Nancy Drew

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For the film, see Nancy Drew (2007 film).
The Secret of the Old Clock, the first Nancy Drew mystery

Nancy Drew is a fictional young amateur detective in various mystery series for children and teens. Created by Edward Stratemeyer, founder of the Stratemeyer Syndicate, a book packager, the character first appeared in 1930. The books have been ghostwritten by a number of authors and are published under the collective pseudonym Carolyn Keene.[1]

Over the decades, the character has evolved in response to changes in American culture and tastes. The books were extensively revised beginning in 1959, largely to eliminate racist stereotypes;[2] many claim that in the process the original, outspoken heroine's character was toned down and made more docile, conventional, and demure.[3] In the 1980s, a new series was created, the Nancy Drew Files, which featured an older and more professional Nancy and plots that focused on romance.[4][5] In 2004, the original Nancy Drew Mystery Stories series begun in 1930 was ended and a new series, Girl Detective, was launched, featuring an updated version of the character who drives a hybrid vehicle and uses a cell phone. The character's visual portrayal has likewise evolved over time, from a fearless, active young woman to a fearful or passive one.[6]

Through all these changes, the character has proved continuously popular world-wide; at least 80 million copies of the books have been sold altogether,[7] and the books have been translated into over two dozen languages. Nancy Drew has also been featured in five films, two television shows, and a number of popular computer games, and she appears in a variety of merchandise sold over the world.

A cultural icon, Nancy Drew has been cited as a formative influence by a number of prominent women, from Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor[8] and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton[9] to former First Lady Laura Bush.[10] Feminist literary critics have analyzed the character's long-lasting appeal, arguing variously that Nancy Drew is a mythic hero, an expression of wish fulfillment,[11] or an embodiment of contradictory ideas about femininity.[12]

Contents

[edit] Character

Nancy Drew is a fictional 18- (16-, in some versions) year-old amateur sleuth.[13] She lives in the fictional town of River Heights[14] with her father, attorney Carson Drew, and their housekeeper, Hannah Gruen.[15] Nancy does not have a job or go to school, and spends her time solving mysteries, some of which she stumbles upon and some of which begin as cases of her father's. Nancy is often assisted in solving mysteries by her two closest friends, Bess Marvin and George Fayne. Nancy is also occasionally assisted by her boyfriend, Ned Nickerson.

Nancy never lacks for money and often travels to far-away locations, such as India in The Mystery of the Ivory Charm, Austria in Captive Witness, and Japan in The Runaway Bride. Nancy is also able to travel freely about the United States, thanks to her car, which in most books is a blue convertible.[16] Despite the trouble and presumed expense to which she goes to solve mysteries, Nancy never accepts monetary compensation.[17]

[edit] Creation of character

All Nancy Drew books are published under the pseudonym Carolyn Keene. The books are actually written by a number of ghostwriters, under the supervision of the Stratemeyer Syndicate (from 1930 to 1986) and book packager Mega-Books (1986-present).[18]

The character was conceived by Edward Stratemeyer, founder of the Stratemeyer Syndicate. Stratemeyer had created the Hardy Boys series in 1926 (although the first volumes were not published until 1927), and the series had been such a success that Stratemeyer decided to create a similar series for girls featuring an amateur girl detective as their heroine. While Stratemeyer believed that a woman's place was the home, he was aware that the Hardy Boys books were popular with girl readers and wished to capitalize on girls' interest in mysteries with a strong female heroine.[19]

Stratemeyer initially pitched the new series to Hardy Boys publishers Grosset & Dunlap as the "Stella Strong Stories," adding that "'they might also be called “Diana Drew Stories,” “Diana Dare Stories,” “Nan Nelson Stories,” “Nan Drew Stories,” or “Helen Hale Stories.""[20] Stratemeyer accordingly began writing plot outlines and hired Mildred Wirt, later Mildred Wirt Benson, to ghostwrite the first volumes in the series.[21] Subsequent titles have been written by a number of different ghostwriters.

The first four titles were published in 1930, and were an immediate success. Exact sales figures are not available for the years prior to 1979, but some indication of the books’ level of popularity can be seen in a letter that Laura Harris, a Grosset and Dunlap editor, wrote to the Syndicate in 1931, eager to discover if another Nancy Drew was on its way: "'can you let us have the manuscript as soon as possible, and no later than July 10? There will only be three or four titles brought out then and the Nancy Drew is one of the most important.'"[22] The 6,000 copies that Macy’s ordered for the 1933 Christmas season sold out within days.[23] In 1934 Fortune magazine featured the Syndicate in a cover story, and singled Nancy Drew out for particular attention: “’Nancy is the greatest phenomenon among all the fifty-centers. She is a best seller. How she crushed a Valhalla that had been rigidly restricted to the male of her species is a mystery even to her publishers.’”[24]

[edit] Ghostwriters

Edward Stratemeyer, the founder of the Stratemeyer Syndicate and creator of the character of "Nancy Drew"

All Drew books have been written by ghostwriters. In accordance with the customs of Stratemeyer Syndicate series production, ghostwriters for the Syndicate signed away all rights to authorship or future royalties, and they agreed not to speak publicly of their authorship, to protect the fiction that the name on the cover was an actual person.[25] All correspondence with the publisher was handled through a Stratemeyer Syndicate office. The Syndicate was able to enlist the cooperation of libraries in hiding the ghostwriters' names; when Walter Karig, who wrote volumes 8 through 10 of the original Nancy Drew Mystery Stories, tried to claim rights with the Library of Congress in 1933, the Syndicate instructed the Library of Congress not to reveal the names of any Nancy Drew authors, a move with which the Library of Congress complied.[26]

