Nancy Drew
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Nancy Drew is a fictional character, the heroine detective of a popular mystery series. The series was created and outlined in detail in 1930 by Edward Stratemeyer, founder of the Stratemeyer Syndicate, with the first manuscripts written by Mildred A. Wirt Benson and edited by Stratemeyer's daughter Harriet Stratemeyer Adams. Mildred Benson continued writing the Nancy Drew books, and it was later found that she wrote the first 22 books.
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[edit] Series history
The Stratemeyer Syndicate was known for publishing book series using one invented author's name for all books, no matter who wrote them. In the case of Nancy Drew, the name Carolyn Keene was chosen. Edward Stratemeyer wrote outlines for the first four stories in the series, but died before the books were published. His daughter Harriet Stratemeyer Adams succeeded him as the head of the syndicate, contributed a number of volumes and oversaw the substantial revisions of the earlier titles begun in the 1950s.
More than 200 million books have been sold worldwide. Many people collect the series, which has gone through several formats over the years. The books have been in print continuously since 1930. Starting in the 1960s, however, many of the early titles were revised or changed completely to eliminate outdated references such as "roadsters," "running boards," and "rumble seats," and to make Nancy and her friends more identifiable with contemporary readers. All titles currently in print are known as "revised text", except the original series reprints by Applewood Books.
The original books have 25 chapters while the revised editions have only 20. Only volumes 1 through 34 were printed in the original format. Volumes 35 and up never had the 25-chapter texts. Volumes 35 and up each had the 20-chapter text in their very first printings and still are printed with the original 20 chapter texts to this day.
Only volumes 1 through 13 were printed with four glossy illustrations. Volumes 14 through 17 were printed with one glossy illustration during the late 1930s and early 1940s, and during the same time period, volumes 1 through 13 were reprinted with only one glossy illustration. Volumes 18 and up never had glossy illustrations; these volumes had only the plain paper frontispiece illustration.
Thus, any existing copy of a Nancy Drew book with 25 chapters and four glossy illustrations is extremely rare and very valuable to collectors.
Starting in 1979, the original series was extended with new volumes published in paperback, and in the late 1980s a new spin-off series The Nancy Drew Files was created for Simon & Schuster, Inc., starting with Secrets Can Kill. In recent years, the spinoff series Nancy Drew Notebooks and Nancy Drew: On Campus have been published. The Nancy Drew Girl Detective series is the newest version of tales about the titian-haired sleuth.
Nancy Drew also appeared with the Hardy Boys in the 36 volume Supermystery series, plus a Be A Detective series (written in the style of Choose Your Own Adventure series).
[edit] Character evolution of Nancy Drew
[edit] Original Nancy, 1930 to 1940
Nancy Drew was depicted as an independent-minded teenager, usually sixteen, but gradually aging to eighteen by the mid 1940s (this was changed when the original books were later revised; she is always eighteen) who has graduated from high school. Apparently affluent, she maintains an active social, volunteer, and sleuthing schedule, as well as participating in athletics and the arts, but is never shown as working for a living or acquiring job skills. Nancy is also unhindered by the Great Depression and World War II.
[edit] Family life
Nancy lives with her father, attorney Carson Drew. In volume one of the original series, it is stated that Nancy's mother died when Nancy was 10 years old, a fact that changed in later revisions. Now it has become canon that her mother died when she was three.
As the only elderly woman in the family, the Drews' motherly housekeeper, Hannah Gruen, is in charge of cooking, cleaning, and balancing their lifestyles. She lives with the Drews in the family's three-story brick house in the fictional town of River Heights, a few hours from Chicago. Carson relies on Hannah to make sure Nancy stays out of trouble around the house. An alternative view, reflected in the early Nancy Drew books, is that the relationship between Hannah and Nancy was more complex than just employee and employer. They share a warm and loving relationship and Nancy always comports herself with respect toward Hannah. Hannah is clearly an intelligent and sophisticated woman. As an employee in the Drew household, she is extremely dignified and a tremendous contribution both personally and in the duties she so impeccably performs.
