Nancy Drew Reporter(Warner Bros.) (1939)

CURRENT PUBLICITY — "NANCY DREW — REPORTER" (Current) John Litel Has Own Formula of Eternal Youth If you would like to stay young, associate with youth. That’s John Litel’s formula for slowing the passage of time. Litel is stil lyoung enough so that it is necessary for him to gray his hair with makeup for his roel as Bonita Granville’s father in “Nancy Drew — Reporter,” now playing at the Strand Theatre, which is the second in the series of Warner Bros. picturizations of the popular Carolyn Keene stories. And he wants to retain that youth. “The sensational success of this series of pictures,” Litel says, “without doubt is due to the pleasure older people derive from association with young people. They like the humor, the freshnes sand the zest of life exemplified in the pictures. They are reliving their youth. “The same formula holds true in real life. If people constantly associate with elderly people, they acquire their mannerisms and outlook on life and add years to their own life in the doing. If they have the sparkle and zest of youth around them, it is like a tonic. “I enjoy filming the ‘Nancy Drey’ series and the association it brings with Bonita Granville, Frankie Thomas, Mary Lee, Dickie Jones and the other youngsters in the cast. Their humor and witticisms both on and off the set are very refreshing and believe me it keeps mestepping to keep up with them. “In my character I am supposed to be a very modern father. One who is understanding and indulgent and able to keep pace with modern youth. In disciplining my daughter and in my associations with her I treat and regard her as my equal. We are pals in everything we do. “There is a stimulation in having youngsters around you, in sharing their joys and sorrows, in enjoying their confidences, attempting to help them with their problems, and in enjoying their infectious fun and mirth. Mat 104-15c John Litel WANTED — MOTHER FOR NANCY DREW Bonita Granville wants a mother—that is, a film mother in the series of “Nancy Drew” pictures she is acting in for Warner Bros. The second of the series, “Nancy Drew — Reporter,” is playing now at the Strand Theatre. Of course Bonita has John Litel as her father; a kind, understanding and doting father. He was introduced in the first Nancy Drew picture as_ her father and he will continue as her father. For some reason or other, Carolyn Keene, the author of the popular books on which the series of films is being based, never provided a mother for Nancy. Like Topsy, apparently, she “jes growed.” But Bonita is at the romantic age and she thinks it would be nice if her father enjoyed a romance and added a wife to the family circle. “I’m happy,” says Litel, “why should I look for trouble? I think we had better let the matter drop for the time being.” (Review) Bonita Granville Scores Hit At | Strand As ‘‘Nancy Drew--Reporter”’ STORY SYNOPSIS (not for publication) Nancy Drew (again played by Bonita Granville) wins a contest and is awarded a month’s job on a local paper. She goes to a corenor’s inquest into the death of an old lady and becomes suspicious when her ward is held for murder. With her friend Ted Nickerson, (Frankie Thomas) she decides to find the real killers and prove that the dead woman’s ward had nothing to do with the crime. Following all possible clues, they unearth the evidence that brings the actual murderers to justice, with the aid of Nancy’s father, John Litel. It is a dangerous assignment, with plenty of thrills and chills, but in the end Nancy Drew solves her second crime. Ample fulfillment of the promise given by the first picture in the series being based by Warner Bros. on the heroine of Carolyn Keene’s highly popular Nancy Drew stories is contained in “Nancy Drew — Reporter,” which opened yesterday at the Strand Theatre with Bonita Granville again in the title role. All that really need be said about the second picture of the series is that it is every bit as good as the first, “Nancy Drew— Detective.” Both were directed by William Clemens. Little Miss Granville, of course, has much to do with the fact that the Nancy Drew films have now taken rank among the very best of the series pictures being produced in Hollywood. She seems to have been an inspired choice for the rather difficult assignment of portraying a girl who is typical of 16-year-old Miss America and at the same time can plausibly accomplish what the intrepid Nancy Drew succeeds in doing. As Ted Nickerson, Nancy’s best boy friend and an important assistant in all her undertakings, Frankie Thomas is an exceedingly winning youth and contributes heavily to the warm and human spirit which characterizes these Nancy Drew tales. An important newcomer to the cast is a pretty, little dark-eyed girl, named Mary Lee, who not only is an effective actress but is also a talented singer. Dickie Jones scores heavily with his verse sung as Donald Duck’s nephew would sing it — which isn’t surprising, since Dickie is the voice of that character when he works at the Walt Disney Studio. The adults in the cast are ES AUER ASAT S. Mat 203—30c A WORD TO THE WISE—offered by Bonita Granville to boy friend Frankie Thomas in a scene from "Nancy Drew—Reporter."' This second picture in the new Warner Bros. series is the current attraction at the Strand. headed by John Litel, who once more impresses audiences as an ideal father for a girl who can get into so much excitement as Nancy Drew. Others who do fine work include Sheila Bromley, Larry Williams, Betty Amann, Thomas Jackson and Olin Howland. The story by Kenneth Gamet, who also did the screen play for “Nancy Drew — Detective” — manages to get Nancy into a newspaper office by having her become one of the winners of a journalism contest at her high school. The contest was sponsored by a local paper, and Nancy’s prize is a month’s job as a re porter. Of course, Nancy is not expected to do any important reportorial work, but she has other ideas on the subject and immediately takes it upon herself to work on the solution of the death by poison of a rich old woman. After a little more excitement and much more danger than she has bargained for, the