The Syndicate's process for creating the Nancy Drew books consisted of creating a detailed outline, with all elements of plot; drafting a manuscript; and editing the manuscript. Edward Stratemeyer and his daughters Harriet Adams and Edna Stratemeyer Squier wrote most of the outlines for the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories until 1979. Volume 30, The Clue of the Velvet Mask, was outlined by Andrew Svenson. A number of other writers wrote the manuscripts. Most of the early volumes were written by Mildred Wirt Benson. Other volumes were written Walter Karig, George Waller, Jr., Margaret Scherf, Wilhelmina Rankin, Alma Sasse, Charles Strong, Iris Vinton,[27] and Patricia Doll. Edward Stratemeyer edited the first three volumes and Harriet Adams edited most subsequent volumes until her death in 1982. In 1959, the earlier titles were revised, largely by Adams.[28]

After Adams's death in 1982, series production was overseen by Nancy Axelrad (who also wrote several volumes) and then sold, with the Stratemeyer Syndicate, in 1986 to Simon and Schuster. Book packager Mega-Books subsequently hired authors to write the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories and a new series, the Nancy Drew Files.[29]

[edit] Legal disputes

In 1980, dissatisfied with the lack of creative control at Grosset & Dunlap and the lack of publicity for the Hardy Boys' 50th anniversary in 1977, Harriet Adams switched publishers to Simon and Schuster. Grosset & Dunlap filed suit against the Syndicate and the new publishers, Simon and Schuster, citing "'breach of contract, copyright infringement, and unfair competition.'"[30]

Adams filed a countersuit, claiming the case was in poor taste and frivolous, and that, as author of the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories, she retained the rights to her work. 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 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. Furthermore, any new publishers chosen by Adams were completely within their rights to print new titles.[31]

[edit] Evolution of character

See also: Category:Nancy Drew characters

Nancy Drew has often been described as a supergirl who is "as immaculate and self-possessed as a Miss America on tour. She is as cool as a Mata Hari and as sweet as Betty Crocker."[32] Nancy is wealthy, attractive, and amazingly talented:

At sixteen she ‘had studied psychology in school and was familiar with the power of suggestion and association.’ Nancy was a fine painter, spoke French, and had frequently run motor boats. She was a skilled driver who at sixteen ‘flashed into the garage with a skill born of long practice.’ The prodigy was a sure shot, an excellent swimmer, skillful oarsman, expert seamstress, gourmet cook, and a fine bridge player. Nancy brilliantly played tennis and golf, and rode like a cowboy. Nancy danced like Ginger Rogers and could administer first aid like the Mayo brothers.[33]

The character of Nancy Drew has gone through many permutations over the years. The Nancy Drew Mystery Stories were revised beginning in 1959;[34] many commentators agree that Nancy’s character changed significantly from the original Nancy of the 30s and 40s.[35] Commentators also often see a difference between the Nancy Drew of the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories, the Nancy of the Nancy Drew Files, and the Nancy of the recent Girl Detective series.[36]

Nevertheless, some commentators find no significant difference between the different permutations of Nancy Drew. Many find Nancy to be simply a good role model for girls.[37] Despite revisions, “[w]hat hasn’t changed … are [Nancy’s] basic values, her goals, her humility, and her magical gift for having at least nine lives. For more than six decades, her essence has remained intact.”[38] Nancy is a “teen detective queen” who

offers girl readers something more than action-packed adventure: she gives them something original. Convention has it that girls are passive, respectful, and emotional, but with the energy of a girl shot out of a cannon, Nancy bends conventions and acts out every girl’s fantasies of power.[39]

Finally, still other commentators see Nancy as “a paradox—which may be why feminists can laud her as a formative 'girl power' icon and conservatives can love her well-scrubbed middle-class values.”[40]

[edit] 1930–1959

Nancy Drew is depicted as an independent-minded 16-year-old who has already completed her high school education, 16 being the minimum age for graduation at that time. By the mid 1940s her age is given as 18. 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. Nancy lives with her father, criminal defense attorney Carson Drew, and their housekeeper, Mrs. Hannah Gruen. Some critics admire most the Nancy of these volumes, largely written by Mildred Benson. Benson is credited with “[breathing] … a feisty spirit into Nancy’s character.”[41] The original Nancy Drew is sometimes claimed “to be a lot like [Benson] herself – confident, competent, and totally independent, quite unlike the cardboard character that [Edward] Stratemeyer had outlined.”[42]

This original Nancy is frequently outspoken and authoritative, so much so that Edward Stratemeyer thought that the character was "'much too flip, and would never be well-received.'"[43] The editors at Grosset & Dunlap disagreed,[43] but Benson was to continue to receive criticism from her next Stratemeyer Syndicate editor, Harriet Adams, who felt that Benson should make Nancy’s character more “’sympathetic, kind-hearted and lovable.’” Adams repeatedly asked Benson to, in Benson’s words, “’make the sleuth less bold. . . . “Nancy said” became “Nancy said sweetly,” “she said kindly,” and the like, all designed to produce a less abrasive more caring type of character.’”[44] Many readers and commentators, however, admire this original Nancy’s outspoken character.[3]

A prominent critic of the Nancy Drew character, at least the Nancy of these early Nancy Drew Mystery Stories,[45] is mystery writer Bobbie Ann Mason. Mason contends that Nancy’s popularity is due largely to “the appeal of her high-class advantages.”[46] Mason also criticizes the series for its racism and classism,[47] arguing that Nancy is the upper-class WASP defender of a “fading aristocracy, threatened by the restless lower classes.”[48] Mason further contends that the

most appealing elements of these daredevil girl sleuth adventure books are (secretly) of this kind: tea and fancy cakes, romantic settings, food eaten in quaint places (never a Ho-Jo’s), delicious pauses that refresh, old-fashioned picnics in the woods, precious jewels and heirlooms…. The word dainty is a subversive affirmation of a feminized universe.[49]

