More eBay commentary on what's up for auction every once in a while to help educate collectors and--well, have snarky fun too:) So, I'll highlight a few interesting finds, crazy listings, and eBay Nancy Drew flubs and the like. Chime in, in the comments section with your thoughts or questions! Copy the item number and go to http://www.ebay.com and enter it into the search box to view the following auctions:
(Disclaimer: No offense meant to any seller or bidder/potential bidder--I'm sure you're all lovely people:)...)
Auctions:
Item Number: 160224665041 Description: NANCY DREW - The Whispering Statue 1st EDITION 1937A-1
(Ends: 4-9-08 ) - The opening price for this first printing (it is a first edition, but a first printing as well), is 350.00. Farah's Guide value. I want to point out however, that the value in Farah's Guide is for a book in excellent shape which would mean basically no flaws. And this book has its flaws from wear and tear to the dust jacket and I'm not sure about the book itself as it's not pictured. Based upon the dust jacket, I'd value it more about 250.00 depending on condition of the book...
Item Number: 160226935569 Description: NANCY DREW The Whispering Statue Applewood 1st NEW
(Ends: 4-12-08) - Wow, more frustratingly and puzzlingly high Applewood Books prices--quite a few listed from this seller. I don't find that these books are scarce, as there were plenty printed. A first printing is a first of course, but when prices for actual vintage books are going for less, wouldn't you rather have vintage? For completists, it's a must have book, but I think it can be found for less if you look hard enough.
Item Number: 230238266976 Description: Nancy Drew RARE Glowing Bracelets Lilac InnTweed / DJ
(Ends: 4-11-08) - For a scarcer Nancy Drew book, this seller starts the opening at a reasonable 39.99. This book should go for around 100.00 to 150.00, but one recently sold for only around 25.00, so prices at eBay are definitely down.
Item Number: 270224464246 Description: NANCY DREW SECRET OF RED GATE FARM...OEPS..WS.DJ.RARE!
(Ends: 4-6-08) - This book is fairly common in this format and is not rare!
Item Number: 230238664920 Description: Nancy Drew Mystery Party Game # 1 One Step Ahead 2005
(Ends: 4-9-08) - They don't appear to be making this game anymore, so it is harder to find and the distribution was rather poor in the US. It's a neat little party role playing game. Though not complete as to party accessories, everything to play is here. I see these listed from time to time at eBay, worth your bid!
Jenn:)
Nancy Drew Fans: Here You'll Find Collecting Vintage Nancy Drew & Series Books, Nancy Drew Crafts & Projects, Nancy Drew Merchandise and Party Planning, Nancy Drew Convention Info and Many More Mysterious Things!
Saturday, April 05, 2008
Monday, March 03, 2008
Nancy Drew Movie DVD & Contest
Hi Y'all,
Check out the contest information and DVD release information on the Nancy Drew movie at my website:
The special edition of the movie with popups and interactive elements looks cute!
If you didn't catch the movie the first time around, well it's about time, so get the DVD;)
Jenn:)
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Sleuthing for Nancy Drew at eBay #4
More eBay commentary on what's up for auction every once in a while to help educate collectors and--well, have snarky fun too:) So, I'll highlight a few interesting finds, crazy listings, and eBay Nancy Drew flubs and the like. Chime in, in the comments section with your thoughts or questions! Copy the item number and go to http://www.ebay.com/ and enter it into the search box to view the following auctions:
(Disclaimer: No offense meant to any seller or bidder/potential bidder--I'm sure you're all lovely people:)...)
Auctions:
Item Number: 140209926107 Description: OOAK NANCY DREW Repaint by Yian
(Ends: Feb. 25, '08) - Wow a more enhanced Nancy Drew doll that had a new face and bigger boobs;) Gee, that's my kind of Nancy! (that was sarcasm...)
Item Number: 230222867869 Description: Nancy Drew Hollow Oak RARE 2nd art/Wrap DJ
(Ends: Feb. 23, '08) - This book is not really rare, scarce is more like it.
Jenn:)
Friday, February 15, 2008
Sleuthing for Nancy Drew at eBay #3
More eBay commentary on what's up for auction every once in a while to help educate collectors and--well, have snarky fun too:) So, I'll highlight a few interesting finds, crazy listings, and eBay Nancy Drew flubs and the like. Chime in, in the comments section with your thoughts or questions! Copy the item number and go to http://www.ebay.com and enter it into the search box to view the following auctions:
(Disclaimer: No offense meant to any seller or bidder/potential bidder--I'm sure you're all lovely people:)...)
Auctions:
Item Number: 190198790829 Description: CAROLYN KEENE Nancy Drew: Missing Map FIRST PRINTING
(Ends: Feb. 20, '08 ) - Wow, pricey! $1350.00 for a first Missing Map! Farah's Guide's value for this book is $230.00, or about 1/6th the asking price of this auction. This value is extremely inflated, you can find a first at eBay from time to time for much less. Farah's value is more on target and recall that's a value for a book/dust jacket in excellent shape, flaws devalue! There are quite a few more auctions by this seller with very high opening bids, no takers. These have been relisted several times too.
(Ends: Feb. 20, '08) - This is the original painting for this book by Ruth Sanderson! Some of you may find the commentary in the auction description amusing...
Jenn:)
Monday, February 11, 2008
Sleuthing for Nancy Drew at eBay #2
More eBay commentary on what's up for auction every once in a while to help educate collectors and--well, have snarky fun too:) So, I'll highlight a few interesting finds, crazy listings, and eBay Nancy Drew flubs and the like. Chime in, in the comments section with your thoughts or questions! Copy the item number and go to http://www.ebay.com and enter it or paste it into the search box to view the following auctions:
(Disclaimer: No offense meant to any seller or bidder/potential bidder--I'm sure you're all lovely people:)...)
