Nancy Drew Detective(Warner Bros.) (1938)

PUBLICITY — "NANCY DREW — DETECTIVE" (Current) Frankie Thomas Vet Stage and Screen Star at Seventeen There are a number of other things worthy of mention about Frankie, who plays opposite Bonita Granville in “Nancy Drew, Detective,” the first of a Warner Bros. series based on the exploits of the already fabulous Nancy Drew, now playing at the Strand Theatre. Veteran of many a successful season on Broadway, one of Frankie’s greatest hits was “Wednesday’s Child,” in which his mother also appeared, Amons: his other successes are ‘Carrie Nation,” “Little Ol’ Boy,” ‘“Thunder on the Left,” ‘““Remember the Day,” “Seen but Not Heard,” and “The First Legion.” His motion pictures include the recent “Boys Town,” in which he played the mayor, “Wednesday’s Child,” “A Dog of Flanders,” and “Tim Tyler’s Luck,” to mention but a few. When he was playing in “Wednesday’s Child” on Broadway he was named one of the 10 best actors of the 1934 season. If you think that after tne adulation and applause he has received all during his youthfu! years, he is spoiled, egotistical and vain, consider a few more facts. Frankie is a personable young fellow of 17. He has light brown, curly hair, pleasant eyes, and a winning smile. But — “T’ll never | be as handsome as Clark Frankie Thomas Gable,’’ he Mat 102 — 15 says. “I’ll just have to make the best of the way Nature made me.” He was educated by private tutors, at the Professional Children’s School in New York and at Hollywood High School, graduating there in June 1938, He thinks the ideal life would be a play on Broadway every winter and devote the balance of the year to making pictures. That would enable him to spend some time at Sunny Slopes, the 60-acre farm in the hills near Summit, N. Y., which has been in the family for 25 years and which holds many a fond memory for him. He spent all his boyhood vacations there. (Review) Bonita Granville Is Perfect Nancy Drew in Series Opener STORY SYNOPSIS (not for publication) When Nancy Drew (Bonita Granville) learns that Mary Eldredge, a wealthy old lady who had just announced a gift of $250,000 to the Brinwood School for Girls, has gone to a secret rest home, she scents a mystery, and gets her boy friend Ted Nickerson (Frankie Thomas) to help her follow it up. They find her in an out-of-the-way country estate, run by crooks who make a business of drugging aged women, keeping them prisoner and fleecing them of their money. But the crooks capture the two youngsters and things look dark for them, until they devise an ingenious trick to get help. Police arrive, and Nancy Drew has solved her first case. Excitement ran high at the Strand Theatre yesterday as that popular character of fiction, Nancy Drew, sweet-and-smart 16, made her debut as a motion picture heroine in the Warner Bros. production, ‘“Nancy Drew —Detective.” Personified to perfection by the clever and attractive Bonita Granville, young Miss Drew got off to a highly entertaining start in the picture which, according to the cheering promise of the Warner Bros., is the first of a series to be based upon the adventures of the heroine of the widely-read books by Carolyn Keene. Although those books are written for juvenile readers, the motion pictures will probably have a more general appeal, if the example set by “Nancy Drew —Detective” is followed. For this is a picture that has considerable appeal to adults as well as to the more youthful theatre-goers, inasmuch as no one can be too old to respond not only to the tense excitement of the story but also to the deliciously humorous touches which punctuate the action. Much of this humor will be found par: ticularly engaging to the older generation because it is couched in the colorful vernacular that is current among the adolescent youth of today. In “Nancy Drew—Detective,” the attractive little heroine, with the valuable assistance of Ted Nickerson, her favorite boy friend, succeeds in rescuing a rich old spinster from a gang of kidnapers and in virtually thrusting the kidnapers into the hands of the police. All this is not accomplished without considerable danger to Nancy and Ted, and the succes a Mat 203 — 30c DANGER AHEAD — for Bonita Granville and Frankie Thomas who play the title roles in “Nancy Drew—Detective” which opens at the Strand Theatre today. sive perils so courageously and cleverly overcome by the pair of kids keep the sympathetic spectator in a thrilling state of suspense throughout. Aside from the charm given the tale by the character of its heroine, it constitutes a really intriguing detective story, for clever little Nancy and her boy friend exercises considerable ingenuity in the course of tracking down and leading the police to the kidnapers. While Bonita Granville, as the title character, is very much the star of the proceedings and lives up fully to the expectations which were aroused when it was first announced that she would It is a Warner Bros. picture. be Nancy Drew, young Frankie Thomas, who plays Ted, is not far behind in winning the admiration and affection of the audience. This 17-year-old youngster, whose claim to fame heretofore was his spectacular success on the New York stage, easily transfers his charming personality and sure professional skill to the medium of the screen. The adult roles are in the very capable hands of such accomplished performers as John Litel, James Stephenson, Charles Trowbridge, Frank Orth, Dick Purcell, Helena Phillips Evans and Renie Riano. The plot of this first episode was prepared by Kenneth Gamet, W hat’s In A Name? When Bonita Granville disguised herself as an elderly woman for scenes in Warner Bros.’ “Nancy Drew— Detective,” which is now showing at the Strand Theatre, a wag said she no longer should be known as Bunny Granville but as Granny Bunville. 16-year old, Bonita didn’t think that was funny. Mat 201 — 30c BONITA GRANVILLE, FRANKIE THOMAS, and JOHN LITEL, left to right, run up against the law in the Stranad’s current attrac tion “Nancy Drew — Detective,” a Warner Bros. comedy-drama. X-Ray Sets Up Racket Scenes for “Nancy Drew — Detective,” the Warner Bros. picture coming to the Strand Theatre next Friday, in which Frankie Thomas sends out signals for help by setting up radio interference with an X-Ray machine had to be filmed after 3 a.m., so the X-Ray machine wouldn’t actually set up interference on radio sets for miles around the Warner studio. Wheels Stop Work Bonita Granville and Frankie Thomas acquired new bicycles while they were working in “Nancy Drew — Detective,” the Warner Bros. picture opening Friday at the Strand Theatre, and they set a minimum of six times around the Warner lot at lunch time daily for exercise. They were not permitted to leave the studio for fear they would go so far that they’d be late for afternoon shooting. Knits Tie For Hero Bonita Granville learned to crochet during the filming of “Nancy Drew — Detective,” the Warner Bros. picture now at the Strand Theatre. Her first effort was a tie for Frankie Thomas, her 17-year-old leading man. Frankie was selected for the role after a nation-wide search for a suitable youngster to play opposite Bonita. [10] Prefers Pullman Berth Frankie Thomas is very much like the sailor who has to have water thrown against the side of his house so he can sleep when on dry land. Frankie Thomas sleeps best in a pullman berth. That’s because he has been a traveller since he was two weeks old. ‘Fashions to delight the happy heart of a girl of sixteen are the designer’s perennial problem.” So says Milo Anderson, Warner Bros. Studio stylist, who made a serious study of correct clothes for Bonita Granville to wear as the heroine of the new “Nancy Drew” series, the first of which, “Nancy Drew—Detective,” is now showing at the Strand Theatre. Keeping in mind the problem of the girl who stands “with reluctant feet where the brook and river meet,” Milo set down certain rules for himself in the plotting of Bonita’s wardrobe and these might well be followed by all sixteen-year-olds. During those hectic days that only a sixteener can. keep up with, Milo recommends flatheeled shoes, bobbie socks, head kerchiefs, pleated skirts or simple frocks. “Freedom in movement is the thing,” he says. FASHIONS FOR TEENERS (Current) Nowadays They ‘Pitch and Switch’ Instead of ‘Spark’ If English is taught in the high schools, you’d never know it from the way the kids of today talk. While preparing his script for “Nancy Drew — Detective,” the first of the Warner Bros. series about the popular girl detective, now playing at the Strand Theatre, Kenneth Gamet, the scenarist, asked Bonita Granville, star of this series, to collect the slang expressions used by her friends in high school. “Okay,” said Bonita, “as soon as I rally round and get organized, I'll rig some up.” For the benefit of Miss Granville’s English teacher, she meant that she’d make a list after circulating the news of her quest. “Equipment, equipping and equip,” Bonita reported, are words that have an all-embracing significance from freckles on one’s nose to the Chino-Japanese situation. Thus, the gal wore a dress with a lot of equipment around the waist. In this case, equipment means doodads. “Stop equipping and get organized.” This translated is “Stop fussing with yourself and let’s get started.” “It’s happy party time but I haven’t got the equipment” means “I can go out tonight but I haven’t enough money.” $23.80 is a figure that clinches any argument. “TI bet you $23.80” is always used to prove one’s point. Other expressions which Bonita suggested for use in “Nancy Drew — Detective” are: A lard —a fat girl. Orange-peeling—necking. Pitch woo—necking. Coinkadinky—coincidence. Pitch and switch — see pitch woo. That would chap a monk — that’s very funny. You’re off your hook — you’re entirely wrong about it. Fan the breeze ] Distrub the molecules | Air the landscape | ; he talk Beating your gums __ [ Knocking your jaws | together | Jelly roll—a particularly attractive young lady. Foo and goo—these are used in place of any words. Example: “A stitch in foo, saves goo.” Mell of hess—deliberate transposition of consonants is a common conversational trait. In “Nancy Drew—Detective,” Bonita sticks rather closely to washable prints with short puffed sleeves, many in the increasingly popular dirndl style. For evening Bonita flares forth in a long gown, youthful but still on the glamour side, with a very bouffant skirt. Black and dark browns are avoided in Bonita’s wardrobe, but Milo uses lots of bright, gay colors. “Don’t overdo the use of fur trim” he advises. ‘‘T'weeds, Scotch plaids and plain woolly fabrics are much more suitable for the very young girl.” Tailored suits are much in order. Jackets are cut short. A plain band is the only trimming permissible on mi-younglady’s hats. A bangily bracelet, a string of pearls and a wrist watch make up Nancy Drew’s jewelry collection, but two pieces are never worn simultaneously.