The Mystery at the Moss-Covered Mansion: Nancy Drew Mystery Number 18

Nancy, Bess, and George encounter an isolated mansion and hear wild shrieks --what a way to kick off a mystery.

Nancy is in the area to help her father find an heir to an estate. In their quest, they interview an old friend, Mrs. Labelle, who is guess what? Poor. Nancy and her friends hope the heiress June will help her friend.

Eventually Nancy thwarts Ramo, a swarthy gypsy-like looking man who wears long dangling earrings and a bandanna, his fortune telling sister, and reluctant accomplice niece in their attempt to steal June's inheritance. You know Ramo is bad: he sneers through clenched teeth, storms, fastens his beady black eyes as if trying to hypnotize Nancy, and his eyes dart fire toward her.

Nancy ends up finding June in the moss-covered mansion of the title where an artist is confining and abusing wild animals. Note: I say he is abusing them; Nancy and her friends don't seem to see it that way.

Nancy survives a plane crash and a leopard attack. At least she solved the mystery.

The Clue of the Tapping Heels: Nancy Drew Mystery 16

This is the last mystery published in the 1930's (1939.) Nancy found another of the poor, but proud club. This time it's Miss Carter, a kindly cat-lady "past middle age" who had once been an actress. (She later implies she's 50--heaven forbid.)

In addition to helping Miss Carter, Nancy saves the captain of a steamer after a "sinister sailor" causes an accident. She gives "perfect" testimony at the trials of the bad guys, gets kidnapped twice, and is rescued by tap dancing in code. All these successes help her recover from the indignity of being mistaken for a maid.

Racism alert: This book includes the "colored" man with freckles who is the "darky" who asked Ned the location of the Carson Drew home. There is also a conversation about Egyptians being dark-skinned with sharp features.

"The Man Was Polite Enough But He Looked Like a Gangster."

That line may sum up all of the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories and appeared in The Secret of Red Gate Farm, published in 1931,

A reluctant perfume saleswoman and a fainting girl lead Nancy into a new mystery when Nancy. Bess, and George to visit Red Gate Farm. (Bess and George first appeared in Book Five, The Secret at Shadow Ranch.

Once again Nancy helps a woman and her grandmother who have fallen on hard times (and of course, are good people.)

We learn Nancy is an excellent actress while helping Millie (the fainting girl) apply for a job. Is there anything she can't do? (From what I remember, no.)

On the way to infiltrating a mysterious cult and foiling a gang of counterfeiters, Nancy is falsely accused of passing counterfeit money herself.

Racism returns. When Nancy asked about a woman she later learns is Yvonne Wong, the janitor asks if she is squint-eyed? Nancy nods eagerly.

Introducing Nancy Drew

The Secret of the Old Clock was published in 1930 and describes Nancy as a pretty girl of sixteen with a curly golden bob and a blue roadster. Nancy is unusually capable: under her direction everything ran smoothly in the Drew household. After all, Nancy is the type of girl who is capable of accomplishing a great many things in a comparatively short time. She even found time for clubs and parties.

The opening chapter sets up the mystery. Nancy is bitching about the snobbish Tophams and how much worse they will be if they inherit all of Josiah Crowley's fortune. She soon meets more deserving potential beneficiaries.

From this first Nancy Drew story, I learned that poor people are good. At least the ones with cultured voices and manners, whose clothes while not expensive, were neat and well-made. (This theme is repeated in The Secret of Red Gate Farm, The Clue in the Diary, and The Clue in the Crumbling Wall.)

Here are some other lessons.

Driving could be dangerous in 1930. Sudden rainstorms changed roads into seas of mud. (There were many of these storms that Nancy had to navigate: good thing she was such a capable driver and had chains with her.)

Bad guys are rough looking with cold and cruel faces. They growl, sneer, and berate each other savagely.

Unfortunately, the early books also have a legacy of racism. The "colored" caretaker Jeff Tucker (at least he gets a name) speaks in "dems" and "dat's" (as do others Blacks in later volumes.)  A band of robbers get him drunk so they can take the furniture from the Tophams' summer cottage. Nancy could have been a little nicer to Jeff. He did save her from a locked closet after she had been "left to starve" (title of chapter XVI) by the robbers.

In 1959, many Nancy Drew mysteries were revised and modernized. It was good to get rid of the racial stereotypes,  but as my sister said, other things were lost. The Nancy Drew sleuth website has a great article about the revisions focusing on The Secret of the Old Clock.

A Hero Passes...

...over a bridge strewn with rose petals where his blood was once spilled on Bloody Sunday.

a preacher to chickens

the boy from Troy

a Freedom Rider

the conscience of the Congress

RIP Congressman John Lewis.

Who Cares about GWTW?

This morning I checked out Jezebel and found this article. Then over to this critique.

Lots to think about.

75th Anniversary

I heard on the radio that today is the 75th anniversary of the film premiere of Gone With The Wind. The film used to be among my top ten favorites. I always preferred the book to the film (which is usual for me.) There is so much more detail, so much more history, so many more memorable characters in the book than in the film.