Auctions:
Item Number: 140206180858 Description: 13 Nancy Drew HB & PB Some Old Some New
(Ends: Feb. 17, '08) - I'll let the description of the first title speak for itself...;)
(Ends: Feb. 12, '08) - Does anyone else but me remember the days when Nancy Drew books with dust jackets sold much higher?! $9.99 opening bid and no takers. Granted, it's not a first printing, but still, perhaps it will end up in the hands of one of those full sets resellers;)
Item Number: 290204312355 Description: Nancy Drew Applewood Password to Larkspur Lane 1st Ed
(Ends: Feb. 12, '08) - Woohoo, Applewood Reprint going high! Go get a bank loan, they're not going for cheap;) And why is that?! Yes, I know it's a first printing of this title, but still...
Item Number: 330210033071 Description: Nancy Drew Bungalow Mystery - Carolyn Keene 1st HB 1930
(Ends: Feb. 12, '08) - A first printing of a 1930 book in this scarce format going for $32+ dollars and the above Applewood over $40 and counting, something is wrong with this picture...
Item Number: 300196838212 Description: Mysterious Case of Nancy Drew & The Hardy Boys, NR!
(Ends: Feb. 12, '08 ) - I would not recommend this book except as a coffee table book for the pictures to look at. Has quite a few errors in it as well...
Item Number: 270210402400 Description: Collectible Nancy Drew Books 1932 ***MUST SEE***!!!!!!!
(Ends: Feb. 15, '08) - Wow, check out the drama in the question/answer section of this auction. Sometimes it's interesting to read these. If you read the auction description it says these are from the 1930s yet the seller lists dates after the books and quite a few are from the 40s and 50s, so maybe I'm missing something...;) Seriously, these are no earlier than 1959 printings, most likely 60's editions, and worth about 6.00 a piece in Farah's Guide without the dust jacket--and that's for excellent condition--remember, flaws devalue.
Item Number: 310022628155 Description: COMPLETE NANCY DREW BOOK SET Vol. 1 - 64 BRAND NEW!!
(Ends: Feb. 16, '08) - Check this out--it appears to have some kind of poster shrinkwrapped on the top of the boxed set featuring the books and titles. Sometimes places like Costco or Sam's sell these sets, so check them out.
Item Number: 110223816483 Description: Velvet Mask Nancy Drew DJ Near FINE-!! BeLLa!Free snowball w every purchase as per special request!
(Ends: Feb. 16, '08) - Well, there's something you don't see every day, a free snowball;) Hope it doesn't come packaged with the book!...
Jenn:)
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Sleuthing for Nancy Drew at eBay #1
Love eBay? Well there's a plethora of Nancy Drew merchandise there--vintage and modern. There are also a lot of newbie collectors and some sellers who lack a few good clues as to what they have! I thought I'd start making some eBay commentary on what's up for auction every once in a while to help educate collectors and--well, have snarky fun too:) So, I'll highlight a few interesting finds, crazy listings, and eBay Nancy Drew flubs and the like. Chime in, in the comments section with your thoughts or questions! Copy the item number and go to http://www.ebay.com and enter it into the search box to view the following auctions:
(Disclaimer: No offense meant to any seller or bidder/potential bidder--I'm sure you're all lovely people:)...)
Auctions:
Item Number: 160205624130 Description: Signed Mildred A. Wirt. Twin Ring Mystery Nancy Drew
(Ends: Feb. 11, '08) - This is not a Nancy Drew book, however it is a tie-in, in that the Nancy Drew ghostwriter, Mildred Wirt Benson, wrote it. It is missing its dust jacket and is not in excellent shape. It is signed by Ms. Benson according to the auction description and image shown. It is not known how many signed books are in existence, but Ms. Benson did sign many books over the years. I think the value of 99.00 for a dust jacketless book is a bit steep.
Item Number: 190196278730 Description: VINTAGE NEAR MINT NANCY DREW LUNCHBOX W/THERMOS & TAGS
(Ends: Feb. 11, '08) - This lunchbook is in great shape--often you find them with rust and scratching. The fact that is has the original tags and papers, is a plus for completist collectors too. I think the opening value of $99.95 might scare potential bidders, however, it's not too far off the mark for what something in this shape with original papers is worth. Even my lunchbox doesn't have the original tag!
Item Number: 160205278204 Description: FARAH'S GUIDE, 12th PRINTING, NANCY DREW PRICE GUIDE
(Ends: Feb. 13, '08) - For any collector of Nancy Drew books, I'd recommend Farah's Guide--you'll learn if your books are first printings, what format you have, and what books came in what formats. Values are included too as well as a lot of other information about Nancy Drew and her history. Recommended!
Item Number: 200198115455 Description: NANCY DREW #16 Applewood FIRST PRINT! Tapping Heels
(Ends: Feb. 12, '08) - At a starting bid of $79.95, I have to wonder, will there be any bidders for this REPRINT. The price of Applewood reprints has certainly gone up these days on eBay, especially now that Applewood Books is not reprinting these books anymore. I think that value is too high for a reprint, even for a completist collector. Some of these can still be found at bookstores online at regular price. Of course, this is a first printing, and that does figure into value, but I'm not sure I'm ready to put such a high value on these reprints. The market will certainly tell in time...
Item Number: 250214991716 Description: Nancy Drew The Hidden Staircase 1959 HC/DJ Promo
(Ends: Feb. 17, '08) - If you haven't added this promo item to your collection, this is the only Nancy Drew book to have the "This Volume Free" overstamp on the dust jacket. You got The Hidden Staircase free when you purchased The Secret of the Old Clock. I particularly like that this seller uses quite a few pictures to show condition which is always nice.
