Nancy Drew Trouble Shooter(Warner Bros.) (1939)

PUBLICITY—‘‘NANCY DREW-—TROUBLE SHOOTER” (Opening Day) Bonita Granville In ‘Nancy Drew’ Film At Strand Bonita Granville gets her man again — two men in fact and they are appropriately punished for their misdeeds in the latest episode of the adventures of the shrewd and intrepid Naney Drew, entitled ‘‘Nanecy Drew — Trouble Shooter,’’ which opens today at the Strand Theatre. The new Naney Drew picture is the third of the series starring little Miss Granville which is being made by Warner Bros. from the popular stories by Carolyn Keene. As in the first two pictures of the series, Frankie Thomas is again Nancy’s boy friend, and her father is again played by John Litel. Among the newcomers to the series cast are Aldrich Bowker, Edgar HKdwards, Renie Riano and Charlotte Wynters, and the lastmentioned introduces an entirély new factor to the background of Nancy’s life, for she represents the coming of romance to Naney’s father, who is, as series fans will remember, a widower. At the end of the latest film, Naney has not yet acquired a stepmother but it looks very much as if that will happen soon. In the new picture, Naney and her boy friend succeed not only in exonerating a close friend of Nancy’s father from suspicion of having committed a murder, for which he has been arrested, but they pin the guilt on a pair of men who are the real culprits. Before this happy consummation, Nancy displays her usual ingenuity and perspicacity, and she and her boy friend have their courage severely tested when one of the vilJains, who is an aviator, takes them up in his plane and then bails out, leaving the two youngsters apparently helpless in the face of sure death. But Ted Nickerson, the boy friend, although he has never been aloft in a plane before, has read a book on aviation, and they emerge unscathed, ready for new adventures. Another helper on the clue hunt is Willie Best, Negro comedian, who, in spite of his talent for ‘‘resting,’’ manages to unearth (literally) some valuable evidence which leads to the settlement of the puzzling murder mystery. Kenneth Gamet, who wrote the two previous pictures of the Nancy Drew series, also wrote the screen play for the third, and the director is again William Clemens, who also directed the other two. Career Rests On Talent For Rest Willie Best was resting on a fire hydrant on Central Avenue (the Harlem of Los Angeles) when Opportunity beckoned him to a motion picture career. The droll colored comic, recently arrived in California, which he had dreamed of being one vast orange grove, from his native Mississippi, had exactly ten cents in his pockets. A man driving by in a ear saw the languid Willie and yelled at him to stay there, that he wanted to talk to him. Willie, thinking the man was a detective and that he was about to be picked up for vagrancy, started running. The man followed Willie and finally got him to stop by waving a ten dollar bill at him and asking him if he wanted it. The man was Harold Lloyd’s brother, Gaylord. He offered Willie a job in Harold’s picture, “Feet First.” That was Willie’s film debut. His latest picture is “Nancy Drew — Trouble Shooter,” third in Warner Bros. series of Carolyn Keene stories featuring Bonita Granville and Frankie Thomas which is the current attraction at the Strand Theatre. (Review ) New ‘Nancy Drew’ Film Is Tops In Comedy & Adventure fs STORY SYNOPSIS (Not for publication): Nancy Drew (Bonita Granville) finds an / other brain-puzzling mystery to solve when her father (John Litel) takes her to Sylvan eye Lake, where he is defending an old friend who has been falsely accused of murder. Nancy and her boy friend Ted (Frankie*Fhomas) do some not-so-amateur sleuthing which leads them through a series of daring adventures to the arrest of the real murderer. Another brand new development.is a romance for Nancy’s father, which at first upsets Nancy but later meets with her’ complete approval. Though it has a high mark ‘to aim at, ‘‘Naney Drew — Trouble Shooter,’’? whieh opened yesterday at the Strand Theatre, hits the bullseye right in the center, In other words, this third and latest film of the series based by Warner Bros. on the popular Nancy Drew stories of Carolyn Keene is even more exciting and amusing entertainment than the first two pictures about the adventures of this enterprising and thoroughly engaging young miss — who is, of course, played again by the highly gifted Bonita Granville. It seems that the longer one knows the characters in this entertaining series the more real and the more likable they become. It’s a fact, at any rate, that this reviewer can think nowadays of Bonita Granville only as Nancy Drew, of Frankie Thomas only as Ted Niekerson, Nancy’s boy friend, and of John Litel only as Naney’s dad. That’s how real they seem now, after three pictures. Those, incidentally, are the only characters in the new picture who have been in the series from the beginning. Among the neweomers in ‘‘Naney Drew—Trouble Shooter’’ is one, however, who threatens — at least that’s the way Naney regarded it at first — to beeome a fixture. Naney’s father, as the series fans know, is a widower. Well, in the new picture, romance comes into his life in the person of one Edna Gregory, who is played by Charlotte Wynters. At first Nancy does not relish the idea of acquiring a stepmother but she eventually comes to approve her dad’s choice. Even though Naney seems agreeable, however, the present picture does not show her dad’s romance progressing as far as marriage, although there seems to be every indication that the sound of wedding bells will be heard soon in the film series. Naney’s family affairs, however, are only incidental to her Mat 206—30c YOUTHFUL SLEUTHS are Frankie Thomas and Bonita Granville who head the cast of "Nancy Drew—Trouble Shooter," third in the delightful film series, which opened yesterday at the Strand Theatre. exploits in solving mysteries that have baffled her elders, and again she does just that, though, as the title indicates, she gets herself into plenty of trouble meanwhile. Aided by the faithful Ted, Nancy succeeds in clearing a close friend of her father’s from suspicion of having committed a murder and in pinning the guilt on two mea who are the real culprits. As usual, she displays