Gradually, with the evolution of the series and, as adjusted in later revisions of the early stories, Hannah assumes more of a warm, maternal role in Nancy's life and, along with the character of Nancy's cosmopolitan Aunt Eloise in New York, helps provide a rounded sense of family. By The Whispering Statue, a dog named Togo was also integrated into the Drew home, adding spirit and flavor to several of Nancy's adventures. This healthy presentation of a loving, but non-traditional family structure was years ahead of its time and may have helped the series maintain a fresh, contemporary accessibility among young readers while other idealized series from the same era fell out of favour.
In The Clue of the Whistling Bagpipes, published in 1964, Nancy learns that her mother, whose maiden name was Austin, was descended from the Scottish nobility. Nancy travels to Scotland, where she meets her great-grandmother, Lady Douglas, the widow of a former member of the House of Lords. Lady Douglas is the daughter of a member of Clan Cameron.
In 2007, the movie of Nancy Drew was created. Emma Roberts, as Nancy Drew, role played in the movie. The movie is about how Nancy needs to change school to Hollywood High and how her father does not want her to be a detective, but an ordinary teenager.
[edit] Nancy's car
In the early books, Nancy drives a blue roadster. However, in the revised editions and later Girl Detective books, she drives a stylish blue convertible and, finally, in the paperbacks, she drives a blue Mustang. In the originals, her blue roadster became maroon in volume 8, 9, and 10, and then green, finally having no description of colour for several years.
[edit] Nancy's friends
Many friends frequent the Drew household. The first of these, Helen Corning, appears in the earliest novels before her marriage (at which point she is not seen in Nancy's life). In later editions Nancy is accompanied by her two close friends, George Fayne and Bess Marvin. George (short for Georgia in the revised editions, named for her grandfather in the original editions) Fayne and Bess (short for Elizabeth) Marvin are cousins who have opposite personalities and appearance. George, tall and slim, with short black hair, makes a point of being a tomboy while Bess, slightly plump with luxurious set hair, but not clearly described as blonde until 1936, has the most girly appearance and girly attitude of the threesome. Early George Fayne characterizations depict her as bold, slightly clumsy, blunt, and untowardly forward, resulting in the nickname, "George the Terrible," from series fans. Bess, on the other hand, tries to be proper, and is also easily frightened — once wrecking a car simply because she saw something unusual.
Helen returns briefly in the original volumes Nancy's Mysterious Letter and The Password to Larkspur Lane, which were ghostwritten by Walter Karig. In these volumes, her personality is more like George Fayne's. Helen disappeared when Mildred Benson resumed ghostwriting, but returned from Europe (a common plot device for absent characters in series books) for one final appearance and plot device in The Clue in the Jewel Box, introducing Nancy to European acquaintances. Helen Corning was mentioned in one Nancy Drew Girl Detective #12 Stop the Clock.
Boyfriend Ned Nickerson is introduced in volume seven, The Clue in the Diary and appears in nearly every story. He frequently appears at Nancy's mystery sites across the United States, despite the fact that he is a student at Emerson University in the next town. He is so enamored by Nancy that he frequently allows her to control the relationship, which gets him into trouble several times. He often changes their plans together to pursue her sleuthing. Ned is always there for Nancy but knows mysteries are very important priority in her life so he remains very patient. Ned also frequently helps Nancy in solving cases.In 'Nancy Drew: Files'#8 Ned breaks up with Nancy when Nancy refuses Ned's proposal to her.
[edit] Nancy's character
Nancy is blue-eyed, bold, and adventuresome. Her hair color is described variously as "strawberry blond" and "titian," rather than the less glamorous "red." But on most covers she is shown as a blonde or brunette.
She becomes involved in mysteries without always being a welcome presence. She always carries a flashlight; occasionally carries a gun (1-5 early volumes only) and actually uses it against dangerous animals at Shadow Ranch; drives in her blue roadster at high speeds on gravel roads; breaks and enters; trespasses; sneaks about; opens locked doors, lockers, chests, drawers, etc.; and is rather high-handed with adults, including law enforcement, from time to time. She is more courageous than her friends and undaunted by the money or time spent in investigating a clue. Hannah voices her concerns about Nancy's behavior, but is clearly the Drews' employee in these early tales; her opinion is often discredited.