Item Number: 200199063727 Description: THE BUNGALOW MYSTERY BY CAROLYN KEEN 1930 1ST?
(Ends: Feb. 16, '08) - It is not a first printing! However the seller states it might be a first edition--there is a difference. This would be a first edition, since it is the original text. Value: about 6.00 per Farah's for excellent shape most likely, opening bid of 4.99 isn't bad for a tweed.
Item Number: 320217086965 Description: Nancy Drew TWO 1st edition The Scarlet Slipper Mystery Mystery at the Moss-Covered Mansion PC book LOT RARE!
(Ends: Feb. 17, '08) - These books are not rare. The opening bid price of 7.99 isn't bad though.
Jenn:)
(Disclaimer: No offense meant to any seller or bidder/potential bidder--I'm sure you're all lovely people:)...)
Auctions:
Item Number: 160205624130 Description: Signed Mildred A. Wirt. Twin Ring Mystery Nancy Drew
(Ends: Feb. 11, '08) - This is not a Nancy Drew book, however it is a tie-in, in that the Nancy Drew ghostwriter, Mildred Wirt Benson, wrote it. It is missing its dust jacket and is not in excellent shape. It is signed by Ms. Benson according to the auction description and image shown. It is not known how many signed books are in existence, but Ms. Benson did sign many books over the years. I think the value of 99.00 for a dust jacketless book is a bit steep.
Item Number: 190196278730 Description: VINTAGE NEAR MINT NANCY DREW LUNCHBOX W/THERMOS & TAGS
(Ends: Feb. 11, '08) - This lunchbook is in great shape--often you find them with rust and scratching. The fact that is has the original tags and papers, is a plus for completist collectors too. I think the opening value of $99.95 might scare potential bidders, however, it's not too far off the mark for what something in this shape with original papers is worth. Even my lunchbox doesn't have the original tag!
Item Number: 160205278204 Description: FARAH'S GUIDE, 12th PRINTING, NANCY DREW PRICE GUIDE
(Ends: Feb. 13, '08) - For any collector of Nancy Drew books, I'd recommend Farah's Guide--you'll learn if your books are first printings, what format you have, and what books came in what formats. Values are included too as well as a lot of other information about Nancy Drew and her history. Recommended!
Item Number: 200198115455 Description: NANCY DREW #16 Applewood FIRST PRINT! Tapping Heels
(Ends: Feb. 12, '08) - At a starting bid of $79.95, I have to wonder, will there be any bidders for this REPRINT. The price of Applewood reprints has certainly gone up these days on eBay, especially now that Applewood Books is not reprinting these books anymore. I think that value is too high for a reprint, even for a completist collector. Some of these can still be found at bookstores online at regular price. Of course, this is a first printing, and that does figure into value, but I'm not sure I'm ready to put such a high value on these reprints. The market will certainly tell in time...
Item Number: 250214991716 Description: Nancy Drew The Hidden Staircase 1959 HC/DJ Promo
(Ends: Feb. 17, '08) - If you haven't added this promo item to your collection, this is the only Nancy Drew book to have the "This Volume Free" overstamp on the dust jacket. You got The Hidden Staircase free when you purchased The Secret of the Old Clock. I particularly like that this seller uses quite a few pictures to show condition which is always nice.
Item Number: 200199063727 Description: THE BUNGALOW MYSTERY BY CAROLYN KEEN 1930 1ST?
(Ends: Feb. 16, '08) - It is not a first printing! However the seller states it might be a first edition--there is a difference. This would be a first edition, since it is the original text. Value: about 6.00 per Farah's for excellent shape most likely, opening bid of 4.99 isn't bad for a tweed.
Item Number: 320217086965 Description: Nancy Drew TWO 1st edition The Scarlet Slipper Mystery Mystery at the Moss-Covered Mansion PC book LOT RARE!
(Ends: Feb. 17, '08) - These books are not rare. The opening bid price of 7.99 isn't bad though.
Jenn:)
Nancy Drew on DVD
Hey Sleuthers,
I've been asked a lot lately about the possibility of a sequel to the Warner Brothers Nancy Drew movie--no word yet. They hyped about it before the first one even came out that they would do a sequel, but not much is being said these days...never say never though!
But, if you missed the first one or are going through Nancy Drew withdrawal, it's coming out on DVD in March!
Jenn:)
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Clues Book Event
Here's a picture from the December '07 book signing/talk I gave at the Poisoned Pen in Scottsdale. It was a lot of fun and there were several local Sleuth members that attended. The staff at the Poisoned Pen was great, and I'd recommend this bookstore highly to anyone coming to Scottsdale, AZ. Their website:
Jenn:)
Thursday, January 03, 2008
Clues for Real Life Update
Nancy Fans:
I've relocated my blog at Blogspot, rather than at my website, as I was having file/archiving errors that couldn't be fixed easily, so bookmark this link:
2007 was quite a year for Nancy Drew! I stayed very busy between the Warner Brothers movie release and my book coming out.
My book came out last November and has been well received. I had a great time compiling it and Meredith Books did a great job illustrating it with images from classic book covers and internal illustrations. One oddity, is that you can find it in bookstores--Barnes and Noble, Borders, and the like--both online and in person. However, at the stores, it's being shelved in sections like "Self Help!" It's rather amusing, since this book is not a self help book. I suppose if you found yourself loitering in the self help section with a few issues in your life, this book might lighten your load a bit with its wit and humor and fun nostalgia:) It's actually a humor/nostalgia book, so the designation for the self help section is a bit odd in and of itself.