plenty. of initiative and ingenuity as well as fine courage. Especially is that the ease in the climactic sequence of the picture, in which one of the villains, who is an aviator, has taken Nancy and Ted up in his plane and then has bailed out, leaving them to their fate. There is little need to discuss the performances of Bonita, Frankie and Litel, for the public knows what to expect of them in these roles now, so all that will be said by this reviewer is that they do not disappoint even the most optimistic expectations. Especially effective among the newcomers are the aforementioned Miss Wynters, Aldrich Bowker as the man unjustly arrested for murder, Edgar Edwards and Erville Anderson as the villains, and Willie Best as the lazy but lovable servant of the Drews. The sereen play, a very competent job, was written by Kenneth Gamet, who performed the same service for the two previous productions of the series, and the director was again William Clemens, Who did such a good job with the other two pictures. GETS A KISS FOR 16th BIRTHDAY Celebration of, her sixteenth birthday recently held unusual significance for Bonita Granville. In honor of her natal day her mother, Mrs. Bernard Granville, officially sanctioned sereen kisses for her for the first time. And that day, for the first time, Bonita received a screen kiss. The fact that it was her birthday did not mean that the lovely little Warner Bros. starlet was to have a holiday from screen work. As a matter of fact it was the starting day for her latest picture, “Naney Drew—Troubleshooter,” which opens next Friday at the Strand Theatre. The ban on kissing having been lifted, Director William Clemens thought it fitting and proper that the first seene to be filmed on her birthday should be the one in which Bonita’s leading man, 17-year-old Frankie Thomas, would kiss her. The sixteenth birthday kiss met entirely with Bonita’s approval. “T wouldn’t want to be known as sweet sixteen and never been kissed,” she said. There was a certain diffidence on the part of the participants as the scene was rehearsed. Bonita preserved a degree of womanly composure but Frankie BONITA GRANVILLE Mat 108—15e fidgeted with collar and seemed to possess a rosier complexion than usual. The scene was completed to the complete satisfaction of all concerned, however. Another milestone had been pass 19%] ed in the careers of two up-andcoming movie stars. Naturally, members of the cast and technical crew couldn’t resist a little teasing. After all, they’ve gotten to be more or less like a family group, since the filming of the popular series brings them together so frequently, and like all family groups they’re given to teasing the younger members. The youngsters, however, refused to be rattled. “Tt’s kind of silly — but nice, don’t you think?” was Bonita’s only comment. Other indications of Bonita’s official “growing-up” were that at her birthday party that night, she wore a long dress, and had her curls pinned high on her head. But, lest there be some who hate to see their favorite young starlet turning into an adult so quickly, let it be said that the next day, baek at work on her latest “Naney Drew” adventure, Bonita seemed to have forgotten all about being grown up. She and Frankie were back on the old, teasing friendship basis, and lunchtime found her more than ready for the midday nap routine she has followed ever since she started working in pictures. Which proves that the growing up process is a long one. Marriage Issue For Nancy Drew's Bad Is Still Unsettled Charlotte Wynters has been left waiting at the church. She sympathizes whole-heartedly with the girl who is often a bridesmaid but never ‘a bride. A man asked her’ to marry him in ‘‘Naney Drew —'"Frouble Shooter,’? the Warner Bros. picture opening today at the Strand Theatre. He was John Litel, widower father of Bonita Granville in the popular Warner Bros. series. Bonita didn’t think very much of that. Outside of thinking Charlotte a designing female, she figured she and her father were getting along very well without romantic entanglements which might result in a step-mother. Being an understanding soul, Charlotte didn’t try to force the issue. And by the time Bonita has solved a murder mystery and the picture has ended Charlotte has won her over. But the alluring notes of Lohengrin didn’t reach Charlotte’s ears. She didn’t face a minister or even a justice of the peace. She didn’t, in fact, know whether she will ever enjoy nuptial bliss with John Litel on the screen. But Bonita hopes the wedding will take place in the next chapter in the ‘‘Nancy Drew’’ series because she has designed the dress she will wear as bridesmaid. And Charlotte hopes so too for that will mean she will be in all the ‘‘ Naney Drew’’ pictures which are proving to be tremendously popular. (For Column or Fillers) JOTTINGS — In Which Bonita Gets A Plane Ride; Cast Gets Fudge; And A New Romance is Scented. Bonita Granville and Frankie Thomas experienced the thrill that comes once in a lifetime, when they made their first plane flight, for a scene in “Nancy Drew — Trouble Shooter’. Tex Rankin, famed stunt pilot, was at the control stick, One of the many reasons Bonita Granville is a favorite person on the set of “Nancy Drew—Trouble Shooter’: at least twice a week, she brought a huge box of fudge to the studio with her. Although his extreme popularity as a featured film player keeps John Litel one of Hollywood’s busiest people, he always carries a complete set of camping equipment in his station wagon so that he can start off on a trip at a moment’s notice, if he gets a few days off between pictures and the wanderlust happens to come upon him all of a sudden. We detect a note of romance in the fact that both Bonita Granville and Frankie Thomas wheedled still photographs of their first kissing scene from the photographer. And each pledged him not to tell the other about the request! Charlotte Wynters, who makes her debut in the Nancy Drew series with “Naney Drew — Trouble Shooter,’ confesses that prior to that role she had never bothered to learn to cook. The role she plays is that of a very womanly character, expert at housekeeping. She found it so fascinating that .she has now gone in for “kitchen engineering,” and is by way of becoming a first-rate cook and baker.