At bottom, says Mason, the character of Nancy Drew is that of a girl who is able to be “perfect” because she is “free, white, and sixteen”[50] and whose “stories seem to satisfy two standards – adventure and domesticity. But adventure is the superstructure, domesticity the bedrock.”[51]

Others argue that

Nancy, despite her traditionally feminine attributes, such as good looks, a variety of clothes for all social occasions, and an awareness of good housekeeping, is often praised for her seemingly masculine traits…she operates best independently, has the freedom and money to do as she pleases, and outside of a telephone call or two home, seems to live for solving mysteries rather than participating in family life.[52]

[edit] 1959–1979

At the insistence of publishers Grosset & Dunlap, the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories were revised beginning in 1959, both to make the books more modern and to eliminate racist stereotypes.[53] Although Harriet Adams felt that these changes were unnecessary, she oversaw a complete rehaul of the series, as well as writing new volumes in keeping with the new guidelines laid down by Grosset & Dunlap.[54] The series did not so much eliminate racial stereotypes, however, as eliminate non-white characters altogether.[55] For example, in the original version of The Hidden Window Mystery, Nancy visits friends in the south whose African-American servant, “lovable old Beulah[,] serves squabs, sweet potatoes, corn pudding, piping hot biscuits, and strawberry shortcake.”[56] The mistress of the house waits until Beulah has left the room and then says to Nancy, “’I try to make things easier for Beulah but she insists on cooking and serving everything the old-fashioned way. I must confess, though, that I love it.’”[57] In the revised version, Beulah becomes Anna, a “plump, smiling housekeeper”[58] whose race is not made explicit.

Many other changes were relatively minor. Nancy’s age was raised from sixteen to eighteen, her mother was said to have died when Nancy was three, rather than ten, and other small changes were made.[41] Housekeeper Hannah Gruen became less of a servant and more of a mother surrogate.[59]

Many claim that Nancy’s character also changed significantly: “The character of Nancy Drew also underwent a dramatic change: the strong-willed teen was having her personality diluted, causing her to lose her characteristic independence.”[3] The books were also shortened from 25 chapters to 20; the pacing was consequently quickened. Some commentators are less concerned about the attempted elimination of racial stereotypes from these books than about the more choppy writing style:

The revisions shortened the books and left out a lot of the prejudices and stereotypes from the original text volumes. They also quickened the pace of the texts. The originals really develop the story, the scenes, and the characters in much more detail than do the revised texts. Consequently, most collectors who grew up with the originals would not have the revised texts for anything![41]

Other critics see the Nancy of the 50s, 60s, and 70s as an improvement in some ways, a step back in others:

In these new editions, an array of elements had been modified…and most of the more overt elements of racism had been excised. In an often overlooked alteration, however, the tomboyishness of the text’s title character was also tamed.[60]

Nancy becomes much more respectful of male authority figures in the 50s, 60s, and 70s, leading some to claim that the revised Nancy simply becomes too agreeable: “[I]n her new incarnation, Nancy was leveled out, homogenized….In the revised books, Nancy is relentlessly upbeat, puts up with her father’s increasingly protective tendencies, and, when asked if she goes to church in the 1969 The Clue of the Tapping Heels, replies, ‘As often as I can’…. Nancy learns to hold her tongue; she doesn’t sass the dumb cops like she used to.”[61]

[edit] 1980–2003

In a change from earlier portrayals of the character, Nancy is pictured on the cover of Hit and Run Holiday as focused on the young man who seems interested in her, rather than on investigating a clue.

In 1982, Harriet Adams died; her protege, Nancy Axelrad oversaw production of the Nancy Drew books briefly before the Stratemeyer Syndicate was sold to Simon and Schuster. Simon and Schuster turned to book packager Mega-Books for new writers.[62] The books and Nancy's character began to change as a result, although there is disagreement as to the nature of this change. Some contend that Nancy's character becomes “more like Mildred Wirt Benson’s original heroine than any [version] since 1956."[63] Others criticize the series for its increasing incorporation of romance and "[dilution] of pre-feminist moxie."[64] A notorious example is volume 78 in the series, The Phantom of Venice, which opens with Nancy wondering in italics, “Am I or am I not in love with Ned Nickerson?"[65] Nancy begins dating other young men and acknowledges sexual desires: "‘I saw [you kissing him]. . . . You don’t have to apologize to me if some guy turns you on.’ ‘Gianni doesn’t turn me on! . . . Won’t you please let me explain.’”[66]

For the first time, the character of Nancy Drew was used in a new series. The Nancy Drew Files series was created in 1987 and lasted until 1997. The Nancy of the Nancy Drew Files is also interested in romance and boys, a fact which led to much criticism of the series: “Millie [Mildred Wirt Benson] purists tend to look askance upon the Files series, in which fleeting pecks bestowed on Nancy by her longtime steady, Ned Nickerson, give way to lingering embraces in a Jacuzzi.”[67] Cover art for Files titles, such as Hit and Run Holiday, reflects these changes; Nancy is often dressed provocatively, often in short skirts, shirts that reveal her stomach or bust, or a bathing suit. She is always pictured with an attentive, handsome male in the background, and often appears aware of and interested in that male. Nancy also becomes more vulnerable, being often chloroformed into unconsciousness or defenseless against chokeholds.