Last December, I had a book signing and gave a talk at The Poisoned Pen in Scottsdale, AZ. It was a lot of fun and I hope to go back this spring sometime. I will be speaking at the Phoenix Library in March '08 for a Nancy Drew mystery event and will focus on the Clues book as well. This coming September 12th, I will be in Dearborn, Michigan for a series book event at the library involving their huge collection of children's series literature and the Nancy Drew display they will have. I am one of the presenters for opening night. Then in late September, the Sleuths' 8th annual convention will be taking place in the Lancaster, PA area for a Witch Tree Symbol theme--Sept. 30-Oct. 5, 2008. For more info on the convention check it out:
Jenn:)
Sunday, November 04, 2007
Clues for Real Life
My book is finally out! I had a wonderful opportunity last year to compile this book for Meredith Books and together with my editor there, Stephanie Karpinske, and the designers, the book turned out really nice. I'm very pleased with it.
I am still at work on other Nancy Drew book projects and hopefully those will come to fruition soon.
I will be doing a book sighing at the Poisoned Pen in Phoenix in December. You can purchase this book at my website--signed copies--here:
Jenn:)
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Clues for Real Life Advertising Flyer
The Nancy Drew nostalgia book I compiled for Meredith Books--Clues for Real Life: The Classic Wit and Wisdom of Nancy Drew comes out in November. I've scanned the advertising flyer for it. Click on the images for larger scans.
Jenn:)
Nancy Drew Crafts
Hi Everyone,
Long time no blog! :) A fellow Sleuth member pointed me to Somerset Studio Gallery magazine, Summer 2007 issue. On page 139 starts a neat Nancy Drew purse project with neat accessories! Here are some small pics of the article and crafts, click on them for larger images. If you need a spiffy summer project, this is it! If anyone makes one, or attempts it, send me pics:)
I actually made a Nancy Drew trunk purse a few years ago decoupaging many images of Nancy Drew all over it. My mom lined it with a blue satin liner and it has a small flashlight and magnifying glass inside it.
Jenn:) (Who's about to turn 34 and wishes she had Nancy's agelessness!)
Thursday, July 12, 2007
The Case of How Mysteryville's "It" Girl Goes to Hollywood
I tried to have this article published in my local paper (Arizona Republic), but they hemmed and hawed with it so long that it's not timely anymore to submit anywhere else:P So, I decided to post it here at my blog. Maybe some of you will get a kick out of it!
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The Case of How Mysteryville’s “It” Girl Goes to Hollywood
A spooky old mansion dripping in old Hollywood kitschy glamour. A secret tunnel with plenty of sinister suspects to stir up a good fright. All the trappings of a page-turning Nancy Drew mystery yarn. Yet, this was no musty old book. The scene before me was unfolding through the magic of Hollywood on a soundstage at Warner Brother’s Studios.
The creepy atmosphere of the set was the perfect place to discover a few good clues to Warner Brother’s new movie, Nancy Drew. As the resident would-be gumshoe and Nancy Drew movie consultant, I came prepared. With my proverbial magnifying glass and my keen eyes, I was on a mission. Alas, I was without the glorious blue roadster or fashionable frocks Nancy often sported in her mysteries. No matter, I was just as determined as Nancy ever was to do a little sleuthing and get to the bottom of this puzzler…
Demystifying Nancy Drew
Baffling Mystery? Check! Spooky Scenery? Check! Chasing Dastardly Villains? Check! Sleuthing in old musty attics? Check! America’s Favorite Teenage Sleuth Nancy Drew’s back on the case in classic form and ready for adventure!
Directed by Andrew Fleming and produced by Jerry Weintraub, Nancy Drew will debut on June 15 to much fan fare, for it’s been nearly seventy years since the famous teen sleuth graced the big screen in the 1930s Nancy Drew films starring Bonita Granville. In this modern day classic, Nancy Drew is played endearingly by Emma Roberts.
Nancy remains rather timeless and fixated on mysteries rather than all the things most teenagers worry about like peer pressure and the social scene. Her love for a mystery and “old-fashioned things” contrasts Nancy to the rather spastic teens she must deal with after a temporary move to Hollywood while on one of her father Carson Drew’s business trips.
Nancy’s supposed to be avoiding sleuthing because LA is a dangerous place for a small town girl. But, she’s Nancy Drew. That means it’s in her nature to sleuth, snoop, and get to the bottom of all clues until she nabs the bad guys and saves the day. We wouldn’t have her any other way.
Doesn’t every eccentric movie star who dies a mysterious death leave behind a spooky old decaying mansion with a creepy caretaker and a mystery just waiting to be solved? Well, in Hollywood anyway, she does. Enter one intrepid teen sleuth.
True to form, with a spiffy sleuth kit, classy clothes (thanks to impressive costumer Jeffrey Kurland), and a snappy blue Metropolitan Nash convertible, Nancy determinedly solves the mystery surrounding the death of glamorous actress, Dehlia Draycott.
A long way from small town River Heights, Nancy finds herself in a not so friendly setting and laments, “In my book, courtesy counts!” Just how does Nancy find herself such a fish out of water? Read on for a few good clues…
Fashionable Clues Behind the Scenes of Nancy Drew
The mansion’s staircase seemed a tad rickety. The walls were crumbling. Vines had magically worked their way inside. Everything was glamorous yet dingy and it was believable. I’d literally stepped back into a time warp.
As I climbed the stairs to the mock second floor of the Draycott mansion, amidst the hustle and bustle of the crew, I ran into “Carson Drew” complete with robe, slippers and an old faded “River Heights Police Department 10-K Run” T-shirt. A fabulous lawyer and fit—now that’s my kind of Carson Drew!
