Bonita Granville and Frankie Thomas make this little mystery a lot of fun for the family to watch. This and the Nancy Drew films in general made with Granville are little gems that sadly do not get shown as much as they should. My big question is, why were there not more. These Drew movies are more entertaining than the Monogram Charlie Chans and Mr. Wong movies-yet those lasted longer than the Drew series did at Warners. If you have a chance to see the Nancy Drew/Bonita Granville series-please do so. MM
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Michael195828 September 2002
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aimless-4621 March 2007Nancy Drew... Trouble Shooter (1939) was the third in the series of four films about the teenage heroine. All starred Bonita Granville as the title character. But Granville's "Nancy" owes more to the heroines of 1930's screwball comedies than to her literary counterpart. This Nancy alternates between master of deductive reasoning and teenage airhead, causing as many problems as she solves; with nice guy neighbor Ted Nickerson (Frankie Thomas) her comic foil. Granville was extremely expressive and did not seem to mind being shown in unflattering situations (much like Zasu Pitts back then and Miley Cyrus today).
In "Trouble Shooter", Nancy and her attorney father head to the country with their housekeeper to defend old family friend Matt Brandon (Nancy calls him Uncle Matt) from a murder charge. Their escapades include poison ivy, an enraged bull, crop-dusting, a rare flower, Ted's new boat, and a rival for Mr. Drew's affections. Nancy is still crushing on poor Ted-who wanders around with a dazed expression on his face for most of the film.
Willie Best appears as his standard stereotype character, this time named Apollo Johnson. Also known as "Sleep 'n' Eat", in almost all of his films this early black actor encounters a ghost and gives the audience a wide-eyed look of terror. I don't know why people found this repeated gag so funny back then, maybe Hollywood just thought they did and kept using it. At least in "Trouble Shooter" Nancy has the good grace to exhibit the same exaggerated reaction when the ghost appears.
All four films in the Nancy Drew series are surprisingly entertaining and have a lot of charm. "Trouble Shooter" has Nancy at her daffiest. There is more silliness than characterization so I suggest watching at least one of the others first.
Then again, what do I know? I'm only a child. -
Nancy Drew and her lawyer father, Carson, set off for the country to help out an old family friend wrongly accused of murder. Conveniently for Nancy, her friend Ted Nickerson and his family are vacationing nearby. She quite naturally ropes Ted into helping her with her investigations. But this time, Nancy may have bitten off more than she can chew. From ghostly encounters to high flying danger, Nancy will have to be careful if she's to catch a killer.
I'm kicking myself for not watching these Nancy Drew movies sooner. I only wish I had about a half-dozen more to go instead of just one. Of the three Nancy Drew movies I've seen so far, Nancy Drew Trouble Shooter is my favorite. While the plot may hardly matter (the killer's identity is not much of a mystery - in fact, it's NO mystery), that doesn't mean the movie isn't entertaining. There's plenty of action in this well paced movie with Nancy facing and overcoming obstacle after obstacle. From burning barns to burning dinner, the set-pieces are all enjoyable. Bonita Granville is as delightful as ever in the title role. She has such an infectious nature that it's impossible not to be a fan of her performance. In this installment, I was really impressed with Frankie Thomas as Ted. With a nice sense of comic timing, he plays the put upon boyfriend to perfection. And I liked the fact that John Litel as Carson Drew is given a bigger part and a romantic interest. My only real complaint would be with the character Apollo Johnson played by Willie Best. I'm certainly no crusader for political correctness, but I still have difficulty watching the shuffling, "Yassuh!" type characters played by black actors in the 30s. -
robert_deveau16 September 2003Though I've enjoyed the four Warner Bros. Nancy Drew films for their fast pace, snappy dialog and light touch, Bonita Granville doesn't bear much resemblance to the hyper-perfect Nancy of the long-running series of novels. The main drawback to the literary Nancy is that she's too perfect, even winning a golf tournament against a superior, more experienced player in THE HAUNTED BRIDGE. In TROUBLESHOOTER, (which bears the least resemblance to the books of any of the four films), Nancy's perfection is taken down a few notches: she can't drive (rear-ending several parked cars, constantly taking her hands off the wheel in her excitement), she can't cook (making a veritable Lucy of the kitchen), she allows the bad guys to destroy evidence -- why, she's as scared of ghosts as Willie Best and she can't even fly an airplane! NANCY DREW, TROUBLESHOOTER, with its general lack of mystery and constant slapstick, is essentially a parody of Nancy Drew. Fun, and satisfying in a slightly sadistic way, but nothing like the books.