Other critics argue that

While the later books have Nancy as concerned about boys as mysteries (especially On Campus series), in other ways she has matured. In the original version of The Haunted Bridge, Nancy blushed when told she would make a good nurse; "'Have you ever studied nursing?' he asked Nancy abruptly. 'Oh no, I've had only training in first aid.' 'You seem to have missed your calling,' the doctor told her with a smile. 'You appear to have a natural bent for nursing.' Nancy flushed at the praise." In Bad Medicine, Files #35, Ned teased Nancy about being a good nurse, but she didn't "flush with pleasure." Instead she retorted, "Very funny. I was thinking more about Doctor Drew."[4]

Nancy Drew finally went to college in the Nancy Drew On Campus series, which ran from 1995 to 1998. Again, the books focused on romance plots, and, by reader request, Nancy broke off her long-term relationship with boyfriend Ned Nickerson in the second volume of the series, On Her Own.[68][41]

[edit] 2004–present

In 2003, publishers Simon and Schuster decided to end the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories series and feature Nancy’s character in a new mystery series, Girl Detective. The Nancy Drew of Girl Detective drives a hybrid car, uses a cell phone, and recounts her mysteries in the first person. Many applaud these changes, usually on the ground that Nancy has not really changed at all other than learning to use a cell phone (the title of a Newsweek article, "Nancy’s Still Nice,"[69] is typical), or, less often, on the ground that the books are now more realistic. Nancy, these commentators argue, is now a less-perfect and therefore more likeable being, one whom girls can more easily relate to; a better role model than the old Nancy because one who can actually be emulated, rather than a "prissy automaton of perfection."[70] Still others vociferously lament the changes, seeing Nancy as a silly, airheaded girl whose trivial adventures (discovering who squished the squash in Without a Trace) "hold a shallow mirror to a pre-teen’s world."[71]

[edit] Evolution of character's appearance

Nancy Drew has been illustrated by many artists over the years, and her look constantly updated. Both the Stratemeyer Syndicate and the books' publishers have exercised control over the way Nancy is depicted.[72]

The Hidden Staircase, with cover art by Russell H. Tandy

Some contend that Nancy's portrayal devolves significantly over the years:

The 1930’s Nancy Drew is characterized as bold, capable and independent. She actively seeks out clues, and is shown in the center of the compositions. In subsequent characterizations Nancy Drew becomes progressively weaker, less in control. By the 1990’s there is a complete reversal in the representation of her character. She is often shown being chased or threatened, the confidence of the 1930’s being replaced by fear.[73]

Some aspects of Nancy's portrayal have remained relatively constant through the decades. Arguably her most characteristic physical depiction is holding a flashlight.[74]

[edit] Russell H. Tandy

Commercial artist Russell H. Tandy was the first artist to illustrate Nancy Drew. Tandy was a fashion artist and infused Nancy with a contemporary fashion sensibility: Nancy's early style is that of a sophisticated young girl with immaculately curled hair, pearls, high heels, and elegant dresses. 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.[75]

Tandy painted the dust jackets and drew the inside sketches for volumes 1 through 10 and 12 through 26 (the artist for volume 11 is unknown). He drew the inside sketches for volume 11, The Clue of the Broken Locket, but not the cover. Tandy "read every text before he began sketching, so his early covers were closely connected to specific scenes in the plots. He also hand-painted the cover lettering, an art in itself."[76] He also designed the original Nancy Drew logo: a silhouette of Nancy, full-figure, bending slightly and looking through a quizzing glass.[77]

Tandy often portrays Nancy Drew with confident, assertive body language. She is generally visually in the center of the action, and never appears "shocked, trepidatious, or scared."[78] When Nancy is not boldly in the center of the action, she is portrayed as actively, but secretively, investigating a clue. She is often observed by a menacing figure and appears to be in imminent danger, but her confident expression suggests to viewers that she is in control of the situation.[79]

Tandy's home was struck by fire in 1962, and most of his original paintings and sketches were destroyed. As a result, the Tandy dustjackets are considered very valuable by collectors.[80]

[edit] Bill Gillies and others

The Hidden Staircase, with cover art by Bill Gillies

Beginning in the early 1950s, Nancy's look was updated. Following the postwar 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, were introduced in 1948, and continued with new artist Bill Gillies, who updated 10 covers and illustrated three new jackets from 1950 to 1952. Gillies also designed the modern-era trademark as a spine symbol: Nancy's head in profile, looking through a quizzing glass.[81]

Beginning in the 1940s, and continuing throughout the 1950s, Nancy is less likely to be depicted as in the center of the action. Instead, she is likely to be observing others;[82] Her mouth is often open in surprise, and she hides her body from view.[83] however, although Nancy "expresses surprise, she is not afraid. She appears to be a bit taken aback by what she sees, but she looks as if she is still in control of the situation."[84]

[edit] Rudy Nappi and others

The Strange Message in the Parchment, with cover art by Rudy Nappi

Rudy Nappi, artist from 1953 to 1979, illustrates a more average teenager. Nappi was asked by Grosset & Dunlap's art director to update Nancy's appearance, especially her wardrobe. Nappi gave Nancy Peter Pan collars, a flip haircut, and the occasional pair of jeans. Nancy's hair color was changed from blonde to strawberry-blonde, reddish-blonde or titian by the end of the decade. The change, due to a printing ink error, was considered so favorable that it was adopted in the text.[85]

In 1962, all Grosset & Dunlap books become "picture covers," to reduce production costs. Several of the 1940s cover illustrations were updated by Rudy Nappi for this change, but contained the original story. Internal illustrations had been dropped for a time, but were returned to the books beginning in 1954.[41]