An attic scene had just wrapped in which Carson arrives after a ghostly ruckus for a classic Nancy Drew movie line, “The Four Seasons isn’t haunted. What do you say?” I don’t think so! Anyone who knows Nancy Drew, knows she’d never end up at the Four Seasons when a “haunted house” is calling…
Tate Donovan, the actor behind attorney Carson Drew, waxed nostalgically with me about the movie and reading Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys. I think the collector in me was fixated over that River Heights T-shirt, but I’m pretty sure he said he enjoyed playing the role!
Enter costume designer, Jeffrey Kurland, who designed the movie’s costumes. Kurland wanted to keep the look of Nancy timeless and elegant. In the movie, Nancy’s look is dubbed “The New Sincerity” complete with penny loafers, headbands, and classic lines. Can you say “Penny Loafer Fashion Moment?”
My next obsession became Nancy’s infamous sleuth kit. I was thrilled at its fashion-forward cleverness. The inside plaid design matched the lining of her coat and the seats in her snappy roadster!
Just what does Nancy carry in her kit you might wonder? In exploring the contents of the kit, I discovered an umbrella, a suped up flashlight, Ipod and recorder, digital camera, multi-tool, powders for fingerprinting, magnifying glass, evidence bags, lock picking tools, a pen, a container for a snack—like Hannah Gruen’s luscious lemon bars for calming cranky crooks, and a sweet little book marked “clues.”
Spooky Sleuthing: Spot the Clues to Classic Nancy Drew
All quiet on the set! Emma Roberts began filming a scene in the attic looking for evidence in old books which were full of dust that she blew off with each take. As musty and dusty as the attic was set up to be, my keen eyes spied a mock poster of Dehlia in a movie entitled “The Haunted Bridge.” A nod to the Nancy Drew book of the same name.
After the scene wrapped, Emma Roberts breezed over and introduced herself. Her burning question for this Nancy Drew expert? “What is Nancy’s mom’s name?” I was sorry to disappoint her, but Nancy’s mom was never named in the books. If you’re wondering what exactly happened to Nancy Drew’s mom, well that’s a mystery for another day. One likely to remain unsolved. Back to the set, Emma decides she’ll name her Margaret.
We segue way to an attic scene with actor Josh Flitter playing Nancy’s sidekick Corky. Gone are Nancy’s foil friends plump Bess Marvin and tomboyish George Fayne who only make a brief appearance at the movie’s beginning. Enter 12-year-old Corky who provides comic relief and develops a crush on Nancy, becoming an irritating thorn in Nancy’s boyfriend Ned Nickerson’s side.
Between freaking out at nearly being run down by goons to Corky’s amusing pick up lines like, “I think the ability to sleuth is an attractive quality in a woman,” to his giggling at Nancy’s daring jaunt into a tunnel, Corky doesn’t quite get the seriousness of all this mystery business. His character is a great contrast to Nancy Drew, who’s serious-minded when it comes to solving a case.
Part teenager, part mystery machine, Nancy Drew has had a one-track mind for over 77 years and there’s no stopping her affinity for getting to the bottom of something fishy. Tweaking this aspect of Nancy’s plucky personality would never do. Fans might revolt. Seriously.
Kudos to director Andrew Fleming for keeping Nancy tried and true. I chat up Fleming about the film’s classic Nancy Drew style. Fleming is busy pacing around the scene, getting the feel of the room as he enthuses about the film’s vintage movie quality. To him, the setting is timeless and fans should enjoy it. A fan of the classic Nancy Drew mysteries (the first fifty-six), Fleming and the crew worked hard to bring the mysterious aspect of the old decaying regency style mansion to life. Taking Nancy Drew out of her comfort zone in River Heights to LA, was a conceptual way to emphasize her timeless character when contrasted with the ultra modern movers and shakers in LA.
Recently Fleming stated, “There was a moment when I thought, why don’t we make her totally modern, give her high-tech gadgetry, make her sexy and hip? But if we did, what’s the point? Why call her Nancy Drew?”
Nancy Drew just wouldn’t be Nancy Drew without a few clues to uncover. Add in a secret tunnel and it’s the crème de la crème for mystery buffs. How apropos it was that I stumbled upon the entrance to the infamous secret passageway through Nancy’s bedroom fireplace. Unfortunately, with some resignation, I realized this would be just a tad too big to secrete in the back of my car. I stopped short of taking measurements to be sure. Nancy once used her skirt as a ruler in The Witch Tree Symbol. So, I suppose I could have improvised!
After a round of takes involving the secret passageway, I asked Emma how she got the part of Nancy Drew. She said she was interested in playing such an iconic character, though it was a daunting role in some ways. She hoped they were doing it right—creating something that Nancy Drew fans would approve of.
Nancy Drew fans can be fickle. They don’t like their Nancy Drew messed with. Yet, fans of all ages and generations should be happy to see that Nancy is still Nancy and that’s no mystery.
Later, as I’m about to leave mysteryville for my soundstage exit back into the real world, I sweetly pester the prop guy about interesting movie set collectibles. However, I had no blondies like Nancy uses in the movie to wheedle for more clues.
Did this mystery reporter uncover the clues to solve the puzzler of how Nancy Drew makes it in Hollywood? You betcha, and it’s one sizzler of a case. Check it out, June 15th, in a theater near you. There’s already talk of a sequel and the movie hasn’t even premiered yet! Sequel or not, whether on the big screen or throughout the pages of time, Nancy Drew will always be every generation’s mystery solve-It-girl!
And “that’s a cut!”