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Another watchable Nancy Drew mystery with a good blend of mystery and comedy and romance. Bonita Granville as Nancy is again outstanding, giving a winning portrayal of a lively teenage girl, bright and enthusiastic and charming. In regular and good support is John Litel as her capable lawyer father Drew Carson and Renie Riano as the careworn housekeeper Effie Schneider. Particularly good in this third of the series is Frankie Thomas as Nancy's sort of boyfriend Ted, always reluctantly drawn into her investigations. His deadpan acting is most amusing. The mystery isn't that mysterious as halfway through the culprits are revealed. If you want a pleasant and entertaining film that has no agenda apart from having a good time this is a film for you.
It was a shame that only four films were made in this Nancy Drew series. Oh, well. -
Doylenf15 June 2007When a ranchowner's body is found buried on his own land, it's up to Nancy Drew to solve another murder in NANCY DREW--TROUBLE SHOOTER. And once again, BONITA GRANVILLE decides that she and FRANKIE THOMAS must go about solving the crime despite the warnings of her father (JOHN LITEL) to stay away from the case.
Nancy's other concern is that her father is being too chummy with a woman he seems to be attracted to. But mostly, she's bubbling with energy as she and Frankie Thomas set out on another adventure while racing around the countryside in her roadster. A tropical flower and a greenhouse figure importantly in the plot.
So does a crop duster airplane. The film is an improvement over the first two entries as far as production values go. The B&W photography is crisp and the sets look as if more money was spent on them. The crop duster sequence is milked for all it's worth and ends the film with a wallop of a ride.
Summing up: Better than average entry in the series. -
Frankie Thomas nearly steals the show from right under Bonita Granville in "Nancy Drew, Troubleshooter," starring Granville as Drew, Thomas as boyfriend Ted Nickerson and John Litel as Carson Drew, Nancy's dad. As has been mentioned, the Nancy in the books was much more serious and sheer perfection as she had "luncheon" with her friends George and Bess, drove around in her roadster without crashing into anything, and solved mysteries. Granville is a very bouncy, reckless driving Nancy who becomes jealous in this entry into the series when dad gets a girlfriend.
In this film, Nancy and her dad leave the city to help a friend beat a murder charge. Turns out that Ted and his family are vacationing in the same area, and Nancy drags him around as she investigates. Thomas is hilarious, especially when he and Nancy are abandoned in a crop duster mid-air.