Her early style is in the vein of a sophisticated young girl with immaculately curled hair, pearls, high heels, and elegant dresses. This is largely the work of commercial artist Russell H. Tandy, the first illustrator for the series. He was a fashion artist and infused Nancy with a modern fashion sensibility. He painted the dust jackets and drew the inside sketches for volumes 1–10 and 12–26. He drew the inside sketches for The Clue of the Broken Locket, but not the cover. By the end of the 1930s, Nancy was dressing along the lines of a sophisticated young woman, with smart suits, matching hats, gloves, and handbags.
[edit] 1940-1950: Teen-aged Nancy
With the start of the 1940s, Nancy began to evolve into a less reckless, and also less obviously affluent, character with The Mystery at the Moss-Covered Mansion. Her fashion style becomes a bit more casual, and she no longer pursues angles that greatly endanger herself or her friends. Her car changes makes and models a few times, finally becoming a blue convertible in the post-World War II era. She pursues hobbies, particularly art and music, but also dancing, and various athletics, including sailing, swimming, skin-diving, tennis, and even trick riding. Her age also gradually changes to eighteen. Other than some minor allusions in 1943's The Clue in the Jewel Box, the war rationing doesn't seem to affect River Heights, or Ned Nickerson.
Many of Nancy's mysteries in this era involve her application of knowledge gained from avid reading, or from consultation with teachers, professors, or other experts, and this is passed on to the readers, a trend which grows and continues to the end of the series. Nancy thus shows greater respect for authority figures, such as her father, the local police, and others willing to help with her investigations.
Although still illustrated as very mature during the war years, this style gives way to a more casual, stereotypical teen appearance by the end of the decade, partially due to a switch in illustrators. Book covers began to replace the flapper style favored on early jackets with a conservative, more classic appearance. Following the post-war trend for young people to have their own, casual style, instead of dressing the same as adults, Nancy becomes less constrained. Sweater or blouse and skirt ensembles, as well as a pageboy hairstyle, are introduced in 1948, and continue with new artist Bill Gillies, who updated 10 covers and illustrated three new jackets from 1950 to 1952. Gillies invented the modern-era trademark as a spine symbol: Nancy in side profile with a quizzing glass. Benson wrote her last volume for the series, The Clue of the Velvet Mask, in 1953.
[edit] 1950s-1970s: Revisionist Nancy
During the 1950s, Harriet Stratemeyer Adams took on responsibility for writing the books and also revised the earlier volumes to speed pacing and remove regional and racist references.
Internal illustrations were returned to the books beginning in 1954. In 1957, most Stratemeyer Syndicate books dropped from 200 to 180 pages in length, including the rewrites. Plot wise, stories begin to involve more travel away from River Heights. Nancy's hometown is now more metropolitan and less rural; fairly close to Chicago, and not too far from New York City and other metropolitan destinations on the East Coast of the United States.
In the revisions, Nancy is eighteen, not sixteen; her mother died when she was age three, not ten. Hannah Gruen is a motherly figure who helped raise Nancy, and at times restricts her rash actions. Aunt Eloise Drew, a smart New Yorker who was Nancy's aunt, is frequently either chaperone or hostess to Nancy's New York adventures. Nancy's dog, Togo , still exists, but now occasionally helps her in her cases.
Other characters are developed as well. George Fayne develops into a more personable, but still masculine girl, while Bess becomes obsessed with boys and food. George and Bess are given their own respective boyfriends early in the 1950s, Burt Eddleton and Dave Evans, both chums of Nancy's boyfriend Ned Nickerson.