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Interesting Nancy Drew movie facts:
The filmmakers hired an etiquette coach to help refine Emma Robert’s depiction of Nancy Drew as an elegant young lady.
Emma describes the movie’s convertible as “a bathtub on wheels.”
Emma didn’t have her driver’s license yet when filming was underway, so she had to be pulled around by a trailer in the driving scenes.
Emma didn’t read the Nancy Drew books before signing on to the role, though she’s reading them now.
In a recent interview, Emma noted, “Nancy and I are both passionate, determined and ambitious. She will not give up until she gets the results she wants. I am very similar in that way.”
Emma says the biggest difference between she and Nancy Drew, is that Nancy Drew is perfect.
Just like in the movie, Nancy Drew was only 16 when the series first debuted in 1930. It was not until the 1950s, that her age was changed to 18.
In the movie, Nancy Drew uses delicious lemon bars to calm cranky criminals and blondies to wheedle clues out of people.
Actors Bruce Willis and Chris Kattan have cameos in the film.
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The Case of How Mysteryville’s “It” Girl Goes to Hollywood
A spooky old mansion dripping in old Hollywood kitschy glamour. A secret tunnel with plenty of sinister suspects to stir up a good fright. All the trappings of a page-turning Nancy Drew mystery yarn. Yet, this was no musty old book. The scene before me was unfolding through the magic of Hollywood on a soundstage at Warner Brother’s Studios.
The creepy atmosphere of the set was the perfect place to discover a few good clues to Warner Brother’s new movie, Nancy Drew. As the resident would-be gumshoe and Nancy Drew movie consultant, I came prepared. With my proverbial magnifying glass and my keen eyes, I was on a mission. Alas, I was without the glorious blue roadster or fashionable frocks Nancy often sported in her mysteries. No matter, I was just as determined as Nancy ever was to do a little sleuthing and get to the bottom of this puzzler…
Demystifying Nancy Drew
Baffling Mystery? Check! Spooky Scenery? Check! Chasing Dastardly Villains? Check! Sleuthing in old musty attics? Check! America’s Favorite Teenage Sleuth Nancy Drew’s back on the case in classic form and ready for adventure!
Directed by Andrew Fleming and produced by Jerry Weintraub, Nancy Drew will debut on June 15 to much fan fare, for it’s been nearly seventy years since the famous teen sleuth graced the big screen in the 1930s Nancy Drew films starring Bonita Granville. In this modern day classic, Nancy Drew is played endearingly by Emma Roberts.
Nancy remains rather timeless and fixated on mysteries rather than all the things most teenagers worry about like peer pressure and the social scene. Her love for a mystery and “old-fashioned things” contrasts Nancy to the rather spastic teens she must deal with after a temporary move to Hollywood while on one of her father Carson Drew’s business trips.
Nancy’s supposed to be avoiding sleuthing because LA is a dangerous place for a small town girl. But, she’s Nancy Drew. That means it’s in her nature to sleuth, snoop, and get to the bottom of all clues until she nabs the bad guys and saves the day. We wouldn’t have her any other way.
Doesn’t every eccentric movie star who dies a mysterious death leave behind a spooky old decaying mansion with a creepy caretaker and a mystery just waiting to be solved? Well, in Hollywood anyway, she does. Enter one intrepid teen sleuth.
True to form, with a spiffy sleuth kit, classy clothes (thanks to impressive costumer Jeffrey Kurland), and a snappy blue Metropolitan Nash convertible, Nancy determinedly solves the mystery surrounding the death of glamorous actress, Dehlia Draycott.
A long way from small town River Heights, Nancy finds herself in a not so friendly setting and laments, “In my book, courtesy counts!” Just how does Nancy find herself such a fish out of water? Read on for a few good clues…
Fashionable Clues Behind the Scenes of Nancy Drew
The mansion’s staircase seemed a tad rickety. The walls were crumbling. Vines had magically worked their way inside. Everything was glamorous yet dingy and it was believable. I’d literally stepped back into a time warp.
As I climbed the stairs to the mock second floor of the Draycott mansion, amidst the hustle and bustle of the crew, I ran into “Carson Drew” complete with robe, slippers and an old faded “River Heights Police Department 10-K Run” T-shirt. A fabulous lawyer and fit—now that’s my kind of Carson Drew!
An attic scene had just wrapped in which Carson arrives after a ghostly ruckus for a classic Nancy Drew movie line, “The Four Seasons isn’t haunted. What do you say?” I don’t think so! Anyone who knows Nancy Drew, knows she’d never end up at the Four Seasons when a “haunted house” is calling…
Tate Donovan, the actor behind attorney Carson Drew, waxed nostalgically with me about the movie and reading Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys. I think the collector in me was fixated over that River Heights T-shirt, but I’m pretty sure he said he enjoyed playing the role!
Enter costume designer, Jeffrey Kurland, who designed the movie’s costumes. Kurland wanted to keep the look of Nancy timeless and elegant. In the movie, Nancy’s look is dubbed “The New Sincerity” complete with penny loafers, headbands, and classic lines. Can you say “Penny Loafer Fashion Moment?”
My next obsession became Nancy’s infamous sleuth kit. I was thrilled at its fashion-forward cleverness. The inside plaid design matched the lining of her coat and the seats in her snappy roadster!
Just what does Nancy carry in her kit you might wonder? In exploring the contents of the kit, I discovered an umbrella, a suped up flashlight, Ipod and recorder, digital camera, multi-tool, powders for fingerprinting, magnifying glass, evidence bags, lock picking tools, a pen, a container for a snack—like Hannah Gruen’s luscious lemon bars for calming cranky crooks, and a sweet little book marked “clues.”