Despite my preference for the book, the film has much to offer. The scene in which Scarlett is searching for Doctor Meade among the dead and dying Confederate solders is beautifully shot. Another beautiful (though problematical) scene is a quick shot near the beginning of the film: two small slave boys rotate a giant bell to signify quitting time for the field hands. I love all the Twelve Oak barbecue scenes; they provide an overview of antebellum society among the plantation owners.

The acting is quite good. While I don't think Leslie Howard looks like the Ashley of the book, Howard does a decent job. Similarly, Olivia de Haviland is too strong-looking for the slim, child-like Melanie, but her performance makes up for the physical discrepancies.

I read somewhere that Margaret Mitchell pictured Basil Rathbone as Rhett. That would have been an intriguing choice. I haven't read the book in several years, but I do think Rhett is described as bigger than Rathbone. It could be that I just see Clark Gable in the part. Fan magazine polls at the time would not accept anyone but Gable.

Let's finish up the main cast by reviewing Vivian Leigh. She deservedly won her first Oscar for this role. But she was classically beautiful. In the book's first lines, Scarlett was described as not beautiful. But you forget that because of her charm. I watched screen tests of Paulette Goddard; I think she could have been a great Scarlett.

It's harder for me to watch the film than it used to be. (That is the topic of a post that I started in 2012.) I appreciate the positive qualities of the film, but now watch it more critically. That's the point of the other privileged post.

Bonita Granville's Nancy Drew

Over the summer, TCM ran the four 1938 - 1939 Nancy Drew movies starring Bonita Granville and Frankie Thomas as Ted Nickerson. I'm a big fan and have seen the films several times. I recorded and watched them in July and recently re-watched the series.

The series has a madcap comedy approach: book Nancy is serious and responsible, and as my sister complained--too perfect. Granville's Nancy is impulsive and let me repeat madcap. She also plays fast and loose with evidence, something book Nancy would never consider.

The first film Nancy Drew Detective is loosely based on the book, The Password to Larkspur Lane. It seems to be the most serious of the films, but its overall tone is lighthearted. Nancy's attempted rescue of an older woman held prisoner in a nursing home is foiled by Ted's poor attempt to dress in drag as a nurse. His pants leg drooping down from under this uniform gives him away. Of course, they ultimately succeed.

Bonus: James Stephenson, who was so memorable as Bette Davis' lawyer in The Letter, appears here as one of the villains.

The second film is Nancy Drew Reporter. Nancy investigates a murder case while allegedly on an assignment as a student reporter. (She steals the assignment from another reporter's desk when the reporter is away.)

As part of Nancy's investigation, poor Ted winds up in the boxing ring with Soxie Anthens. A clue from the boxing ring takes them to the Mandarin Café. Unfortunately, Ned's bratty sister and her friend (Mary and Killer) tag along by hiding in the rumble seat. They order chop suey even though Nancy and Ted don't have the money to pay the bill. To avoid washing dishes, Mary, Killer, Nancy and Ted sing a medley with a full orchestra (!) The patrons throw enough change to pay the bill. I don't usually care for these musical interludes, but this one was fun. (Compare it to "Blow that Horn" in After the Thin Man.)

Another scene in drag: this time it's Sergeant Entwhistle masquerading as Grandma. While searching the villain's room, the Sergeant is revealed when his skirt is caught in a trunk and is pulled off, revealing his pants. Damn, if only Ted and Sergeant Entwhistle were committed to their disguises, they might have gotten away,

I loved Nancy's trick after she and Ted are locked up in the electrical room on the roof of a hotel. By removing fuses, they change the sign of the Beldenburg Hotel to the Bedbug Hotel, and they get rescued.

Mary and Killer even come through.They put whistles on Nancy's car, just before the bad guys try to escape in it.The police can easily apprehend the villains.

Nancy Drew Trouble Shooter is my least favorite of the series. None of the regulars come off well: Nancy is especially scatterbrained and Ted is especially clumsy. Carson Drew acts like a lovesick schoolboy at the first sight of an attractive neighbor.Ted is also immediately smitten. Nancy becomes jealous of the neighbor, calling her a "scheming adventuress."

There are many "slapsticky" scenes including a bull whose charge frees Nancy and Ted from a locked building, Ted flying a crop dusting plane, and Ted and Nancy sinking in the boat Ted built, the Nancy. Somehow, no one notices the big hole Nancy makes christening it.

Perhaps the worst part of the movie is Willie Best's stereotypical character Apollo. Apollo's hides a live and later a cooked chicken behind his back, complains about his work, and is so afraid of ghosts that he doesn't realize that he's witnessed a murder.Thank goodness Nancy's around to figure it all out.

The final film of the series is Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase. This film also had some outlandish situations, but they were fun. I loved the situations created by Ted as the iceman, despite the silly falling pants routine. I laughed when Nancy ordered 500 pounds of ice just to get Ted's help.

Ted makes a final appearance in drag. He's on stakeout in the basement to try to catch the bad guy, and strips to his underwear to sleep. When the bad guy takes his clothes, all Ned can find is an old-fashioned women's dress. Okay, but why did he don the lady's hat?