When the original stories began to be updated in 1959, Helen Corning became an older friend of Nancy's, and is bolder than the original Helen, serving as actual sleuthing sidekick in the first four volumes. The stage is also set to explain her departure from regular involvement with Nancy -- Helen becomes engaged; and in her last appearance before she is married, she is planning her wedding while she helps Nancy sleuth. She and her husband Jim Archer appear in some later volumes, and revised versions of several stories as well.
Rudy Nappi, artist from 1953 to 1979, illustrates a more average teenager, but still in very preppy, conservative clothing. Nancy's hair changes to strawberry-blonde, reddish-blonde or titian by the end of the decade. The change, due to a printing ink error, was so favorable that it was adopted in the text. Mrs. Adams herself even explained regular changes in Nancy's hair color as possibly induced by the young sleuth's beautician. In 1962, all Grosset and Dunlap books become "picture covers," to reduce costs. Several of the 1940s cover illustrations were updated by Rudy Nappi for this change, but contained the old story. The books themselves were gradually updated, in some cases only sharing a title with the original, with completely new plots and settings. For example, the original Lilac Inn really was only a setting for a crime. In the 1961 revision, it is the setting for almost all of the story. Settings in the series involve travel to several different regions in the United States, and also international destinations, including France, Peru, Scotland, Hong Kong and Africa.
None of the stories in hardcover issue today as published by Grosset and Dunlap are older than 1957. In 1979, two million copies of Nancy Drew books were sold.[1]
[edit] The Quest for Carolyn Keene
Due to confusion and difficulties in protecting the secrets of series production, ghostwriters for the Stratemeyer Syndicate signed away all rights to authorship or future royalties, and all correspondence was handled through Harriet S. Adams' office. The syndicate's process for creating the Nancy Drew books consisted of first creating a detailed outline, with all elements of plot; then the drafting of a manuscript that was occasionally revised or rewritten; and finally editing. While Edward Stratemeyer and his daughters Harriet and Edna wrote all outlines for the Nancy Drew books except one (The Clue of the Velvet Mask, outlined by Andrew Svenson), a number of other writers wrote the manuscript. Among these were Mildred A. Wirt Benson née Augustine, Walter Karig, George Waller, jr., Margaret Scherf, Wilhelmina Rankin, Alma Sasse, Charles Strong, and Patricia Doll. Edward Stratemeyer edited the first three volumes and Harriet Stratemeyer all subsequent volumes with the exception of The Haunted Showboat and The Secret of the Golden Pavilion, which were edited by Jane Dunn and Jane Sanderson.
[edit] Legal disputes
Walter Karig tried to claim rights with the Library of Congress in 1933, something that angered the Syndicate.
In 1980, dissatisfied with the lack of creative control at Grosset and the lack of publicity for the Hardy Boys' 50th anniversary in 1977, Adams switched publishers to Simon and Schuster, which would also make the American versions available in mass-market paperback. Grosset and Dunlap filed suit against the Syndicate and the new publishers, claiming some control over publishing as their firm provided illustrations.
Although Adams had written many of the titles after 1953, and edited others, she claimed to be the author of all of the early titles. In fact she had rewritten the older titles, but not been the original author. When Adams filed a countersuit, claiming the case was in poor taste and frivolous, Mildred Benson was called to testify about her work for the Syndicate. Benson's role in writing the manuscripts of early titles was revealed in court with extensive documentation, contradicting Adams' claims to authorship. The court ruled that Grosset had the rights to publish the original series as they were in print in 1980, but did not own characters or trademarks. Further, any new publishers chosen by Adams were completely in their right to print original titles.
Adams was rumoured to be embarrassed about the negative publicity of the trial and many adult fans and collectors considered her integrity irreparably compromised after the trial. Following her death, her partners continued, finally selling the entire Syndicate to Simon and Schuster. An acknowledgment to Mildred Benson was added to Grosset copyright pages; they currently print the original 56 hardcovers and recently began publishing out-of-print titles originally issued by Simon and Schuster. The original Nancy Drew series added the last new title in 2003.