Unlike Tandy, Nappi did not read the books before illustrating them; instead, his wife read them and provided him with a brief plot summary before Nappi began painting.[86] Nappi's first cover was for The Clue of the Velvet Mask, where he began a trend of portraying Nancy as "bobby-soxer ... a contemporary sixteen-year-old. This Nancy was perky, clean-cut, and extremely animated. In the majority of his covers Nancy looks startled - which, no doubt, she was."[87]

Earlier Nappi covers show Nancy in poses similar to those in the covers by Tandy and Gillies. Later Nappi covers show only Nancy's head, surrounded by smaller pictures of people and clues from the story. Often, “Nancy’s face wears the blank expression of one lost in thought.”[88] Nancy frequently appears passive.[89]

[edit] Nancy in the 80s, 90s, and 2000s

Nancy is shown in danger on the cover of The Case of the Vanishing Veil and other covers from the 1980s. Unlike in earlier covers from the series, she is not completely in control of the situation.

Ruth Sanderson and Paul Frame provided cover art and interior illustrations for the first Nancy Drew paperbacks, published under the Wanderer imprint. Other artists, including Aleta Jenks and others whose names are unknown,[90] provided cover art, but no interior illustrations, for later paperbacks. Nancy is portrayed as "a wealthy, privileged sleuth who looks pretty and alert.... The colors, and Nancy's facial features, are often so vivid that some of the covers look more like glossy photographs than paintings."[91]

Nancy is frequently portrayed pursuing a suspect,[92] examining a clue, or observing action. She is often also shown in peril:[93] being chased, falling off a boat, or hanging by a rope from rafters. These covers are

characterized by frenetic energy on Nancy’s part; whether she is falling, limbs flailing, an alarmed look on her face, or whether she is running, hair flying, body bent, face breathless. Nancy does not have any control over the events that are happening in these covers. She is shown to be a victim, being hunted and attacked by unseen foes.[94]

Nancy is also sometimes pursued by a visibly threatening foe, as on the cover of The Case of the Vanishing Veil.

The covers of the Nancy Drew Files and Girl Detective series represent further departures from the bold, confident character portrayed by Tandy. The Nancy portrayed on the covers of the Nancy Drew Files is "a markedly sexy Nancy, with a handsome young man always lurking in the background. Her clothes often reveal an ample bustline and her expression is mischievous."[95] In the Girl Detective series, Nancy's face is depicted on each cover in fragments. Her eyes, for example, are confined to a strip across the top of the cover while her mouth is located near the spine in a box independent of her eyes (see Girl Detective page).

[edit] Literarture's Nancy Drew Dust Jacket Collection

In late 2006, Literarture, licensed by publisher Simon and Schuster, began releasing prints of classic Nancy Drew dust jacket artwork by Russell Tandy, Bill Gillies, and Rudy Nappi derived from high-quality old dustjackets and, in some cases, the original paintings themselves. Through website polls, visitors can determine which artist's work is selected to represent different volumes in the collection.[41] The jackets are commercially printed and can either be framed or wrapped 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. Nearly four dozen covers have been released to date.[96]

[edit] Books

Main article: List of Nancy Drew books

Nancy Drew has appeared in hundreds of books in a number of different series, in particular the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories, the Nancy Drew Files, and Girl Detective.

[edit] Foreign publications

The Nancy Drew Mystery Stories, Nancy Drew Files, and Girl Detective books have been translated into a number of languages besides English. Estimates vary from between 14 and 25 languages,[97] but 25 seems the most accurate number.[98] Nancy Drew books have been published in European, Scandinavian, Latin American, and Asian countries, with the exception of China.

Nancy's name is often changed in foreign editions: in France, she is known as Alice Roy; in Sweden, as Kitty Drew; in Finland, as Paula Drew;[98] and in Norway the book series has the name of Frøken Detektiv (meaning Miss Detective) while the heroines personal name inside the book is still Nancy Drew.[99] In Germany, Nancy is a German law student named Susanne Langen. George Fayne's name is even more frequently changed, to Georgia, Joyce, Kitty, or Marion. Cover art and series order is often changed as well, and in most countries, not all Drew books are available in translation.

The character of Nancy Drew seems to be more popular in some countries than others. Nancy Drew books have been in print in Denmark since 1958, and in Norway and France also since the 1950s. Other countries, such as Estonia, have only recently begun printing Nancy Drew books.[98]

[edit] Film and television

Five feature films, one TV film, and two television shows featuring Nancy Drew have been produced to date. The films and television shows have enjoyed only limited success; no television show featuring Nancy Drew lasted longer than two years, and film portrayals of the character have met with mixed reviews.

[edit] Films

Bonita Granville as Nancy Drew

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) (December 1938), Nancy Drew: Reporter (March 1939), Nancy Drew: Trouble Shooter (September 1939), and Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase (November 1939).[100]

A fifth movie may have been planned or even produced, but was never released; actor Frankie Thomas believes that he and Granville made five movies, not four,[101] and in a letter to Mildred Benson written in August 1939, Harriet Adams writes that "three have been shown in this area, and I have just heard that a fifth is in production."[102]

Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase was the only film to borrow its title from a book in the series, although the plot was altered substantially. One critic wrote that "the only similarity between the book and the film was the word staircase."[103] Characters' names were changed; Nancy's boyfriend Ned Nickerson became Ted Nickerson, as Ned was considered too old-fashioned,[104] and housekeeper Hannah Gruen was renamed Effie Schneider. Nancy's friends George and Bess were eliminated completely, "mystery elements were downplayed, plots simplified, and the romance spiced up."[105] To promote the film, Warner Brothers created a Nancy Drew fan club that included a set of rules, such as: "Must have steady boy friend, in the sense of a 'pal'" and must "Take part in choosing own clothes."[106]

