateness of murder is questionable) but not much fun and too much Three-Stooges humor.

Fairly enjoyable but lesser Nancy Drew movie

[gridoon2024 · 6/10 · 30 April 2011]

Out of the three Nancy Drew films starring Bonita Granville that I've seen so far (this one, "Reporter", and "Trouble-Shooter"), "The Hidden Staircase" is my least favorite. It's still enjoyable to watch, but the mystery is one of the least interesting (even though the identity of the bad guy is a surprise), the climax (Nancy and Ted are trapped in an underground tunnel) is underwhelming compared to the wild plane ride of "Trouble-Shooter", and even Nancy herself, for the first time, occasionally comes dangerously close to crossing the line from adorable to obnoxious, especially when she not only gets Ted into trouble with the law, but takes off and leaves him behind (after the "shooting" incident). I wouldn't recommend starting to watch the series with "The Hidden Staircase". **1/2 out of 4.

Not my daughter's Nancy Drew

[lewis-51 · 6/10 · 9 August 2014]

This is the first of these Nancy Drew movies I have seen, having just watched it on TCM.

In general, I love movies from the 1930s, but this one was disappointing. When my daughter was growing up, I read to her every night, and often read a Nancy Drew mystery. It would usually take at least a week to finish one. They were quite good juvenile fiction, intriguing and suspenseful.

This movie has a totally different feel and tone. It is basically a comedy with a mystery subplot. Most of the characters are just silly compared to those in the books, especially Nancy, "Ted" (what's wrong with "Ned"?), and the police chief.

It got better once the staircase was discovered, and the last ten minutes or so was clever and entertaining. But still, I would much rather have a story faithful to the novels.

Fourth, final, delightful entry in the terrific "Nancy Drew' Series

[sdiner82 · 10/10 · 12 October 2002]

From 1938 to 1939, Warner Bros. produced four entries in its "Nancy Drew" series. Each is a perfect delight; why didn't the studio continue making more of them? Perky, blonde, vivacious Bonita Granville is perfection as the feisty teenaged sleuth. John Litel is equally solid and dependable as her tolerant dad. Rene Riano is a joy as the Drews' long-suffering but devoted housekeeper. And the underrated Frankie Thomas outshines them all with his droll, engaging, All-American-Boy niceness as Nancy's would-be boyfriend Ted, whom Nancy drags reluctantly into each of her outlandish crime-solving schemes. This final entry packs more fun, suspense, and twisty plot turns into a mere 60 minutes than most of today's bloated bombs manage to squeeze into two hours. The Drew's home, nestled on a cozy small-town American street, complete with picket fences and old-fashioned street lights, could be a block away from the Hardy family's domain. Although done on a B-budget, the production values of the entire Nancy Drew series are first-rate (craftily utilizing the sets of Warners' big-budget films of the era). Watch "Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase" (and spend the night in a "haunted" house, shivering along with Nancy and Ted) and I guarantee you'll be hooked--and searching TCM's listings for showings of the other three entries in the series. Mystery, wry comedy, spine-chilling suspense, first-rate writing, crisp direction, and endearing performances by actors with charisma to spare--movies of any generation don't get any better than this! The Drew series quartet is a fascinating forerunner of the teenagers-in-jeopardy genre revived in 1978 by "Halloween" (and a thousand imitators) for a more blood-thirsty generation. There's not one single drop of blood to be seen in the entire Nancy Drew series, but the suspense and chills are no less palpable. Catch these unsung classics as soon as possible. After 60-some years, they are still fresh as if newly minted, and thoroughly irresistible.

"Some day I'm gonna get psychoanalyzed and find out why I'm such a dope."

[bensonmum2 · 6/10 · 4 April 2008]

Nancy Drew, with the invaluable assistance of her friend Ted Nickerson, comes to the aid of two old spinsters about to lose their home. As part of their father's will, the old women must live in the house for 20 years or its ownership will change to the city. But the death of the chauffeur, a theft in the middle of the night, and voices in walls have the sisters ready to abandon their home and their legacy. It's up to Nancy and Ted to find out what's going on and, in the process, unmask a killer.

Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase is probably my least favorite of the series. That's not to say it's a bad, unentertaining movie, it's just not as good as the three movies that came before it. If I had to point to any one thing that bothered me about the movie it would be the complete lack of reality. While I realize that none of the four movies in the series is set in what I consider the real world, Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase takes it a bit too far. For example, while Nancy is quite often misleading about what evidence she may have found while investigating a case, she crosses the line in this movie when she fabricates a suicide note and/or fails to tell the police about a bullet casing she's discovered. I don't care whose daughter she is or how much she has helped the police in the past, you get into real trouble when you start tampering with evidence.

But enough of my preaching. Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase is still a lot of fun. Bonita Granville and Frankie Thomas are as enjoyable as ever. The movie is well paced and at an hour in length there's not enough time for a wasted scene. The comedy is often quite funny. I found myself chuckling at more than one scene (the ice piling up on the ice box for example). While there's no real mystery as to the killer's identity, watching Nancy and Ted discover the how's and why's is a lot of fun. Finally, I'm a sucker for a movie set in an old house with moving walls and secret passages. They're just too much fun!

Who Wants Those Little Old Ladies to Leave

[bkoganbing · 5/10 · 15 June 2007]

Wills like this one are usually only found in mystery novels. Two spinster sisters were left property by their father on the condition that at least one of them remain there every night for twenty years at which time they can sell out. Otherwise it reverts to the city. That certainly must have cramped their social life, no wonder they remained spinsters.

But when the family chauffeur is murdered and other strange things happen our teenage heroine goes to work. As usual Bonita is helped by Frankie who it seems she can talk into just about anything in these films including having all American football player Thomas lose his clothes and have to get into drag which was an offense back in the day.

In three of the four films law enforcement is represented by Frank Orth as the local police captain. Seeing Orth in what was his career role as the bumbling Captain Tweedy, no wonder they need Granville's help whenever a serious crime occurs.

There would be no more Nancy Drew films after this as Granville left Warner Brothers. It was a nice series and I'm sure the kids in the Saturday matinée crowd enjoyed it. Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler were not threatened by Carolyn Keene though.

Nancy Drew Captured

[lorenzo212 · 10/10 · 1 December 2005]

I think Warner Bros. captured the spirit of the Nancy Drew novels, and presented them in great style. The give and take between Nancy and her father is actually better than the books, and Ted Nickerson, as played by Frankie Thomas, makes the character stand out far more than in the books, where he was just a straight man for Nancy. And Bonita Granville as Nancy gives a phenomenal film portrayal of the heroine of millions, without going over the top, and she is especially likable and memorable. We have to remember this is a film portrayal of a book, it is not the book, nor was it meant to be, and it captures exactly the feeling of Nancy Drew mysteries. I wish the Hardy Boys had been done like this! I gave it a 10 not because it was the best movie ever made, but because it was a great interpretation of the book that lost nothing in the translation to screen, and gained in the character given by superb actors.

too much couple

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 8 November 2021]

The elderly Turnbull sisters want to donate their home for a children's hospital. Their late father stipulated that at least one of them has to be in the house every night for 20 years or else it goes to the city. A goon pushes Nancy Drew (Bonita Granville) aside to steal her father's affidavits. Her boyfriend Ted Nickerson saves her in the nick of time. The Turnbulls' chauffeur Phillips dies mysteriously but the cause is under dispute. The sisters are scared. Nancy helps to investigate.

It's the fourth and last time Bonita Granville played the teen sleuth. I'm not going to compare it to the book. Quite frankly, I've never read any of the books anyways. I want more out of the mystery solving. Nancy should be Sherlock but she's really only an inquisitive girl. She needs to be smarter than the audience. Instead, she's more driven than brilliant. She's being too girlie. She is often surprised by simple discoveries. She just needs to investigate on her own. She shouldn't need her father and the cops are cartoonish in their incompetence. Then, there is boy toy Ted. I like the couple's relative brain powers. I don't like that they have so much time together. After all, it's not a Ted and Nancy mystery solving team. It's supposed to be her alone solving the case.