The only drawback to this delightful movie is Willie Best's unfortunate stereotypical characterization of Apollo. Though Best is very good, it's uncomfortable to watch him. Otherwise, I like this one the best of the "Nancy Drew" series. -
utgard144 August 2014Third 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. -
sdiner8218 September 2003Of the four classic Nancy Drew films Warner Bros. released from 1938-1939, NANCY DREW...TROUBLE SHOOTER is perhaps the most imaginative, humorous, creepy and expensively produced of them all. Moving the locale from the Drews' home in River City to the nearby farm resort Sylvan Lake, where Nancy's lawyer father Carson is summoned to prove a relative not guilty of a murder, the breath of rural country air enlivens everyone involved. The widowed Mr. Drew's attraction to a lovely neighbor (Charlotte Wynters) sets Nancy's jealousy in full force, making her relationship with her reluctant (though none-the-less-enchanted) boyfriend Ted, played to droll perfection by the engaging Frankie Thomas, all the more delightful--and in some sequences downright romantic. Aside from the beautifully photographed location backgrounds, the deliciously intricate plot (a transplanted tropical flower, the torching of the local nursery, and farmhand Willie Best's dithering about seeing two "ghosts" on the night of the murder) provides the necessary clues for Nancy and Ted to piece together the identity of the murderer--and enriches their relationship at the same time. Of the four Nancy Drew films, this third entry shines with its subtle, underlying portrayals of the love and dependence that draw the principal characters together--along with good-natured humor (for once, Willie Best is not denigrated by the time's racial stereotypes--he's treated as an affectionate equal by the other characters--and seems to be having a ball poking fun at the "chicken-stealing darkies" he was called to portray in that era of moviemaking). Bonita Granville is as blonde, buoyant, perky and loving a teenager as has ever been presented in movies of any era. And the underrated Frankie Thomas is her equal as the sweetest, bravest, most caring fellow a teenaged girl could ever wish for. The witty, intelligent depiction of their relationship--and unacknowledged love for each other--makes NANCY DREW...TROUBLE SHOOTER perhaps one of the most captivating portrayals of friendship and family life ever put on screen, with equal praise for John Litel (as Nancy's all-too-understanding father)and the warm and enchanting Ms. Wynters. And all in the guise of a suspense-filled murder mystery (incidentally, the use of a homicidal crop-dusting plane precedes Hitchcock's "North by Northwest" by a good 20 years!). In short, NANCY DREW...TROUBLE SHOOTER is as unpretentious, disarming and downright lovable an entertainment to come out of Hollywood during its Golden Age. Turner Classic Movies has apparently gotten the message, and the quartet of Nancy Drew movies (after too long a time languishing in obscurity) are now being shown on a fairly regular basis. Don't miss any of them, but put NANCY DREW...TROUBLE SHOOTER at the top of your list. Dated (as other IMDB comments claim)? Perhaps, and more's the pity. A rare and timeless treat? Absolutely!
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pmtelefon9 January 2023"Nancy Drew...Trouble Shooter" is a lot better than I was expecting. The only reason I started watched it was because of its very friendly running time (68 minutes). I quickly fell in with this movie. I wasn't expecting all of the humor that is in it. I may not have laughed out loud but I did smile quite a bit. The story itself was also better than I was expecting. The cast is likeable. I now plan on watching the other three movies in this series of Nancy Drew mysteries. (Now I have to ramble on because of IMDB's 600 character minimum. So, how was your day. Mine was fine. I watched "Nancy Drew...Trouble Shooter".)
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bkoganbing15 June 2007Sadly this is the weakest of the four Nancy Drew films that Bonita Granville made for Warner Brothers in the late Thirties. It's also the one where unfortunately Willie Best gets to be horribly racially stereotyped. Can't avoid it either, because his character is essential to the plot.
An old family friend, Aldrich Bowker, is being held for murder in a rural community and he retains John Litel as Carson Drew as his lawyer. Naturally this includes a package deal, an amateur sleuth in the form of Nancy Drew who of course puts the local police to shame.
Frankie Thomas is once again along for the ride. Bonita Granville gets him to do more dumb things than Bing Crosby got Bob Hope to do in those road pictures. This time though he steps up to the plate and takes some fast lessons in how to fly a plane. He comes in for quite a landing in the end.
If it only could have been done without Willie Best's shuffling act. -
vikitoria18 September 2003By far, this was one of the better Nancy Drew's, with Ms. Granville. When her Uncle Matt is accused of murder, the best lawyer Carson must take the case, and naturally Nancy goes with him.
Since Carson is not a townie, he comes in under scrutiny but gets Matt out of prison for a little while. During this time, he meets a beautiful woman who catches his fancy, much to Nancy's dismay. Since Ted is also in town, she enlists him to dissuade her father. Naturally Ted falls for the loveliness of the woman and Nancy's troubles amount.