Spooky Sleuthing: Spot the Clues to Classic Nancy Drew
All quiet on the set! Emma Roberts began filming a scene in the attic looking for evidence in old books which were full of dust that she blew off with each take. As musty and dusty as the attic was set up to be, my keen eyes spied a mock poster of Dehlia in a movie entitled “The Haunted Bridge.” A nod to the Nancy Drew book of the same name.
After the scene wrapped, Emma Roberts breezed over and introduced herself. Her burning question for this Nancy Drew expert? “What is Nancy’s mom’s name?” I was sorry to disappoint her, but Nancy’s mom was never named in the books. If you’re wondering what exactly happened to Nancy Drew’s mom, well that’s a mystery for another day. One likely to remain unsolved. Back to the set, Emma decides she’ll name her Margaret.
We segue way to an attic scene with actor Josh Flitter playing Nancy’s sidekick Corky. Gone are Nancy’s foil friends plump Bess Marvin and tomboyish George Fayne who only make a brief appearance at the movie’s beginning. Enter 12-year-old Corky who provides comic relief and develops a crush on Nancy, becoming an irritating thorn in Nancy’s boyfriend Ned Nickerson’s side.
Between freaking out at nearly being run down by goons to Corky’s amusing pick up lines like, “I think the ability to sleuth is an attractive quality in a woman,” to his giggling at Nancy’s daring jaunt into a tunnel, Corky doesn’t quite get the seriousness of all this mystery business. His character is a great contrast to Nancy Drew, who’s serious-minded when it comes to solving a case.
Part teenager, part mystery machine, Nancy Drew has had a one-track mind for over 77 years and there’s no stopping her affinity for getting to the bottom of something fishy. Tweaking this aspect of Nancy’s plucky personality would never do. Fans might revolt. Seriously.
Kudos to director Andrew Fleming for keeping Nancy tried and true. I chat up Fleming about the film’s classic Nancy Drew style. Fleming is busy pacing around the scene, getting the feel of the room as he enthuses about the film’s vintage movie quality. To him, the setting is timeless and fans should enjoy it. A fan of the classic Nancy Drew mysteries (the first fifty-six), Fleming and the crew worked hard to bring the mysterious aspect of the old decaying regency style mansion to life. Taking Nancy Drew out of her comfort zone in River Heights to LA, was a conceptual way to emphasize her timeless character when contrasted with the ultra modern movers and shakers in LA.
Recently Fleming stated, “There was a moment when I thought, why don’t we make her totally modern, give her high-tech gadgetry, make her sexy and hip? But if we did, what’s the point? Why call her Nancy Drew?”
Nancy Drew just wouldn’t be Nancy Drew without a few clues to uncover. Add in a secret tunnel and it’s the crème de la crème for mystery buffs. How apropos it was that I stumbled upon the entrance to the infamous secret passageway through Nancy’s bedroom fireplace. Unfortunately, with some resignation, I realized this would be just a tad too big to secrete in the back of my car. I stopped short of taking measurements to be sure. Nancy once used her skirt as a ruler in The Witch Tree Symbol. So, I suppose I could have improvised!
After a round of takes involving the secret passageway, I asked Emma how she got the part of Nancy Drew. She said she was interested in playing such an iconic character, though it was a daunting role in some ways. She hoped they were doing it right—creating something that Nancy Drew fans would approve of.
Nancy Drew fans can be fickle. They don’t like their Nancy Drew messed with. Yet, fans of all ages and generations should be happy to see that Nancy is still Nancy and that’s no mystery.
Later, as I’m about to leave mysteryville for my soundstage exit back into the real world, I sweetly pester the prop guy about interesting movie set collectibles. However, I had no blondies like Nancy uses in the movie to wheedle for more clues.
Did this mystery reporter uncover the clues to solve the puzzler of how Nancy Drew makes it in Hollywood? You betcha, and it’s one sizzler of a case. Check it out, June 15th, in a theater near you. There’s already talk of a sequel and the movie hasn’t even premiered yet! Sequel or not, whether on the big screen or throughout the pages of time, Nancy Drew will always be every generation’s mystery solve-It-girl!
And “that’s a cut!”
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Interesting Nancy Drew movie facts:
The filmmakers hired an etiquette coach to help refine Emma Robert’s depiction of Nancy Drew as an elegant young lady.
Emma describes the movie’s convertible as “a bathtub on wheels.”
Emma didn’t have her driver’s license yet when filming was underway, so she had to be pulled around by a trailer in the driving scenes.
Emma didn’t read the Nancy Drew books before signing on to the role, though she’s reading them now.
In a recent interview, Emma noted, “Nancy and I are both passionate, determined and ambitious. She will not give up until she gets the results she wants. I am very similar in that way.”
Emma says the biggest difference between she and Nancy Drew, is that Nancy Drew is perfect.
Just like in the movie, Nancy Drew was only 16 when the series first debuted in 1930. It was not until the 1950s, that her age was changed to 18.
In the movie, Nancy Drew uses delicious lemon bars to calm cranky criminals and blondies to wheedle clues out of people.
Actors Bruce Willis and Chris Kattan have cameos in the film.
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Nancy Drew Movie: Food
Getting closer...the movie has a grand Hollywood premiere on June 9th! As in the books, food plays a role in the new Nancy Drew movie. Hannah Gruen sends Nancy some delicious treats--and she even uses them to help sleuth and uncover clues!
Here's my recipe for lemon bars--my Mom's--and it's good! "Not good for a diet though," moans Bess Marvin! It's no wonder Nancy Drew always remained forever slim and attractive, she had the benefit of sleuthercise! Chasing down crooks in dark alleys and climbing lots of ladders and stairs in her signature heels--where can we sign up for that exercise class? Sign me up, I'm there!