Bonita Granville makes a perfect Nancy Drew, but the plot was far-fetched.

[Art-22 · 5/10 · 13 May 1999]

Whoever heard of anyone willing two spinster sisters an estate with the provision that unless at least one of them occupy the house every night for the next twenty years it will revert to the city. That's the ridiculous premise of this Nancy Drew murder mystery. But once I got over that, I rather enjoyed watching the antics of the young Bonita Granville as she tries to solve the case with her friend, Frankie Thomas. I had to laugh at the number of crimes she commits while doing that, but it was part of the fun. Frank Orth has some good comedy as the inept police captain. Unfortunately, the badly-named title is itself a "spoiler," since through most of the movie everyone wonders how the murderer got into the house.

For those interested in credits, Dick Elliott (billed last) never shows up, nor is his character ever mentioned.

NANCY DREW LIVES ON FOREVER

[whpratt1 · 12 October 2002]

It always was a great joy to read Nancy Drew books and being able to see "The Hidden Staircase" was a wonderful thing Hollywood was able to give to the public in the 1940's. Bonita Granville, Frankie Thomas and John Litel gave excellent performances and made the Drew characters come to life. Films in those days had a limited budget and it was an innocent age without all the blood and gore in todays films. No criticism is necessary for these Classic Films with Classic actors which are still being shown in the year 2000 and forever.

Nancy Drew To The Rescue

[atlasmb · 6/10 · 8 November 2021]

Bonita Granville takes on the role of girl detective Nancy Drew one last time in this light-hearted mystery. According their father's will, two elder sisters must remain in the family house for twenty years to earn its title. But they get cold feet when their chauffeur turns up dead. This sounds like a case for the distaff detective and her reluctant sidekick, Ted Nickerson (Frankie Thomas).

Nancy runs rings around police chief Tweedy, uncovering clues and working her own line of speculation. The plot is feasible and the acting is up to the standards of this fare, but there is little feeling of peril, mainly because there is no persistently evil villain.

"Hidden Staircase" is an enjoyable lark and Bonita is perfect for such a story.

Bonita shines

[tday-1 · 10/10 · 9 June 2007]

When I was growing up I loved kid's adventure books but passed on Nancy Drew,she was for girls only. When I actually read one I was surprised how phony the whole thing seemed, Nany was perky and perfect with an ideal life style. A widowed,indulgent father,a loving housekeeper,a generous allowance ,her own car,no home work and no chores. The Warner Bros. series wisely trimmed the fat,eliminating Nancy's girlfriends who helped her in cases,making Ted,not Ned,more prominent. In a couple of the movies he tries to avoid her and her schemes but she gets him involved anyway. It's highly unlikely the series could have continued,both leads were maturing out of the teen-age stage,Bonita left Warner bros. for MGM,so that was that. Interestingly,the series involved murders,not missing treasure or stuff like that. Bonita plays Nancy like a real girl,not perky and perfect with every step,she messes things up even with her enthusiasm.

Nancy's Fourth & Final(?) Case.

[AaronCapenBanner · 5/10 · 16 November 2013]

William Clemens directed this fourth and final cinematic outing starring Bonita Granville as Nancy Drew, John Litel as her father Carson Drew, and Frankie Thomas as her boyfriend Ted Nickerson. Here, two elderly ladies call upon Carson to help them after their chauffeur is murdered. The two ladies have been living in an old mansion for twenty years, and must stay another two weeks before they can sell it to be used as a children's hospital, but someone wants to stop them, and Nancy and Ted defy authorities to investigate. The best of the series, which uses more imagination in its story, though it still feels half-baked and too abrupt, coming up short, though the three leads(especially Granville) are fine, and could have made a fifth case, sadly not to be. This plot was used on the later(and unrelated) "Nancy Drew Mysteries" with Pamela Sue Martin called 'The Mystery Of The Whispering Walls'(Much better handled too.)

