(1977) Hardy Boys/Nancy Drew Mysteries: "The Mystery of the Hollywood Phantom"

More info at: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0597016/

Dir: Stevn Stern Wri: Michael Sloan Cast: Parker Stevenson, Shaun Cassidy, Pamela Sue Martin

2 part mini saga. First appeared 9 October 1977. Season 2, Episode 5.

Haunted Music's Review:

Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys fly to LA to attend a Detective Convention. As soon as they arrive, they begin receiving threats. The messages themselves are written on the back of photos of themselves with the heads cut off and missing. Nancy and the Hardy Boys are not alone, many of the detectives at the convention share similiar pictures with similiar threats that they had found.

As entertainment for the Detective Convention, the group takes a tour of a movie studio which "may have some surprises on the way." Part way through the tour, Nancy notices that one of the detectives has gone missing. In his seat on the tour bus was the missing head piece of his threat photo. Nancy and one of the boys try looking for him, but are kicked off the lot.

Later at the Detective Convention, Nancy finds a connection. The lot they toured was filming "The House on Bracken Moor." She believes that the movie, the photos, and the missing detective are all connected. Deciding that the only way to find out for sure is to investigate, Nancy sneaks back into the studio to check out the lot that the film is being shot at. At the studio, she finds our "phantom" playing around with photos and objects on the set. She follows him out into the alley. The Phantom tries to scare her off the case by setting the mechanical Jaws on her and by running her down with a truck, but she managed to survive both and is more certain than ever that something is wrong with the studio.

Nancy returns to the hotel where the convention is taking place. More and more detectives are starting to go missing. Not only that, but a package with personal items of the victims and a ransom note were delievered to a detective at the con. The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew decide to investigate the lot where Nancy first saw the Phantom character.

At the studio, the gang is targetted once more. Frank and Nancy get help while Joe chases after the Phantom. Unfortunently, Joe gets kidnapped.

Nancy and Frank are alone now. Nobody seems to believe them. Nancy starts getting angry and decides to search the studio one more time- alone.

The studio is empty, except for the phantom character. He chases her around the set and up to the roof. Luckily, she escapes by jumping to another rooftop. She returns to the hotel and tells the police that she was chased by someone dressed as the Phantom of the Opera. As she explains everything that happened, a note arrives for her. It's from the kidnapper. He wants Nancy to deliever the ransom money by dropping it off during a studio tour. The police want a policewoman to take her place, but Nancy isn't sure if that would be a wise decision.

Meanwhile, Joe Hardy begins to wake up after his kidnapping. He rolls off the set and begins to undo his bonds. As he lies on the ground, he sees a car drive by. Inside is a security guard and the man dressed as the Phantom. Quickly he writes down the license plate number on a piece of wood and climbs into the trunk of the car. He travels with the two until they reach another studio lot. After waiting for a moment or two, he climbs out and searches the lot. He finds the kidnapped detectives in a Western set's jail cell, but he gets caught and is thrown in the jail as well.

The next day, Nancy takes a tour of the studio and brings with her the ransom money. In one of the prop storage houses, the room becomes dark and she is kidnapped by the Phantom and the security officer. Unknown to the kidnappers, Nancy was wired for sound and the police knew something was wrong. The managed to pursue the kidnappers before they could make off with her. The corrupt security officer is caught and the Phantom is unmasked as an actor on the set. The case has been solved.

Buy it at: Amazon.com

All photos © of their respective owners-no infringement is intended. This is simply a fan site dedicated to Phantom of The Opera movies, and is meant for educational purposes only. If you feel that your images have been used unfairly, please contact me at Oldphan@hotmail.com, and changes will be made immediately.