[edit] Pseudonym Carolyn Keene
All Nancy Drew books are published under the pseudonym Carolyn Keene regardless of who the actual author was. The name Carolyn Keene has also been used to author a shorter series of books entitled The Dana Girls. This series features two female detective sisters and is a kind of crossbreed of The Hardy Boys, who were two male detective brothers, and Nancy Drew, one female detective.
[edit] Special editions and reprints
[edit] The Reader's Club or Cameo Editions
Nancy Drew was issued as a book club feature, the Nancy Drew Reader's Club, from 1959 to early 1961. Several volumes, no. 30-35, were issued with new illustrations by artist Polly Bolian. The volumes matched Grosset's other Doubleday Book Club publication, Young Library. A full color jacket illustration was repeated as the frontispiece, and double-page pen and ink drawings highlighted the texts. References or notices for other volumes, and volume numbering, was removed from the text and the jackets. The series saw six more volumes, 36, 27-29, and revised 1-2 added in 1960. Plans for additional titles were abandoned after two years and the series ceased publication in early 1961. The volumes are highly desired by today's collectors due to their original artwork.
[edit] Regular Book Club Editions
Nancy Drew was issued in the yellow-spine picture format, as a book club, in 1962. The back covers were solid yellow, and spines feature no volume numbers. "Book Club Edition" appears on the title page. The entire series in print was not issued in this format; only volumes 1-32 were issued. In the 1970s, a book club offer was available directly from the publisher, but these volumes are exactly the same as regularly purchased volumes. They were simply mailed on schedule to the subscriber.
[edit] Twin Thriller
Nancy Drew had two-volumes in one published in the 1970s. These are collected for their uniqueness; evidence indicates however that libraries and schools seemed to be targeted for the marketing of these books. Covers featured geometric clover designs on lilac grey, with a vignette from one of the two volumes' original cover art. All of the volumes are sequential, i.e. 1-2, 3-4, except for the final two issued. 17 and 24 appear together as one, as they were not revised until the mid 1970s.
[edit] Applewood Books Reprints
Applewood Books began reprinting facsimile editions of the early Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys in 1991. The books feature the original dust jacket art, original illustrations (although not scattered through the text), original texts, and duplication binding of the early Nancy Drew format. Many of the volumes contain forewords from adult author fans of the series. Applewood issued original series titles up to volume 21, The Secret in the Old Attic, but sales, initially good, tapered off with later volumes and plans to extend the line were discontinued in 2007. Several of the published reprints remain available for the time being.
[edit] Papercutz Graphic Novels
Beginning in 2005, Papercutz began issuing a new series of Nancy Drew graphic novels, with Jim Salicrup as the editor, Stefan Petrucha as the writer, and Sho Murase as the illustrator. There are currently 7 titles in this series, with another planned to release in February. All of the storylines are completely new. The manga-style illustrations and technical allusions (like Nancy's hybrid car and George's tablet PC) give Nancy and her friends a 21st century spin.
[edit] Literarture Dust Jacket Collection
In late 2006, Literarture started releasing licensed dust jacket prints of original series artwork by Russell Tandy, Bill Gillies and Rudy Nappi with vintage advertisements using restored art and, in some cases, the original paintings themselves. Through website polls, visitors can determine which artist's work is selected for different volumes in the collection. The jackets are commercially printed and can either be framed or wrapped comfortably around most series book formats. All 56 original Grosset & Dunlap titles will be released as dust jackets for the first time, but the books themselves are not included. About 20 or so have been released to date.
[edit] Nancy Drew Originals
In early 2007, book stores such as Barnes & Noble, began selling Nancy Drew Mysteries with original artwork. The reader then assumes that it is the original mystery story, though that is not true, due to the fact that the mystery stories only have 20 chapters.