The whole resolution was done masterfully. It showed a maturation of Nancy and dealing with another woman in Carson's life.
The mystery of the killer was rather simple, but interesting with Ted along. Frankie and Bonita were great with each other. I wish they had done more together.
A great movie to watch - so pop your corn, grab a soda and don;t miss a minute of this very cute endeavor of a movie. -
planktonrules25 December 2017Nancy 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. -
Bonita Granville is an almost perfect Nancy Drew--cute and spunky. This is generally a good story, fast paced and quite humorous in spots. The only negative is the racist depiction of Apollo Johnson. By the way, the title card reads "Nancy Drew... Troubleshooter"
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Michael_Elliott26 February 2008Nancy Drew--Trouble Shooter (1939)
*** (out of 4)
Third film in Warner's teenage detective series has Bonita Granville returning as Nancy Drew. This time out she's trying to save her uncle farmer whose been accused of killing a man. This is probably my favorite of the first three films because it takes on a lot more than just the actual mystery behind the killing. There's an entire subplot where Nancy gets jealous that her father is dating a woman and you'd expect something like this to come off silly but it actually works pretty well. There are plenty of laughs as well especially one sequence where Nancy tries to cook dinner. The mystery in the film doesn't actually get too much attention but it leads to a nice, if unbelievable, ending. -
wes-connors23 July 2014Sixteen-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 -
SnoopyStyle27 June 2022Carson Drew is taking on the case of family friend Old Matt Brandon who is accused of murder. He is bringing daughter Nancy (Bonita Granville) and housemaid Effie Schneider but he would like to keep the murder a secret from Nancy. It doesn't last long. She insists on solving the case with Ted Nickerson's help. Farm hand Apollo Johnson (Willie Best) claims to have seen two ghosts. Edna Gregory is a friendly neighbor.
This is the third Nancy Drew movie and this one is pushing the comedy even more. The inclusion of Willie Best only accentuates that. Ted is ever more reticent at the start. That's good but it doesn't last. He ends up blindly following her around anyways. The story gets rather convoluted. It's really a screwball comedy more than anything else. This is not for every Nancy Drew fan but one can still have some fun. -
JohnHowardReid10 December 2017The four "Nancy Drew" movies are now available from Warner Bros. in an excellent DVD set, I don't advise viewing them in order, as the first of the series, Nancy Drew – Detective is undoubtedly the weakest. Not only are production values slight, but the plot is totally unbelievable. Even halfway competent crooks would make sure they snatched lady bountiful from sight before — not after — she made a public announcement drawing attention both to herself and her bounty.
The pity of it is that the actors concerned, James Stephenson (who looks rather odd without his customary mustache) and Charles Trowbridge might have got away with it had they played their roles for laughs. But, no! Even worse, perhaps, is the slow pace with which Clemens unwinds the story. His monotonous, never varied camera style of inter-cutting loosely framed medium shots with dull close- ups doesn't help liven up his sluggishly routine direction one iota. Admittedly, the screenplay's long dialogue exchanges don't help. Fortunately, there is a bit of action at the climax but even this disappoints when it is simply cut short just as it reaches the confrontation stage.
Not exactly an auspicious start. Fortunately, the second movie, Nancy Drew – Reporter, represents a considerable and even an astonishing improvement. There are at least five reasons for this remarkable turn-around: (1) The budget was much higher, permitting the use of a large number of sets, peopled with fair crowds of extras; (2) Kenneth Gamet was allowed to write his own script around the Keene characters, not try to adapt one of the silly plots from the books; (3) Arthur Edeson (whom just about everyone would agree is Hollywood's greatest black-and-white cameraman) was assigned to do the photography; (4) the hiring of Edeson seems to have inspired everyone else, including director Clemens and the players. Even the kids are good, while Litel gives one of the most engaging performances of his entire career. Outstanding in the support cast are Olin Howland and Jack Perry. Howland is always a barrel of fun. Perry, however, spent his time in bit parts. Here, as Soxie, he has a decent role for once; (5) Best of all, Reporter all comes to a rousingly funny, enjoyably thrilling and satisfyingly slap-up conclusion.
