Sometimes surprises can be of the best kind. That is what happened with this wonderful 2 DVD set of the original Nancy Drew movies. It was a surprise to learn of them, and even more of a pleasure to discover that Bonita Granville portrayed Nancy Drew very much as she was originally written in the mystery book series.
Like most kids in American, I “met” Nancy Drew years ago when my cousins shared their books. It seems I spent a few years scouring the library for any stories I might have missed, and after the Holidays, there was always the hope of being able to swap Nancy Drews with classmates. My cousins even had a Nancy Drew board game. We were obsessed with Nancy Drew, but in spite of all this, we never knew about these films.
There is a thirties feel to the production style and mannerisms, and some dialogue and situations are obviously from another time. These are not flaws, just interesting differences, and one feels a sense of the timelessness that exists in the original books. Perhaps that is a clue to what makes them popular even today.
The collection consists of two discs with two features on each. Theatrical trailers are included, and subtitles in English and French are available on the four feature films.
All four films are in black and white, and presented in standard version preserving the aspect ratio of their original theatrical run.
For their age, the films are in pretty fair condition, both for viewing and in sound reproduction. Any imperfections were so small as to make no impact on the viewer’s enjoyment of the story.
Disc One:
2. Nancy Drew, Reporter – Nancy takes part in a competition to write an article for the local newspaper. While some of the other girls are following society stories, Nancy gets the scoop on a murder.
Disc Two:
4. Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase – A strange request in a will has kept two elderly sisters living in their father’s mansion for twenty years without ever having left it overnight. Now as the time limit is about to end, the sisters want to give the property for a hospital. Who is trying to make them fail in their attempt to comply with the will?
You may not know what a “roadster” is, or you may be surprised at kids riding on running boards, but that will not keep you from enjoying the intelligence, the persistence and the bonds of friendship that enable Nancy to solve the mysteries.
The Original Nancy Drew Movie Mystery Collection is now available at Amazon . As of yet, there is not a release date for the UK. Visit the DVD database for more information.
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