Jan. Fridays-Female Detectives

[ElCid]

TCM is presenting movies about female detectives on some Friday nights in Jan. Nancy Drew (all 4) on Jan 6, Torchy Blaine (6) on Jan 13 night. Actually all day Jan 13 is mystery/crime type movies. Jan 20 has Lucille Ball in Lured, Gloria Stuart in Wanted, Jane Turner. Margaret Tallichet in Stranger on the Third Floor. Deadline at Dawn (Susan Hayward) 12:30 AM on Jan 21.

[EP Millstone]

Whither Withers, as in Hildegard?


Not to mention Miss Marple?!

[ElCid]

Can't show them all. So TCM programmers just made a selection from what they can show.
Regardless, I think it is a good variety.

[ElCid]

Just a reminder that Fridays are TCM tributes to female detectives. Tonight is all four of the Nancy Drew movies with Bonita Granville. My favorite is Nancy Drew....Trouble Shooter, but like them all. Apparently Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase is the only one actually based on a Nancy Drew book.

I have watched the various TV series, but the only one I actually enjoyed was the one with Pamela Sue Martin, 1977-79. Season one alternated between Nancy Drew and (ugh) the Hardy Boys. Then season two had about 2 or 3 shows with Nancy Drew and a couple where she co-starred with the Hardy Boys.
Parker Stevenson was OK (barely), but Shaun Cassidy was terrible. Ironically the DVD set for season one has Nancy Drew episodes on one DVD and the Hardy Boys on the other. Which is great.

[Sue Sue Applegate]

Nancy Drew tonight with Bonita Granville….

[jamesjazzguitar]

Nice to see all 4 Granville Nancy Drew films will be shown. Bonita is my favorite child\teen actor.

[ElCid]

Nice to see all 4 Granville Nancy Drew films will be shown. Bonita is my favorite child\teen actor.

I agree. May be the only "child" actor I like actually. I believe she was 15 when she started the role and Drew was supposedly about 16.
Read that a 5th movie was in the works but never got off the ground.
We have the set on DVD and frequently watch them. They are relatively short, uncomplicated and whole cast does a good job.

[Masha]

I find it curious that: Nancy Drew... Trouble Shooter (1939) is the only one of the four which does not contain a crossdressing scene. I must wonder if there was a conscious decision to not include one or if the writer simply could not fit one in with ease. The fact that there was one in the following movie indicates to me that there was no change in attitude concerning its comedic value or any outside pressure to avoid such things.

[jamesjazzguitar]

I find it curious that: Nancy Drew... Trouble Shooter (1939) is the only one of the four which does not contain a crossdressing scene. I must wonder if there was a conscious decision to not include one or if the writer simply could not fit one in with ease. The fact that there was one in the following movie indicates to me that there was no change in attitude concerning its comedic value or any outside pressure to avoid such things.

I've seen all 4 of the Granville Drew films and I don't recall the crossdressing scene. Was this Drew dressing as a man or Tommy dressing as a woman?

PS: It was nice that TCM features Granville in The Moral Strom before these Drew films. Just another example of how solid and versatile an actor Granville was as a teen.

[Masha]

I've seen all 4 of the Granville Drew films and I don't recall the crossdressing scene. Was this Drew dressing as a man or Tommy dressing as a woman?

It is several years since I have watched any of them but I am sure one was the boy in a dress and one was an older comic-relief officer/security guard in a dress. I am sorry to say I do not recall the other or which ones were in which movies.

[ElCid]

I've seen all 4 of the Granville Drew films and I don't recall the crossdressing scene. Was this Drew dressing as a man or Tommy dressing as a woman?

It is several years since I have watched any of them but I am sure one was the boy in a dress and one was an older comic-relief officer/security guard in a dress. I am sorry to say I do not recall the other or which ones were in which movies.

Actually, there was no "cross dressing" since the characters were in disguise in two and in one Ted Nickerson's clothes had been taken away from him and all he could find to wear were women's clothes when he escaped.

[LostHorizons]

Cross dressing just means you wear the other gender’s clothes not that you identify as them. It’s like in Ed Wood.

[ElCid]

Cross dressing just means you wear the other gender’s clothes not that you identify as them. It’s like in Ed Wood.

Technically true, but I took Masha's comments as meaning part of the plot was to have actors intentionally wear clothes from another gender, but not as a disguise. Unfortunately, the term (like gay) has taken on a connotation far different from what the screenwriters intended.

[jamesjazzguitar]

I've seen all 4 of the Granville Drew films and I don't recall the crossdressing scene. Was this Drew dressing as a man or Tommy dressing as a woman?

It is several years since I have watched any of them but I am sure one was the boy in a dress and one was an older comic-relief officer/security guard in a dress. I am sorry to say I do not recall the other or which ones were in which movies.

Actually, there was no "cross dressing" since the characters were in disguise in two and in one Ted Nickerson's clothes had been taken away from him and all he could find to wear were women's clothes when he escaped.

In the Drew film where the sergeant dresses as a grandma; I was going from the Lakers game to TCM, and I missed parts of that film; was it ever explained why the sergeant picked a grandma disguise? At first the sergeant is going to go in his uniform but Ted tells the sergeant that then the hoods would know he is the police. OK, but why the need for such a complex disguise. Why didn't the sergeant just go back to his street cloth instead of that grandma outfit? I assume this was done by the screenwriter just for comic relief (e.g. it is used again at the ending where the other cops make fun of the sergeant because of his disguise).

[ElCid]

It is several years since I have watched any of them but I am sure one was the boy in a dress and one was an older comic-relief officer/security guard in a dress. I am sorry to say I do not recall the other or which ones were in which movies.

Actually, there was no "cross dressing" since the characters were in disguise in two and in one Ted Nickerson's clothes had been taken away from him and all he could find to wear were women's clothes when he escaped.

In the Drew film where the sergeant dresses as a grandma; I was going from the Lakers game to TCM, and I missed the parts of that film; was it ever explained why the sergeant picked a grandma disguise. At first the sergeant is going to go in his uniform but Ted tells him the sergeant that then the hoods would know he is the police. OK, but was the need for such a complex disguise. Why didn't the sergeant just go back to his street cloth instead of that grandma outfit? I assume this was done by the screenwriter just for comic relief (e.g. it is used again at the ending where the other cops make fun of the sergeant because of his disguise).

Been a while since I watched that one, but could have been that they thought he might be recognized even in civilian clothes. However, I think you are correct about the "comic relief." Which would be the same for Nickerson losing his clothes and having to wear the women's clothing that he found.