Trouble Shooter builds on the success of the second entry, and in some respects is even more entertaining. This time we have another straight-forward murder mystery. I thought the identity of the killer was revealed a little too early in the piece, but otherwise we are treated to plenty of exciting incidents, including a seat-twitching climax. Clemens utilizes his extensive budget wisely, turning on the pace and making effective use of numerous fascinating locations. The photography is crisp; and the players, especially Miss Wynters, are both engaging and appealing.
Unfortunately, this admirable momentum is not carried over into the fourth and final "Nancy Drew". For some reason, it was decided to adapt one of the silly novels (as was done for the first entry), not write an original. The novel has many shortcomings, not the least of which is that the whole plot is given away in the title itself! True, on its own juvenile level, Gamet's screenplay is reasonably well-written. It can also be argued that Clemens has directed with okay competence and that the players are still in fair form.
One thing for sure, however: Despite its promising plot premise, "Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase" falls far short of its predecessors. There are no acerbic newsmen like Thomas Jackson, or villainous plug-uglies like Jack Perry, or even young stars of tomorrow like Joan Leslie, Mary Lee, Charles Smith and company in this one. -
eventlaunch26 September 2020But I question dressing Billie best in clan gear at 48;24 mins into the movie infact his character potrayal in this movie is despicable oh the racist 50's damn shame you can watch it on YouTube
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jcholguin8 January 2004Nancy Drew battles to prove that her uncle Matt is innocent of murder. Nancy also battles her father Carson Drew but not over how to prove her uncle innocent but over his love life. Mr Drew has been single for many years but meets Edna Gregory, a single woman that likes him. What, another woman for Mr Drew, heavens no!, not for Nancy's father! She enlists the help of her friend Ted to battle this Gregory woman. But love transcends all ages as Ted is bitten by the "cupid" arrow also. Fine performance by John Litel and Charlotte Wynters "Drew & Gregory" make this Nancy Drew film one of the best ever made. The ending will also take your breathe away as Nancy becomes co-air pilot w/Ted a self taught "by book" pilot. So I leave these questions with you, can Nancy free her uncle? Can Nancy stop her father from asking a certain question?
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AaronCapenBanner16 November 2013William Clemens once again returns to direct this third case of Nancy Drew(played by Bonita Granville) with her father Carson Drew(played by John Litel) and her boyfriend Ted Nickerson(played by Frankie Thomas). This time, a family friend living in the country is wrongfully accused of murdering a neighbor, so Carson and Nancy go there to help, though this time Carson finds a love interest, much to the chagrin of Nancy. It seems another neighbor and his pilot henchman had reason to dispose of the victim, so they gather evidence to prove it. Despite an effective runaway plane sequence with Nancy and Ted, mystery is once again flimsy and thin, though Bonita still shines as Nancy.
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whpratt11 October 2003Enjoyed the Nancy Drew films with all the classic cars, airplanes, old household furnishings, Victrola's (Played LPs with a needle) and just plain late 1930's humor. Bonita Granville(Nancy Drew) made this her final picture and moved on to MGM. The real star of this movie could very well have been overlooked, and he was throughout his entire career, making 117 films and very much unappreciated, his name in this picture was "Apollo Johnson" (Willie Best). This great African American actor brought great acting skills to the screen in "Mr. Moto Takes A Vacation" '39 with Peter Lorre. Willie Best was depicted stealing a chicken in this film, which is what Hollywood type cast him in all his career. In many ways, Willie Best was a great Classic Star who made many people of different races laugh and be happy. Thank God that era is over with !