Nancy Drew as an unethical ditz

[cherold · 5/10 · 16 May 2020]

I never read the books, knowing Nancy Drew only through the TV series with Pamela Sue Martin and HerInteractive's video game series. So I wasn't really prepared for Bonita Granville's ditzy, ball of energy approach to the character. I think of Nancy Drew as smart, but Bonita is more determined and energetic.

She's also a terrible person. One of the first things she does is manufacture evidence to interfere with a police investigation. She also has a friend who's kind of like a romance-less boyfriend who she is constantly manipulating into doing risk things with no thought to his welfare.

The story itself is rather dull. There's an amusing police captain in it, but it's generally a substandard B mystery with weak humor and an unengaging story.

And seriously, Nancy Drew may be an actual psychopath.

Not recommended. And while there are some exceptions, most user reviews say this is the best of the series, so I don't plan to watch any more!

The old-fashioned charm of the Keene novels is missing...

[Doylenf · 15 September 2003]

Warner Bros. filmed several of these Nancy Drew stories in the late 1930s with Bonita Granville, Frankie Thomas and John Litel top-billed and this one is probably the best--and the only one actually based on one of the early Carolyn Keene novels.

But the script is a hapless, far-fetched one and really stretches credibility and patience when viewed today. Only a certain nostalgia for these kind of B-films that played the lower half of a double bill can have any appeal for modern viewers.

The actors aren't to blame. Bonita Granville as Nancy does an excellent job, as does Frankie Thomas as her All-American boyfriend Ted, and John Litel as her lawyer father. All of it, however, is weakened by a poor script and a weak storyline. Only the last twenty minutes or so maintains any real suspense.

Most of it is pretty uninvolving but appeals more as a curiosity piece than anything else.

Sweet but has little relation to the books

[GoUSN · 1/10 · 8 July 2020]

I like quality filmmaking, and this was certainly that. But as a child reading The Hidden Staircase I came to know all of the characters well, all of whom have either been renamed here, eliminated entirely (poor Helen Corning), re-aged, or given different roles. Why even name it after the book?

A one-star for misuse of the book title.

"Holy Pancakes."

[rmax304823 · 5/10 · 19 December 2008]

The entries is this series are pretty much alike. Nancy Drew (Bonita Granville), a teen-aged girl, finds some mystery in Riverside Heights and pursues it, despite the warnings of her father and friends, to its happy end. Everything is shot on the cheap on the Warner's back lot.

The startling feature of this film, and the others, is Bonita Granville. While not strikingly attractive, she has what might be called a presence. Oh, she overacts outrageously but so does everyone else.

But she flits from place to place like a hummingbird, flounces flouncing, both hands held in the air like Fred Astaire, whipping along, subject to speech pressure like a hypomanic. Except when whispering -- "There's a hidden door somewhere." And even that deserves an exclamation point which I refuse to give it.

Her friend, confidant, and unwitting fool, is Ted Nickerson, a gawky adolescent boy, who was only featured in one film, "Ted Nickerson Discovers His Fist." Nancy Drew inveigles him into so many questionable enterprises, after most of which he winds up humiliated, and she shows so little interest in him, that at some point he must ask himself, "What have you done for me lately?" Oh, Ted. You poor schmuck. Another few years and you'd be wearing a brown uniform in a brown milieu while Nancy was back home forgetting all about you.

Final in the Series

[Michael_Elliott · 26 February 2008]

Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase (1939)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Fourth and final film in Warner's detective series has Bonita Granville returning as Nancy Drew. In this film, two old women are about to turn over their property to charity but someone is trying to haunt them out of it. You see, the women must stay there day and night for two weeks or the will is no good and the property is turned over to the city. This final film is the shortest of the four (only running 60 minutes) but it's also the weakest. There isn't any comedy to speak of and none of the mystery aspects are fully recognized. Granville is good in her role as usual but the supporting characters are weak this time out.