Critical reaction to these films is mixed. Some find that the movies did not "depict the true Nancy Drew",[107] in part because Granville's Nancy "blatantly used her feminine wiles (and enticing bribes)" to accomplish her goals, and in part because the character is outspoken: in Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase, Nancy refers to the police chief as "a 'conceited tweet-tweet' - a show of disrespect the real Nancy wouldn't dream of!"[108] Nevertheless, Mildred Benson, the author of most Nancy Drew books at the time, liked the films.[109]

A new movie adaptation of Nancy Drew was released on June 15, 2007 by Warner Brothers Pictures, with Emma Roberts as Nancy Drew, Max Thieriot as Ned Nickerson and Tate Donovan as Carson Drew. As with the earlier Drew films, reactions were mixed. Some see the film as updated version of the basic character: "although it has been glammed up for the lucrative tween demographic, the movie retains the best parts of the books, including, of course, their intelligent main character."[110] Others find the movie "jolting" because Nancy's "new classmates prefer shopping to sleuthing, and Nancy's plaid skirt and magnifying glass make her something of a dork, not the town hero she was in the Midwest."[111]

[edit] Television

A television series called The Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries ran from 1977 to 1979 on ABC.[112] It initially starred 24-year-old Pamela Sue Martin as the girl detective, but she was replaced by Janet Louise Johnson for the second season.[113]

In 1989, Canadian production company Nelvana began filming for a second Nancy Drew television series, to be called "Nancy Drew and Daughter." Margot Kidder was cast as an adult Nancy Drew and her daughter as Nancy's daughter; however, Kidder was injured during filming of the first episode when the brakes failed on the car she was driving, and production was cancelled.[114]

Nelvana began production of another Nancy Drew television show in 1995. Tracy Ryan starred as Nancy Drew, but the show was cancelled after one season.[115] The American Broadcasting Company aired a TV film featuring Maggie Lawson as Nancy Drew in 2002.[41]

[edit] Computer games

Her Interactive began publishing Nancy Drew computer games in 1998. Some titles are taken from published Nancy Drew books, such as The Secret of the Old Clock; others are not. The games are targeted at girls "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.[116] A number of games have been released, including:

Her Interactive has also released several versions of their Nancy Drew games in French, as part of a series called Les Enquêtes de Nancy Drew,[98] and a number of shorter games as part of a series called the Nancy Drew Dossier.[117] Her Interactive has also released The White Wolf of Icicle Creek on the Nintendo Wii system, as of December 2008.

In addition to the games created by Her Interactive for the PC, a new game for the Nintendo DS was released in September 2007 by Majesco Entertainment. The game, called Nancy Drew: Deadly Secret of Olde World Park, will let players help Nancy solve the mystery of a missing billionaire. The game was developed by Gorilla Systems Co.[118][119] Majesco has also released two other Nancy Drew games for the DS, entitled Nancy Drew: The Mystery of the Clue Bender Society (released July 2008)[120] and Nancy Drew: The Hidden Staircase, based on the second book in the original Nancy Drew Mystery Stories series (released September 2008).[121]

[edit] Merchandising

A number of Nancy Drew products have been licensed over the years, primarily in the 50s, 60s, and 70s. Parker Brothers produced a "Nancy Drew Mystery Game" in 1957 with the approval of the Stratemeyer Syndicate. In 1967 Madame Alexander produced a Nancy Drew doll. The doll carried binoculars and camera and was available in two outfits: a plaid coat or a dress and short jacket. Harriet Adams disapproved of the doll's design, believing Nancy's face to be too childish, but the doll was marketed nonetheless. Various Nancy Drew coloring, activity, and puzzle books have also been published, as has a Nancy Drew puzzle. A Nancy Drew Hallowe'en costume and a Nancy Drew lunchbox were produced in the 1970s as television show tie-ins.[122]

[edit] Cultural impact

The cultural impact of Nancy Drew has been enormous. The immediate success of the series led directly to the creation of numerous other girls' mysteries series, such as The Dana Girls Mystery Stories and the Kay Tracey Mystery Stories,[123] and the phenomenal sales of the character Edward Stratemeyer feared was "too flip" encouraged publishers to market many other girls' mystery series, such as the Judy Bolton Series, and to request authors of series such as the Cherry Ames Nurse Stories to incorporate mystery elements in their works.[124]

Many prominent and successful women cite Nancy Drew as an early formative influence whose character encouraged them to take on unconventional roles, including Supreme Court Justices Sandra Day O'Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsberg; journalist Barbara Walters; singer Beverly Sills;[125] mystery authors Sara Paretsky and Nancy Pickard; scholar Carolyn Heilbrun; Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton; former First Lady Laura Bush;[9] and former president of the National Organization for Women Karen DeCrow.[126] Less prominent women also credit the character of Nancy Drew with helping them to become stronger women; when the first Nancy Drew conference was held, at the University of Iowa, in 1993, conference organizers received a flood of calls from women who "all had stories to tell about how instrumental Nancy had been in their lives, and about how she had inspired, comforted, entertained them through their childhoods, and, for a surprising number of women, well into adulthood."[127]

