Watching 1939: Nancy Drew – Trouble Shooter (1939)

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In 2011, I announced I was trying to see every film released in 1939. This new series chronicles films released in 1939 as I watch them. As we start out this blog feature, this section may become more concrete as I search for a common thread that runs throughout each film of the year. Right now, that’s difficult.

1939 film:
Nancy Drew … Trouble Shooter (1939)

Release date:
June 17, 1939

Cast:
Bonita Granville, John Litel, Frankie Thomas, Aldrich Bowker, Charlotte Wynters, Renie Riano, Edgar Edwards, Willie Best, Roger Imhof, Erville Alderson

nancy drew

Bonita Granville and Frankie Thomas

Studio:
Warner Bros.

Director:
William Clemens

Plot:
When Matt Brandon (Bowker) is accused of murder, he calls on his friend lawyer Carson Drew (Litel) for help. To keep his daughter Nancy Drew (Granville) from meddling, Carson disguises their trip to help Brandon as a vacation. But Nancy soon figures it out and is on the case with her friend Ted Nickerson (Thomas). Against the backdrop of figuring out who really committed murder, Carson Drew also has a romance with Brandon’s neighbor, Edna Gregory (Wynters).

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Musical Monday: Viva Las Vegas (1964)

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It’s no secret that the Hollywood Comet loves musicals.
In 2010, I revealed I had seen 400 movie musicals over the course of eight years. Now that number is over 600. To celebrate and share this musical love, here is my weekly feature about musicals.

This week’s musical:
Viva Las Vegas – Musical #340

Studio:
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Director:
George Sidney

Starring:
Elvis Presley, Ann-Margret, Cesare Danova, William Demarest, Nicky Blair

Plot:
Lucky Jackson (Presley) is a down-on-his-luck race car driver who is making ends meet as a singing waiter in Las Vegas. All the while, he has hopes to compete in the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Meanwhile, he meets swim instructor Rusty (Ann-Margret) and the two fall in love.

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Musical Monday: Fireball 500 (1966)

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It’s no secret that the Hollywood Comet loves musicals.
In 2010, I revealed I had seen 400 movie musicals over the course of eight years. Now that number is over 600. To celebrate and share this musical love, here is my weekly feature about musicals.

fireball 500

This week’s musical:
Fireball 500 – Musical #710

Studio:
American International Pictures

Director:
William Asher

Starring:
Frankie Avalon, Fabian, Annette Funicello, Chill Wills, Julie Parrish, Harvey Lembeck, Sandy Reed, Michael Nader, Mary Hughes, Salli Sachse, Patti Chandler, Luree Holmes, Linda Brent

Plot:
Stock car racer Dave Owens (Avalon) travels from California to North Carolina to compete in stock car racing. His racing rival in the south is Leander Fox (Fabian). Dave gets mixed up in moonshine running — along with Leander — after meeting Martha (Parrish), who convinces Dave to run moonshine for her. The law catches up with Dave and says if he doesn’t play ball, his racing career will be jeopardized.

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Chad & Jeremy summers

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It was the summer of 2002. And it’s one of those summers that lives in your memory with a golden glow. For some reason, it was a summer so many things changed and I went from a 13-year-old seventh grade kid to a grown up soon-to-be-eighth-grader 13-year-old (at least in my mind).

It was the summer I traded in my glasses for contact lenses, I stayed up too late reading with a flashlight, sewed pillows, watched TVLand … and it was the summer I discovered Chad & Jeremy. And ever since then, I’ve associated that British singing duo with summer.

That spring, the 1960s TV show “Batman,” starring Adam West and Burt Ward, started airing on TVLand and I became a big fan. I watched as often as I could; keeping a list of Robin’s “Holy” mentions as he said them. It was while watching “Batman” that I discovered Chad & Jeremy playing themselves in the season 2 episodes “That Cat’s Meow” and “The Bat’s Kow Tow.” Chad & Jeremy are staying at the Stately Wayne Manor and are at risk of having their voices stolen by Catwoman (played by Julie Newmar). On the episode Chad Stuart and Jeremy Clyde sing “Teenage Failure” and “Distant Shores,” and hearing those two songs had me sold.*

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Chad & Jeremy on “Batman”

Days later, I did what any 13 year old in 2002 did when they loved a song. I had my parents drive me to Best Buy and I bought The Very Best of Chad & Jeremy. And my family soon got tired of hearing “The Very Best of Chad & Jeremy.” I’d have them listen whenever we went out in the car – whether it was a long car trip or on the way to church.

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Musical Monday: Easy to Love (1953)

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It’s no secret that the Hollywood Comet loves musicals.
In 2010, I revealed I had seen 400 movie musicals over the course of eight years. Now that number is over 600. To celebrate and share this musical love, here is my weekly feature about musicals.

Easy to LoveThis week’s musical:
Easy to Love (1953) – Musical #108

Studio:
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Director:
Charles Walters

Starring:
Esther Williams, Van Johnson, Tony Martin, Carroll Baker, John Bromfield, Edna Skinner, King Donovan, Paul Bryar, Benny Rubin (uncredited),
Cameo: Cyd Charisse

Plot:
Ray Lloyd (Johnson) manages the Cypress Gardens resort, filled the water skiing and swimming shows, and beautiful girls in bathing suits and evening gowns. He has decided to remain successful, he must remain single and unmarried. One of his swimming performers Julie Hallerton (Williams) — while she feels overworked — is also in love with Ray. When she thinks Ray is inviting her on a fun trip to New York City, she finds it is all work, until she meets singing star Barry Gordon (Martin). While Barry sweeps Julie off her feet, Ray isn’t too sure he likes it.

