Let's be realistic.

Absolutely amazing

A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Sixteen-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

Sadly 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.

Enjoyed 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 !

By 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.