Nancy Drew's popularity continues unabated. In 2002, the first Nancy Drew book published, The Secret of the Old Clock, alone sold 150,000 copies,[128] good enough for top-50 ranking in children’s books,[129] and other Nancy Drew books sell over 100,000 copies each.[130]Sales of the hardcover volumes of the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories alone have surpassed even sales of Agatha Christie titles,[131] and newer titles in the Girl Detective series have reached the New York Times bestseller lists.[128] Approximately 10 new Drew titles are released a year, in both book and graphic novel form, and a sequel to the 2007 Nancy Drew film is planned.[132] So pervasive is her cultural impact that Entertainment Weekly ranked her seventeenth on its list of "The Top 20 Heroes". The magazine explains that they included her on its list because as the "first female hero embraced by most little girls, Drew lived in an endless summer of never-ending adventures and unlimited potential." The magazine goes on to cite Scooby-Doo’s Velma Dinkley as well as Veronica Mars as Nancy Drew's "copycat descendants."[74]

Many feminist critics have pondered the reason for the character's iconic status. Nancy's car, and her skill in driving and repairing it, is often cited. Melanie Rehak points to Nancy's famous blue roadster (now a blue hybrid) as a symbol of "ultimate freedom and independence."[125] Not only does Nancy have the freedom to go where she pleases (a freedom other, similar characters such as The Dana Girls do not have), she is also able to change a tire and fix a flawed distributor, prompting Paretsky to argue that in "a nation where car mechanics still mock or brush off complaints by women Nancy remains a significant role model."[133]

Nancy also is treated with respect; her decisions are rarely questioned and she is trusted by those around her. Male authority figures believe her statements, and neither her father nor Hannah Gruen, the motherly housekeeper, "place ... restrictions on her comings and goings."[134] Nancy's father not only imposes no restrictions on his daughter, but trusts her both with her own car and his gun (in the original version of The Hidden Staircase), asks her advice on a frequent basis, and accedes to all her requests. Some critics, such as Betsy Caprio, argue that Nancy's relationship with her continually approving father is satisfying to girl readers because it allows them to vicariously experience a fulfilled Electra complex.[135]

Unlike other girl detectives, Nancy does not go to school (for reasons that are never explained), and she thus has complete autonomy. Similar characters, such as Kay Tracey, do go to school, and not only lose a degree of independence but also of authority. The fact of a character's being a school-girl reminds "the reader, however fleetingly, of the prosaic realities of high-school existence, which rarely includes high adventures or an authoritative voice in the world of adults."[136]

Some see in Nancy's adventures a mythic quality. Nancy often explores secret passages, prompting Nancy Pickard to argue that Nancy Drew is a figure equivalent to the ancient Sumerian deity Inanna and that Nancy's "journeys into the 'underground'" are, in psychological terms, explorations of the unconscious.[137] Nancy is a heroic figure, undertaking her adventures not for the sake of adventure alone, but in order to help others, particularly the disadvantaged. For this reason, Nancy Drew has been called the modern embodiment of the character of "Good Deeds" in Everyman.[138]

In the end, many critics agree that at least part of Nancy Drew's popularity depends on the way in which the books and the character combine sometimes contradictory values:

For over 60 years, the Nancy Drew series has told readers that they can have the benefits of both dependence and independence without the drawbacks, that they can help the disadvantaged and remain successful capitalists, that they can be both elitist and democratic, that they can be both child and adult, and that they can be both "liberated" women and "Daddys' little girls."[139]