Saturday Movie Night: 12 Years a Slave

The HBO premiere two Saturdays ago was 12 Years a Slave. I've been thinking about the movie since then.

It's a good film--maybe a great one. I'd have to watch it again to decide. The performances were excellent.

It's an important film--especially for Americans.

It's a harrowing film--it's hard to watch.

I've read some criticism that the film is too optimistic--"only" 12 years as a slave--audiences aren't ready for a lifetime as a slave.

I can't argue with that. But I understand this choice of narrative. It's important to have a true story. Otherwise, some would complain that the film's owners and overseers were too cruel, too extreme. "They weren't all that bad."

Then there's the practicality of getting slave narratives. In many cases, reading and writing were capital offenses, how many narratives could there be?

I have one slave memoir--the story of Harriet Jacobs. To escape, she hid for seven years in a coffin-like garret. Imagine how horrible it must have been for her to choose that option.

We need to read the stories of Solomon Northrup and Harriet Jacobs.

Memorable Dates

There are some dates I remember because of the deaths that occur. May 19th will always be the day of Anne Boleyn's execution to me, despite family birthdays.

Today is the date that Martin Luther King Junior was assassinated. I don't remember where I was at the time; I do remember that no one in my immediate circle really cared.

Here's U2 on youtube. Here are details on the assassination. How would our history be different if Dr. King had lived?

50 Years Ago Today

Dr. Martin Luther King made his "I Have a Dream" speech as part of the March on Washington.

Things have gotten better, but we have a long way to go. Here are some of John Lewis' thoughts.

For Trayvon

I'm not a leader; I'm not an activist. I sometimes wish I were both, but I don't act upon those feelings.

When I first heard of the shooting and killing of Trayvon Martin, I had no doubt that racism played a major part in Trayvon's death. Racism is deeply embedded in our culture. The fact that it makes us feel so uncomfortable may be the reason we have to need to talk about it.

I watched much of the trial, but missed several key parts of the testimony. I also heard things that the jury didn't. I tried hard to disregard my feelings and beliefs about the case and imagine I were a member of that jury. Regardless, I don't understand how the jury could have acquitted Zimmerman on manslaughter. 

According to the juror interviewed on CNN (disclosure: I only saw part of the interview) the jury seemed to completely believe Zimmerman's version of his "encounter" with Trayvon. I didn't believe his story. Why did they?

The jury also didn't consider race as an issue. Another thing I don't get. As I said, it's embedded.

My heart goes out to the Martin family and friends, and all of us who believe in justice.

Believing in justice reminds me of this.

Thoughts on The Help

On Saturday night, Jeff and I watched The Help. We haven't been out to the movies in years so by the time we saw this, I'd already heard and read about it.

Overall the movie was good. I was hooked by the story and the acting was excellent across the board.

But... My sense is that the movie was designed to  make white people feel better in a "Oh, isn't it great that things have changed," kind of way."Now, we don't have to worry about racism anymore. After all, we have a black president."

Yes, much of the blatant Jim Crow racism is gone, but we remain a racist society.

Back to The Help, it suffered from being filtered through a white character, Skeeter. Skeeter is the one who guides (saves) Aibileen and Minny and later the other maids and nannies. Skeeter is the one who makes money from the book created from the stories of the help and Skeeter is the one who escapes Jackson, MS.

I think elle's take is insightful. I'd enjoy seeing the same cast in a version of the film focused on the title characters without Skeeter as the main character.

The Most Important Civil Right: Dr. Laura and Other Whites Must Use the N-word

I was blown away by the stupidity and blindness of Dr. Laura' s rant. It may be old news but I'm still thinking about it.

I didn't expect much from her. I used to occasionally listen to Dr. Laura. Just as I occasionally listen to Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and Michael Savage--when I'm curious of what is being discussed on talk radio, have a few minutes in the car and have already heard the daily headlines.

Based on previous broadcasts, Dr. Laura is a jerk--at best. I'm thinking about a digression when she discussed how salad spinners were good wedding gifts, although she preferred her salad with mist. WTF?

She has always had a nasty, judgmental streak--although I can't cite any specific examples from the past. This time she attacked the caller almost immediately judging that some comments that bothered Jade were not racist. Soon after that, she began her N chorus.

When she went off on her tangent about HBO comics, she reminded me of my brother-in-law. He once reprimanded me because he assumed I was okay with the N-word in rap music, but not in Southern racist singer, Johnny Rebel's music. I said I didn't like any use of the word, but he's not the type to utilize facts when it can interfere with a rant.

I don't understand how the right to use the N-word is such an important right for whites--why it's raised to the level of a philosophical question by stupid "philosophers" like Dr. Laura.

I don't want to argue about the historic use of the N-word as used by Mark Twain or Margaret Mitchell. I wish the funeral for the N-word had taken, but I guess we'll always have idiots like Dr. Laura who will grab the chance to spew shit across the airwaves because they are so deep, thoughtful and philosophical.

As a writer, I generally hate euphemisms and the using "N-word" can be classified as one. But rather err on the side of caution and respect; I hereby reject my white right to use the N-word.