Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase (1939)
-
76% of users liked it
(98 ratings)
This final entry in Warner Bros.' Nancy Drew series is the only one actually based on a novel by Nancy Drew creator Carolyn Keene. Bonita Granville returns as the ebullient titular teenaged sleuth, while Frankie Thomas portrays Nancy's best friend and fellow "gumshoe" Ted… More This final entry in Warner Bros.' Nancy Drew series is the only one actually based on a novel by Nancy Drew creator Carolyn Keene. Bonita Granville returns as the ebullient titular teenaged sleuth, while Frankie Thomas portrays Nancy's best friend and fellow "gumshoe" Ted Nickerson. The plot concerns a bizarre codicil in a will, requiring two elderly sisters to spend every night in their family mansion over a period of 20 years in order to lay claim to the crumbling old house. The ladies plan to contribute their legacy to a local children's hospital, but certain sinister forces in town hope to erect a racetrack where the mansion presently stands. When the sisters' chauffeur is murdered, Nancy and Ted investigate, even though Nancy's attorney father, Carson Drew (John Litel), has expressly forbidden them to do so. Their tremulous journey through the cellar of the mansion leads to a surprising revelation -- and, very nearly, to a watery grave. Arguably the best of the series, Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase moves along at so fast a clip that the audience is left nearly as breathless as the heroine. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi
- Directed By
- William Clemens
- Written By
- Kenneth Gamet
- Genres
- Mystery & Suspense, Comedy
Unrated,
- In Theaters
- Sep 9, 1939 Wide
Critic Reviews
-
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews
The Nancy Drew series comes to an anti-climactic close with this utterly ineffectual entry...
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
No Featured Audience Ratings Found…
Currently unavailable on Flixster
Also available on
Other Retailers
Not Available
Not Available
Not Available
Subscription Services
Not Available
Not Available
Not Available
Cast
-
Bonita Granville
as Nancy Drew
-
Frankie Thomas
as Ted Nickerson
-
John Litel
as Carson Drew
-
Frank Orth
as Capt. Tweedy
-
Renie Riano
as Effie Schneider
-
Vera Lewis
as Floretta Turnbull
-
Louise Carter
as Rosemary Turnbull
-
William Gould
as Daniel Talbert
-
George Guhl
as Smitty
-
John Ridgely
as Reporter
-
Creighton Hale
as Reporter
-
Frank Mayo
as Photographer
-
Frederic Tozere
as District Attorney Investigator
-
Don Rowan
as Phillips
-
Dick Elliott
as McKeever
-
William Hopper
as Reporter
