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Re: Re: Mike Shayne, Charlie Chan and the return of Nancy Drew

Well, there you go, Steve. Either it's a generation gap, or I've been grossly remiss - probably both - as I never knew that Drew had made it to film in any era.

I'll definitely check those Drew DVDs out, as well as the Shayne collection, as they both look to be relatively easy to snag. I remember Bonita Granville from the 2 Andy Hardy films she made in the 1940's as Andy's love interest (one of which, 1944's "Andy Hardy's Blonde Trouble", has a great extended appearance by Keye Luke as "Dr. Lee Wong Howe", a new physician in town).

It'll also be cool to see Lloyd Nolan in a role other than a pseudo-heavy. Thanks for the info, Steve.

Everything you didn't want to know about Nancy Drew (Charlie Chan Digest?)

Nancy Drew is one of those characters who has every so often has made it onto the big and little screen with varying degrees of success, always reinvented for the decade the film is made in. I am certainly no Nancy Drew expert, but I couldn't help but notice her various incarnations over the years and how she is "tweaked" to fit the times. In 1938-1939 Bonita Granville played her as a spunky bobby soxer go-getter with more then a bit of frantic madcap (I caught those on the Late Show and Late Late Show too. I wish they had made a lot more of them. At least as many as they made Andy Hardys) In the 1977 and 1978 Pamela Sue Martin and Janet Julian (the girl who replaced Pamela Sue for the last few appearances on the series) played her as a smart, capable modern young woman. In 1995 a co French/Canadian production tried moving her along in life with college attendance and featured Tracy Leah Ryan as a more out-in-the-world Nancy. Which I understand mirrors some of the books written at the time. It wasn't bad, but it's hard to solve a mystery in under half an hour. After that there was talk of a USA Network TV film called "Nancy Drew & Daughter" (to star Margot Kidder of Lois Lane fame). A popular thing at the time was to age heroes to the next level. Around that same time in the comics Spider-Man and Superman were married off and I think that’s when (Little Orphan) Annie started wearing blue jeans instead of her traditional red dress. (Her creator and successor Harold Gray and Leonard Starr were gone from the scene) Fortunately, the USA film was never made. Next came the Disney TV film of 2002 with Nancy played by Maggie Lawson. This was a misguided attempt to place the character in a more realistic family setting (dysfunctional). Heavens to Betsy Nancy no longer got along with her Father! This was considered sacrilege and disliked by Nancy Drew fans everywhere. Everybody knows the only reason Nancy Drew has a father is so he can write the checks to underwrite her career as a juvenile crime fighter! Gee Whiz! Now there is a new 2007 Nancy Drew played by Emma Roberts. It actually looks decent. As much as I liked Pamela Sue Martin and Bonita Granville neither of them were completely faithful to the stories. This version doesn't seem to take any more liberties then they did. In fact it may be the most faithful version done. Of course it is in an a present day setting. I'll wait till it comes out and see. After all, it can't be as bad as Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson's "The Hardy Men" or the Lisa Liu Charlie Chan Granddaughter project portend to be. By the way, I used to subscribe to the Charlie Chan digest way back when. Does anybody know who was behind that magazine and how long it was published?

Re: Everything you didn't want to know about Nancy Drew (Charlie Chan Digest?)

Dear Russell,

The "Charlie Chan Mystery Magazine" lasted for four issues between 1972 and 1973, I believe. I don't have my personal copies handy at the moment, so I could be a year off on the dates.

Sincerely,
Rush Glick

Re:Charlie Chan Digest

Dear Rush: Thank you so much. Only four issues of Charlie Chan magazine? And to think I actually bought them. Of course they are long gone. I should've remembered. That seems to have been the time for new versions. Thats about when Roger Moore took over as James Bond and Monte Markham tried to be the new Perry mason. I wonder how many recall that one. In fact even though it was some years later that the Charlie Chan/Ross Martin TV movie aired it was actually filmed in the early 1970s I believe.

Re: Re:Charlie Chan Digest

Dear Russell,

You are correct. "The Return of Charlie Chan" (aka: "Happiness is a Warm Clue"), starring Ross Martin was shot in 1971, but did not air until 1979. Also, the Chan stories contained in the magazines did, indeed, feature an "updated" Charlie Chan. By that time, he would have been over 90 years old!

Sincerely,
Rush

Re: Re: Re:Charlie Chan Digest

"Happiness Is a Warm Clue"?!?!?!

Sounds about right for 1971 but it could have been as likely for Snoopy playing at Sherlock Holmes as Ross Martin being Charlie Chan!

Virginia

The return of Nancy Drew. Will Charlie Chan be next?

Not only is Nancy Drew returning today on the big screen, the Bonita Granville films are being shown tonight on TCM starting at 8:00pm. Earlier in the week they had a mini Sherlock Holmes marathon along with a couple of Philo Vance films. Whenever I see little spurts of interest in these type of films I can't help but have a flight of fancey and wonder if it could lead to a revival of Charlie Chan, him being one of their contemporaries, or at least a reshowing of the original movies. We can but hope.