[edit] Books in the series
[edit] The original Nancy Drew Mystery Stories books
| Title | Outline | Manuscript | Edited |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. The Secret of the Old Clock, 1930 | E. Stratemeyer | M. Wirt | E. Stratemeyer |
| 2. The Hidden Staircase, 1930 | E. Stratemeyer | M. Wirt | E. Stratemeyer |
| 3. The Bungalow Mystery, 1930 | E. Stratemeyer | M. Wirt | E. Stratemeyer |
| 4. The Mystery at Lilac Inn, 1931 | H.S. Adams | M. Wirt | H.S. Adams |
| 5. The Secret at Shadow Ranch, 1931 | H.S. Adams | M. Wirt | H.S. Adams |
| 6. The Secret of Red Gate Farm, 1931 | E. Squier | M. Wirt/H.S. Adams | H.S. Adams |
| 7. The Clue in the Diary, 1932 | E. Squier | M. Wirt/H.S. Adams | H.S. Adams |
| 8. Nancy's Mysterious Letter, 1932 | E. Squier | W. Karig/Kiley Luckel | H.S. Adams |
| 9. The Sign of the Twisted Candles, 1933 | H.S. Adams | W. Karig/H.S. Adams | H.S. Adams |
| 10. The Password to Larkspur Lane, 1933 | H.S. Adams | W. Karig | H.S. Adams |
| 11. The Clue of the Broken Locket, 1934 | E. Squier | M. Wirt | H.S. Adams |
| 12. The Message in the Hollow Oak, 1935 | E. Squier | M. Wirt | H.S. Adams |
| 13. The Mystery of the Ivory Charm, 1936 | E. Squier | M. Wirt | H.S. Adams |
| 14. The Whispering Statue, 1937 | E. Squier | M. Wirt | H.S. Adams |
| 15. The Haunted Bridge, 1937 | H.S. Adams | M. Wirt | H.S. Adams |
| 16. The Clue of the Tapping Heels, 1939 | E. Squier | M. Wirt | H.S. Adams |
| 17 The Mystery of the Brass-Bound Trunk, 1940 | H.S. Adams | M. Wirt | H.S. Adams |
| 18. The Mystery at the Moss-Covered Mansion, 1941 | E. Squier | M. Wirt | H.S. Adams |
| 19. The Quest of the Missing Map, 1942 | H.S. Adams | M. Wirt | H.S. Adams |
| 20. The Clue in the Jewel Box, 1943 | H.S. Adams | M. Wirt | H.S. Adams |
| 21. The Secret in the Old Attic, 1944 | H.S. Adams | M. Wirt | H.S. Adams |
| 22. The Clue in the Crumbling Wall, 1945 | H.S. Adams | M. Wirt | H.S. Adams |
| 23. The Mystery of the Tolling Bell, 1946 | H.S. Adams | M. Wirt | H.S. Adams |
| 24. The Clue in the Old Album, 1947 | H.S. Adams | M. Wirt | H.S. Adams |
| 25. The Ghost of Blackwood Hall, 1948 | H.S. Adams | M. Wirt | H.S. Adams |
| 26. The Clue of the Leaning Chimney, 1949 | H.S. Adams | G. Waller/H.S. Adams | H.S. Adams |
| 27. The Secret of the Wooden Lady, 1950 | H.S. Adams | M. Scherf | H.S. Adams |
| 28. The Clue of the Black Keys, 1951 | H.S. Adams | W. Rankin/H.S. Adams | H.S. Adams |
| 29. The Mystery at the Ski Jump, 1952 | H.S. Adams | A. Sasse | H.S. Adams |
| 30. The Clue of the Velvet Mask, 1953 | A. Svenson | M. Wirt/H.S. Adams | H.S. Adams |
| 31. The Ringmaster's Secret, 1953 | H.S. Adams | H.S. Adams | H.S. Adams |
| 32. The Scarlet Slipper Mystery, 1954 | H.S. Adams | C. Strong | H.S. Adams |
| 33. The Witch Tree Symbol, 1955 | H.S. Adams | H.S. Adams | H.S. Adams |
| 34. The Hidden Window Mystery, 1956 | P. Doll/H.S. Adams | H.S. Adams | H.S. Adams |
| 35. The Haunted Showboat, 1957 | H.S. Adams | H.S. Adams | J. Dunn/J. Sanderson |
| 36 The Secret of the Golden Pavilion, 1959 | H.S. Adams | H.S. Adams | J. Dunn/J. Sanderson |
| 37. The Clue in the Old Stagecoach, 1960 | H.S. Adams | H.S. Adams | H.S. Adams |
| 38. The Mystery of the Fire Dragon, 1961 | H.S. Adams | H.S. Adams | H.S. Adams |