very young reporter does succeed in leading the police to the murderer of the old woman. As in most of her adventures, Nancy does, it must be admitted, receive valiant assistance from Ted and her Dad when things become too hard to handle for even Nancy Drew—Reporter. Betty Amann Took Long Way to Coast Betty Amann knows now that the longest way ’round is the shortest way home. She entered pictures from Brooklyn via Berlin, London, Paris, Warsaw and Vienna. Betty, black-haired, dark-eyed baeuty, makes her American film debut in “Nancy Drew — Reporter,” latest in the series of Carolyn Keene stories filmed by Warner Bros. with Bonita Granville as its star, which is currently showing at the Strand Theatre. In 1929 when Betty was 17 she went abroad for a vacation. She didn’t return to the United States until eight years later. She met Eric Pommer, U.F.A. producer at a social gathering and he saw in her the star he had been seeking. She starred and co-starred in 25 foreign made pictures in the years that followed. When her contract with Pommer expired, she went to London for BIP. Later she filmed “The Lioness” in Paris and ‘““‘Warsaw Underworld” in Poland. Then she did a play in Vienna. When Warner Bros. Studio executives saw her tests they immediately signed her for an important role in “Nancy Drew— Reporter.” Betty is five feet four and onehalf inches tall and weighs 114 pounds, She has what is believed to be the most shapely pair of legs in Hollywood. THE STARS REVEAL:-Wherein Bonita saves waves, Science comes to rescue, Star teaches tutor, and Bonita pulls a fast one. Frankie Thomas, famed juvenile actor in Warner Bros.’ “Nancy Drew—Reporter,” which opens at the Strand Theatre next Friday, is prouder of the fact that his mother, the former Mona Bruns, once was rated as one of the twelve most beautiful women in New York than he is of his own accomplishments. * To obtain a practical knowledge of Spanish which she is studying under a private tutor, Bonita Granville is teaching English to a little Mexican girl. Bonita’s latest Warner Bros, picture, “Nancy Drew—Reporter,” the second of a series based on the stories by Carolyn Keene, is playing at the Strand Theatre. * Frankie Thomas, while he was working in “Nancy Drew—Reporter,” the Warner Bros. picture now running at the Strand Theatre, was the first player at the studio to use that studio’s de-colding chamber. Frankie, suffering from a severe cold, spent all his time between scenes breathing balsam and other healing vapors in the chamber. When sufficiently recovered to continue work, he admitted that he hated to leave the restful place. [10] Bonita Granville was _ instructed to appear with her hair up on the set of “Nancy Drew— Reporter,” the Warner Bros. picture opening Friday at the Strand Theatre. The 16-year-old star chuckled gleefully, for her mother had frowned on _ the youngster’s experiments with the recent sophisticated hair styles. When time came to put up the hair, it wasn’t done exactly to her satisfaction, and Bonita finally did it herself. She pinned up an array of little, blonde curls and explained, “That’s how I put it up every night just before I go to bed. But I carefully take it down again every morning.” * Screen stars take no unnecessary chances with their waves and curls, for wispy hair is ruinous to glamour. Even young Bonita Granville, heroine of “Nancy Drew—Reporter,” the Warner Bros. picture now playing at the Strand Theatre, knows a protective trick or two. She wears a gathered rubber cap over her head when taking a bath to keep out the steam. The gathers provide a loose top which keeps her waves from being crushed. The first two nights after getting a wave she wears a net cap when going to bed. (Current) Bonita Granville Veteran Reporter Plays Cub in Film Bonita Granville was a bit alarmed and worried. “I hope,” she said one day on the set of her latest Warner Bros. picture, “Nancy Drew—Reporter,” which is now running at the Strand Theatre, “that people will know that I know better.” In the picture she portrays a 16-year-old girl who wins the privilege of working on a newspaper. She brings in what she believes is a scoop, half an hour after the paper has obtained it and is on the streets, and she makes other mistakes to be expected from a schoolgirl playing reporter. That’s what worries Bonita. “I’m a professional newspaper woman,” she said _ pridefully, “and I can’t afford to have anything happen to ruin my professional standing. Long before I had any idea I might do a picture like this I was doing newspaper work.” She revealed then that she has often sold stories on space rates to papers in Los Angeles and throughout the state. Little human interest stories of life in Hollywood and of interesting places she has visited throughout the state. “T’ve never had a byline or achieved a big news scoop,” she said, “but you just wait and see. Mat 101—I5c Bonita Granville as “Nancy Drew—Reporter” I’ve always been interested in newspaper work and I hope some day to make a name in that business. “When other girls and boys were worshipping their heroes and heroines in aviation, history, science and other lines of achievement, I was studying the lives and careers of famous newspaper women. “T spent many happy hours reading ‘Ladies of the Press’ by Ishbel Ross, the famous New York reporter. Nobody will ever forget Dorothy Dix and Beatrice Fairfax, who were noted as sob sisters before they became columnists; Amy Leslie, the famous critic of the Chicago Daily News; Leola Allard, Dorothy Thompson, Winifred Van Duzer and other present day newspaper women. “T haven’t intentionally tried to copy any of these women but rather to profit by their inspiration. Helped Her Morale In order to keep her mother happy about the diet which mama had to follow after a recent operation, Bonita ate just the same things her mother ate for every meal at home. But for her lunches at the studio, while she was working in her latest Warner Bros. picture, “Nancy Drew —Reporter, which is now playing at the Strand Theatre, Bonita let her appetite write its own ticket; her dieting was merely in the interest of her mother’s flagging morale and will power.