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Peters (2007), 542.
  2. ^ Rehak (2006), 243.
  3. ^ a b c Lapin.
  4. ^ a b Reid Harris.
  5. ^ Leigh Brown (1993), 1D.
  6. ^ Stowe (1999).
  7. ^ Inness (1997), 79.
  8. ^ McFeatters (2005), 36.
  9. ^ a b Burrell (2007).
  10. ^ Argetsinger and Roberts (2007), C03.
  11. ^ Sherrie A. Inness writes that in "many respects, Nancy Drew exists as a wish fulfillment." See Inness (1997), 175.
  12. ^ Chamberlain (1994).
  13. ^ Mitchell and Weber (1995), 84.
  14. ^ Fisher (2004), 71.
  15. ^ Macleod (1995), 31.
  16. ^ Inness (1997), 91.
  17. ^ Keene (1961), 198.
  18. ^ Plunkett-Powell (1993), 29.
  19. ^ Johnson (1993), 12.
  20. ^ Rehak (2006), 113-114.
  21. ^ Carpan (2008), 50.
  22. ^ Rehak (2006), 121.
  23. ^ Kismaric and Heiferman (2007), 27.
  24. ^ Plunkett-Powell (1993), 18.
  25. ^ Plunkett-Powell (1993), 24.
  26. ^ Plunkett-Powell (1993), 26-27.
  27. ^ Plunkett-Powell (1993), 39.
  28. ^ Rehak (2006), 245.
  29. ^ Plunkett-Powell (1993), 29.
  30. ^ Johnson (1993), 16.
  31. ^ Johnson (1993), 17.
  32. ^ Mason (1995), 50.
  33. ^ Jones (1973), 708.
  34. ^ Dyer and Romalov (1995), 194.
  35. ^ See, for example, Betsy Caprio, Geoffrey Lapin, Karen Plunkett-Powell, and Melanie Rehak.
  36. ^ See, for example, Maureen Corrigan, Sharon Reid Harris, and Jennifer White.
  37. ^ Gerstel (2007).
  38. ^ Plunkett-Powell (1993), 55.
  39. ^ Kismaric and Heiferman (2007), 8.
  40. ^ O'Rourke (2004).
  41. ^ a b c d e f g Fisher, "Nancy Drew, Sleuth."
  42. ^ Kismaric and Heiferman (2007), 24.
  43. ^ a b Plunkett-Powell (1993), 33.
  44. ^ Kismaric and Heiferman (2007), 28.
  45. ^ While Mason’s book was originally published in 1975, after the Drew books began to be revised and re-written, Mason cites the unrevised volumes almost exclusively.
  46. ^ Mason (1995), 49.
  47. ^ Mason (1995), 69-71.
  48. ^ Mason (1995), 73.
  49. ^ Mason (1995), 60.
  50. ^ Mason (1995), 50.
  51. ^ Mason (1995), 60.
  52. ^ Parry (1997), 148.
  53. ^ Carpan (2008), 15.
  54. ^ Rehak (2006), 243.
  55. ^ Rehak (2006), 248.
  56. ^ Mason (1995), 70.
  57. ^ Keene (1956), 64. Quoted in Mason (1995), 70.
  58. ^ Keene (1975), 35.
  59. ^ Kismaric and Heiferman (2007), 94.
  60. ^ Abate (2008), 167.
  61. ^ Kismaric and Heiferman (2007), 113-114.
  62. ^ Plunkett-Powell (1993), 29.
  63. ^ Caprio (1992), 27.
  64. ^ Torrance (2007), D01.
  65. ^ Keene (1985), 1.
  66. ^ Keene (1985), 111-112.
  67. ^ Leigh Brown (1993), 1D.
  68. ^ Drew (1997), 185.
  69. ^ Springen and Meadows(2005).
  70. ^ Benfer (2004), A15.
  71. ^ Corrigan (2004).
  72. ^ Rehak (2006), 228.
  73. ^ Stowe (1999), 1.
  74. ^ a b "The Top 20 Heroes," Entertainment Weekly 1041 (April 3, 2009): 36.
  75. ^ Stowe (1999), 15.
  76. ^ Plunkett-Powell (1993), 43.
  77. ^ Plunkett-Powell (1993), 44.
  78. ^ Stowe (1999), 26.
  79. ^ Stowe (1999), 32.
  80. ^ Plunkett-Powell (1993), 46.
  81. ^ Plunkett-Powell (1993), 46.
  82. ^ Stowe (1999), 30.
  83. ^ Stowe (1999), 30-31.
  84. ^ Stowe (1999), 32.
  85. ^ Plunkett-Powell (1993), 48.
  86. ^ Plunkett-Powell (1993), 49.
  87. ^ Plunkett-Powell (1993), 47.
  88. ^ Stowe (1999), 35.
  89. ^ Stowe (1999), 36.
  90. ^ Plunkett-Powell (1993), 52.
  91. ^ Plunkett-Powell (1993), 51.
  92. ^ Stowe (1999), 36.
  93. ^ Stowe (1999), 38.
  94. ^ Stowe (1999), 40.
  95. ^ Plunkett-Powell (1993), 51.
  96. ^ Literarture (2009).
  97. ^ Plunkett-Powell (1993), 160.
  98. ^ a b c d Shangraw Fox.
  99. ^ White.
  100. ^ Plunkett-Powell (1993), 113.
  101. ^ Plunkett-Powell (1993), 117.
  102. ^ Kismaric and Heiferman (2007), 103.
  103. ^ Kismaric and Heiferman (2007), 105.
  104. ^ Plunkett-Powell (1993), 113.
  105. ^ Kismaric and Heiferman (2007), 103.
  106. ^ Kismaric and Heiferman (2007), 116.
  107. ^ Plunkett-Powell (1993), 114.
  108. ^ Plunkett-Powell (1993), 115.
  109. ^ Kismaric and Heiferman (2007), 103.
  110. ^ Cheong (2007).
  111. ^ Brown (2007), D1.
  112. ^ Carpan (2008), 110.
  113. ^ Plunkett-Powell (1993), 121.
  114. ^ Canadian Press (1990).
  115. ^ Kismaric and Heiferman (2007), 122.
  116. ^ Szadkowski (2009).
  117. ^ Bella (2009).
  118. ^ TurboNuts (2007).
  119. ^ Musser (2007).
  120. ^ Szadkowski (2008).
  121. ^ Brown (2009).
  122. ^ Plunkett-Powell (1993), 158-167.
  123. ^ Rehak (2006), 162.
  124. ^ Billman (1986), 8.
  125. ^ a b Shulman (2007).
  126. ^ Rehak (2006), xii.
  127. ^ Nancy Tillman Romalov, quoted in Knowlton (1995), 21.
  128. ^ a b Eveld (2004).
  129. ^ Strauss (2004).
  130. ^ Leibrock (2004).
  131. ^ Paretsky (1991), i.
  132. ^ McClintock (2007).
  133. ^ Paretsky (1991), ii.
  134. ^ Paretsky (1991), iii.
  135. ^ Caprio (1992).
  136. ^ Macleod (1995), 33.
  137. ^ Pickard (1991), iii.
  138. ^ Lundin (2003), 123.
  139. ^ Chamberlain (1994), 3.

[edit] References


[edit] External links


v • d • e
Nancy Drew
Video Games
Other Works
Characters
People
See also
v • d • e
Juvenile Series books (1930-1979)
Girls' books
Beverly Gray (1934-1955) • Cherry Ames (1943-1968) • Connie Blair (1948-1956)

Dana Girls (1934-1979) • Ginny Gordon (1948-1956)

Judy Bolton (1932-1967) • Kay Tracey (1934-1942) • Nancy Drew (original series, 1930-1979)

Penny Parker (1939-1947) • Sue Barton (1936-1952)

Trixie Belden (1948-1986) • Vicki Barr (1947-1967)

 Tom Swift Jr series
Boys' books
Biff Brewster (1960-1965) • Bronc Burnett (1948-1967)

Chip Hilton (1948-1965) • The Hardy Boys (1927-1979) • Ken Holt (1949-1963)

Rick Brant (1947-1968) • Tom Corbett, Space Cadet (1952-1956)

Tom Quest (1947-1955) • Tom Swift, Jr. (1954-1971)
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