| 39. The Clue of the Dancing Puppet, 1962 | H.S. Adams | H.S. Adams | H.S. Adams |
| 40. The Moonstone Castle Mystery, 1963 | H.S. Adams | H.S. Adams | H.S. Adams |
| 41. The Clue of the Whistling Bagpipes, 1964 | H.S. Adams | H.S. Adams | H.S. Adams |
| 42. The Phantom of Pine Hill, 1965 | H.S. Adams | H.S. Adams | H.S. Adams |
| 43. The Mystery of the 99 Steps, 1966 | H.S. Adams | H.S. Adams | H.S. Adams |
| 44. The Clue in the Crossword Cipher, 1967 | H.S. Adams | H.S. Adams | H.S. Adams |
| 45. The Spider Sapphire Mystery, 1968 | H.S. Adams | H.S. Adams | H.S. Adams |
| 46. The Invisible Intruder, 1969 | H.S. Adams | H.S. Adams | H.S. Adams |
| 47. The Mysterious Mannequin, 1970 | H.S. Adams | H.S. Adams | H.S. Adams |
| 48. The Crooked Banister, 1971 | H.S. Adams | H.S. Adams | H.S. Adams |
| 49. The Secret of Mirror Bay, 1972 | H.S. Adams | H.S. Adams | H.S. Adams |
| 50. The Double Jinx Mystery, 1973 | H.S. Adams | H.S. Adams | H.S. Adams |
| 51. Mystery of the Glowing Eye, 1974 | H.S. Adams | H.S. Adams | H.S. Adams |
| 52. The Secret of the Forgotten City, 1975 | H.S. Adams | H.S. Adams | H.S. Adams |
| 53. The Sky Phantom, 1976 | H.S. Adams | H.S. Adams | H.S. Adams |
| 54. The Strange Message in the Parchment, 1977 | H.S. Adams | H.S. Adams | H.S. Adams |
| 55. Mystery of Crocodile Island, 1978 | H.S. Adams | H.S. Adams | H.S. Adams |
| 56. The Thirteenth Pearl, 1979 | H.S. Adams | H.S. Adams | H.S. Adams |
In 1979, the Nancy Drew books began to be published by Simon & Schuster in paperback format. Though formatted differently from the original 56-volume series which continued under Grosset & Dunlap's control, these new books retained the general essence of the series style and were published under the 'Nancy Drew Mystery Stories' banner. By 2006, volumes 57-64 had been adapted for the original series format and released in yellow spine, 'flashlight' hardback editions. These books feature increasingly contemporary cover illustrations and some books even have multiple versions of the cover art.
[edit] Series in film and television
Former child actress Bonita Granville portrayed Nancy Drew in four Warner Bros. films directed by William Clemens in the late 1930s: Nancy Drew: Detective (loosely based on The Password to Larkspur Lane), Nancy Drew: Reporter, Nancy Drew: Trouble Shooter, and Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase, the only one to borrow its title from a book in the series, although the plot was altered substantially. Frankie Thomas was cast as the rechristened "Ted" Nickerson, who acted more as a sidekick than boyfriend. Carson Drew remained her father, but Hannah Gruen became Effie Schneider and George and Bess were eliminated completely.
A television series called The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries ran from 1977 to 1979 and starred Pamela Sue Martin as the girl detective. Another brief series starring Tracy Ryan appeared in 1995. In 2002, ABC broadcast a TV film featuring Maggie Lawson as Nancy Drew.
A new movie adaptation of Nancy Drew was released on June 15, 2007 by Warner Brothers Pictures, with Emma Roberts (daughter of Eric and niece of Julia) as Nancy Drew, Max Thieriot as Ned Nickerson and Tate Donovan as Nancy's father Carson.