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Musical Monday: Waikiki Wedding (1937)

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It’s no secret that the Hollywood Comet loves musicals.
In 2010, I revealed I had seen 400 movie musicals over the course of eight years. Now that number is over 600. To celebrate and share this musical love, here is my weekly feature about musicals.

waikiki weddingThis week’s musical:
Waikiki Wedding (1937) – Musical #709

Studio:
Paramount Pictures Studios

Director:
Frank Tuttle

Starring:
Bing Crosby, Bob Burns, Martha Raye, Shirley Ross, George Barbier, Leif Erickson, Grady Sutton, Granville Bates, Anthony Quinn, Mitchell Lewis, Emma Dunn (uncredited)

Plot:
Tony Marvin (Crosby) is viewed as a genius by his boss (Barbier) at the Imperial Pineapple Company when he has the idea for the Miss Pineapple Princess contest, where the winner wins a trip to Hawaii. The only problem is that the winner, Georgia Smith (Ross), finds Hawaii dull as she is given tours by a group of businessmen. Tony creates an adventure so Georgia will speak favorably of Hawaii in a syndicated article. Along the way, they fall in love.

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Watching 1939: The Fighting Gringo (1939)

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In 2011, I announced I was trying to see every film released in 1939. This new series chronicles films released in 1939 as I watch them. As we start out this blog feature, this section may become more concrete as I search for a common thread that runs throughout each film of the year. Right now, that’s difficult.

fighting gringo1939 film:
The Fighting Gringo (1939)

Release date:
Aug. 8, 1939

Cast:
George O’Brien, Lupita Tovar, William Royal, Lucio Villegas, Glenn Strange, LeRoy Mason, Mary Field

Studio:
RKO Radio Pictures

Director:
David Howard

Plot:
When Don Aliso del Campo (Villegas) is wrongly accused of the murder of John Courtney (Mason), Wade Barton (O’Brien) and his men work to clear his name.

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Musical Monday: Garden of the Moon (1938)

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It’s no secret that the Hollywood Comet loves musicals.
In 2010, I revealed I had seen 400 movie musicals over the course of eight years. Now that number is over 600. To celebrate and share this musical love, here is my weekly feature about musicals.

garden of the moonThis week’s musical:
Garden of the Moon (1938) – Musical #406

Studio:
Warner Bros.

Director:
Busby Berkeley

Starring:
Pat O’Brien, Margaret Lindsay, John Payne, Johnnie Davis, Melville Cooper, Isabel Jeans, Mable Todd, Penny Singleton, Dick Purcell, Curt Bois, Granville Bates
Themselves: Jimmie Fidler

Plot:
When Rudy Vallee and his band are in a wreck, the Garden of the Moon nightclub doesn’t have any entertainment scheduled to perform. The tyrannical nightclub manager John Quinn (O’Brien) is convinced by his press agent Toni Blake (Lindsey) to hire an unknown band lead by Don Vincente (Payne). Don and John butt heads, especially as John wants to replace Don with Rudy Vallee two weeks after they start. Toni works on a publicity campaign to get Don in John’s good graces.

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Musical Monday: Bernardine (1957)

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It’s no secret that the Hollywood Comet loves musicals.
In 2010, I revealed I had seen 400 movie musicals over the course of eight years. Now that number is over 600. To celebrate and share this musical love, here is my weekly feature about musicals.

bernardineThis week’s musical:
Bernardine (1957) – Musical #695

Studio:
20th Century Fox

Director:
Henry Levin

Starring:
Pat Boone, Terry Moore, Dick Sargent, Janet Gaynor, Dean Jagger, Ronnie Burns, James Drury, Walter Abel, Natalie Schafer, Isabel Jewell, Edit Angold (uncredited), Lavina Caparella (uncredited), Hooper Dunbar (uncredited), Ernestine Wade (uncredited), Carole Ann Campbell (uncredited)
Himself: Jack Costanzo

Plot:
A group of high school seniors and friends — Arthur Beaumont (Boone), Sanford Wilson (Sargent) and Griner (Burns) — have a secret club and also have made up an imaginary dream girl, Bernardine. Sanford often strikes out on dates until he meets telephone operator Jean (Moore), saying that she is their Bernadine. Sanford’s friends double-cross his new romance.

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Musical Monday: Gold Diggers in Paris (1938)

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It’s no secret that the Hollywood Comet loves musicals.
In 2010, I revealed I had seen 400 movie musicals over the course of eight years. Now that number is over 600. To celebrate and share this musical love, here is my weekly feature about musicals.

gold diggers parisThis week’s musical:
Gold Diggers in Paris (1938) – Musical #708

Studio:
Warner Bros.

Director:
Ray Enright

Starring:
Rudy Vallee, Rosemary Lane, Hugh Herbert, Allen Jenkins, Gloria Dickson, Melville Cooper, Mabel Todd, Fritz Feld, Edward Brophy
The Golddiggers: Rosella Towne, Carole Landis, Janet Shaw, Peggy Moran, Diana Lewis, Lois Lindsay, Poppy Wilde
Themselves: The Schnickelfritz Band

Plot:
Terry Moore (Vallee) runs a nightclub with Duke Dennis (Jenkins) in New York City and is in debt. The nightclub owners and their dancers are confused with the Academy Ballet of America by Maurice Giraud (Herbert), who invites them to Paris for a ballet showcase and a high dollar contract. Terry and Duke jump at the chance, feeling it may solve their financial troubles. However, they find trouble in Paris when the real Academy Ballet of America run by Padrinsky (Bois) works to expose them as phonies.

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