The best Lemon Bars—great for calming cranky crooks!
Crust:
1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
2 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup butter, softened
For large cake pan or two smaller 8 x 8 pans. Mix dry ingredients and cut in butter. Press into cake pan and bake 15 minutes at 350°.
Filling:
2 cups white sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
4 eggs, slightly beaten
4 TBSP lemon juice
1 TBSP lemon rind
Mix ingredients, pour into pan. Bake 20 minutes at 350°.
Glaze:
4 TBSP lemon juice
1 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar
2 TBSP butter
Vanilla extract--1/2 tsp or to taste
(Sleuthing Tip: You can use milk instead of lemon juice, adding a little bit at a time.)
Mix ingredients and spread on cooled lemon squares. These can be frozen.
Jenn:)
Here's my recipe for lemon bars--my Mom's--and it's good! "Not good for a diet though," moans Bess Marvin! It's no wonder Nancy Drew always remained forever slim and attractive, she had the benefit of sleuthercise! Chasing down crooks in dark alleys and climbing lots of ladders and stairs in her signature heels--where can we sign up for that exercise class? Sign me up, I'm there!
"Movie Star Lemon Bars"
The best Lemon Bars—great for calming cranky crooks!
Crust:
1/2 cup confectioner’s sugar
2 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup butter, softened
For large cake pan or two smaller 8 x 8 pans. Mix dry ingredients and cut in butter. Press into cake pan and bake 15 minutes at 350°.
Filling:
2 cups white sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
4 eggs, slightly beaten
4 TBSP lemon juice
1 TBSP lemon rind
Mix ingredients, pour into pan. Bake 20 minutes at 350°.
Glaze:
4 TBSP lemon juice
1 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar
2 TBSP butter
Vanilla extract--1/2 tsp or to taste
(Sleuthing Tip: You can use milk instead of lemon juice, adding a little bit at a time.)
Mix ingredients and spread on cooled lemon squares. These can be frozen.
Jenn:)
Sunday, June 03, 2007
June 2nd: Don't Judge a Movie By Its Trailer!
Hi Sleuthers,
2 weeks until Sleuth Day!
I'm always amused when people freak out about stuff related to Nancy Drew:) I also think younger people tend to be a little more dramatic, since things to them seem to be "the world" and anything wrong is "the end of the world"--due to lack of perspective that comes with maturity and aging.
Not that I need to defend this movie--or my involvement with it--as I think it speaks nicely for itself, but here's a few thoughts. As with any collector/reader genre, there's always the naysayers (or shall we call them the Tophams?), the everythings, and the well it depends folks. I have been amused at some of the e-mails about the movie and the trailer I've received recently now that the movie is about to be released. Yes, the trailer focuses on Nancy vs. the LA mean girls. But, yes, the trailer also focuses on the movie as a mystery--you know, that little something that always intrigued Nancy in the books...
The movie is not a parody of Nancy Drew. Don't confuse humor with parody--they're not necessarily the same, and certainly not in this case. And to the same, don't confuse humor with comedy. A movie can have some humor without being a total comedy.
In the movie, Nancy is Nancy, classic like in the classics. She's nice, polite, knowledgeable, good at what she does, and likes to help others--and solve mysteries. She's not about trying to impress others or change for others, she's just herself and does what she loves to do--sleuth!
The movie is a mystery, set in LA, with a subplot of Nancy being this small town girl/"fish out of water" who is different from the LA teens she deals with, but in the end she wins them over. She's serious minded like in the books, intent on solving the mystery. There is some comic relief in her sidekick, Corky and then Corky and Ned's banter. In the end, naturally, she solves the mystery and heads back to River Heights.
Most of the trailer's scenes at the school take place near the beginning of the movie. The rest of the movie is Nancy's sleuthing to get to the bottom of the mystery of what happened to actress Dehlia Draycott.
Sure she's 16 in the movie and she was 18 for a long time in the books. True Nancy Drew fans know that she was 16 from 1930 until the late 1950s when she was aged to 18 due to driving laws in states. Since when is being 16 a whole lot different from 18? Believe me, I'm 33, whether you're 16 or 18, you're a kid plain and simple. Being 18 doesn't make you magically adult and sophisticated:)
Honestly, I haven't been given a valid complaint by anyone who has just seen the trailer, and my challenge/answer is to see the movie, you'll find yourself liking it more than you think! You can't really have an informed opinion on the movie, if you haven't seen it. And that's a fact!
Most people I know are very excited about the movie and Nancy being on the big screen after nearly 70 years! Those who have seen it that I've talked with, love it. They find it cute, endearing and so reminiscent of the classic Nancy Drew books in the spooky setting and house, the sleuthing, and Nancy's determination to get to the bottom of the case.
The greatest thing about this movie, is that they kept her classic. They didn't modernize her in a way as to change her character or personality. That would have been a disaster. Kudos to Jerry Weintraub and Andrew Fleming for a job well done--as well as cast and crew!
For fun, here are my 10 favorite Nancy Drew movie things:
1. Jeffrey Kurland's costumes
2. Hannah Gruen's lemon bars to calm cranky crooks
3. Blue convertible (not a hybrid!)
4. Opener with vintage books (some are mine) and line drawing images
5. Spooky old house with all the mystery trappings
6. Nancy Drew's old-fashioned birthday party
7. Nancy's Sleuth Kit
8. Nancy's magnifying glass pin with her initials
9. Corky's line: "I think the ability to sleuth is an attractive quality in a woman."
10. Leshing--the creepy caretaker
Jenn:)
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