[edit] Series in computer games
Several Nancy Drew titles have been adapted and released as computer games by Her Interactive. The games are targeted at "ages 10 and up" and are rated "E" by the ESRB. They follow the popular adventure game style of play. Players must move Nancy around in a virtual environment to talk to suspects, pick up clues, solve puzzles, and eventually solve the crime. High sales and a general growing demand for girls' CD-ROM titles have led to several Nancy Drew game releases, including:
- Secrets Can Kill (1998)
- Stay Tuned for Danger (1999)
- Message in a Haunted Mansion (2000)
- Message in a Haunted Mansion (GBA) (2001)
- Treasure in the Royal Tower (2001)
- The Final Scene (2001)
- Secret of the Scarlet Hand (2002)
- Ghost Dogs of Moon Lake (2002)
- The Haunted Carousel (2003)
- Danger on Deception Island (2003)
- The Secret of Shadow Ranch (2004)
- Curse of Blackmoor Manor (2004)
- Secret of the Old Clock (2005)
- Last Train to Blue Moon Canyon (2005)
- Danger By Design (2006)
- The Creature of Kapu Cave (2006)
- White Wolf of Icicle Creek (2007)
- Legend of the Crystal Skull (2007)
- The Phantom in Venice (Due out in 2008)
Note: On the original packaging, Message in a Haunted Mansion is listed as the first game, Secrets Can Kill as the second, and Stay Tuned for Danger as the third.
In addition to the games created by Her Interactive for the PC, a new game for the Nintendo DS is being released in September 2007 by Majesco Entertainment Company. The game, called "Nancy Drew and the Deadly Secret of Olde World Park," will let players will help Nancy solve the mystery of a missing billioniare. The game was developed by Gorilla Systems Co. [2][3]
[edit] References
- ^ Peter A. Soderbergh, "The Stratemeyer Strain," in: Sheila Egoff, G. T. Stubbs, and L. F. Ashley, eds., Only Connect: Readings on Children's Literature, New York, Oxford University Press; second edition, 1980; p. 73.
- ^ "'Nancy Drew makes her debut on Nintendo DS'", TurboNuts, 2007-02-07. Retrieved on 2007-08-11.
- ^ "'Nancy Drew the Deadly Secret of Olde World Park'", Modojo, 2007-07-13. Retrieved on 2007-08-11.
[edit] External links
- Around the World with Nancy Drew - fan site with comprehensive foreign editions information and interesting features
- Literarture®'s Nancy Drew® Dust Jacket Collection - licensed by Simon and Schuster, site offers beautiful dust jacket prints from restored classic art for original Nancy Drew series and features historical information and thumbnails of cover art
- Nancy Drew Mania* - computer game fansite
- Bookloversden - fan site with character change information
- The Unofficial Nancy Drew Home Page - fan site with information on series and collectibles
- Internet Book List - list of published Nancy Drew books
- Nancy Drew at Series Books for Girls - fan site with cover art galleries, checklists, and collecting information
- Her Interactive - official homepage of Her Interactive, makers of the Nancy Drew games
- Big Fish Games - Partner of Her Interactive and first portal to distribute downloadable versions of Nancy Drew Games
- Games for Girls: A Look at Her Interactive's Nancy Drew Series - detailed review of the series and individual games
- Nancy Drew Enthusiast - fan site which tracks Nancy news
- MysteryNet's Nancy Drew Website - the Nancy Drew website by MysteryNet
- "Girl Sleuth: Nancy Drew and the Women Who Created Her" - website for a new history of the Nancy Drew series and the Stratemeyer Syndicate published by Harcourt.
- Girl-Detective.org: A Nancy Drew Game Fansite & Fanlisting - An ever growing fansite and fanlisting for all the Nancy Drew games.
- 1987 audio interview with Nancy Axelrad, one of the authors of Nancy Drew by Don Swaim
- Watch the 1939 Film "Nancy Drew... Reporter"
- Download the 1939 Film "Nancy Drew... Reporter"
