VALLEY OF VANISHING MEN (1942)--colorized version

The Valley of Vanishing Men is a 1942 American Western film serial. It was the 20th of 57 released by Columbia Pictures. Directed by Spencer Gordon Bennett, it stars Bill Elliott, Slim Summerville, and Carmen Morales.

PLOT:
In this serial, Wild Bill Tolliver and Missouri Benson are a pair of adventurers who ride into the vast New Mexico Territory in search of Bill's father, Henry Tolliver, who mysteriously disappeared while prospecting for gold. They soon discover that a ruthless outlaw leader, Jonathan Kincaid, owns an immense mine of gold in which he uses captured Mexican patriots, among others, to work as slaves in the mine. They also learn that Kincaid has joined forces with Colonel Carl Engler, a renegade eastern European soldier, to carry out his cruel intentions. Then Bill and Missouri meet with Consuelo Ramírez, a diligent Mexican agent, who informs them that Bill's father is among the prisoners in the mine. After that, the heroes find themselves in a conflict with the outlaws in the middle of incessant fights, chases and action.

CAST:
Bill Elliott as Wild Bill Tolliver
Slim Summerville as Missouri Benson
Carmen Morales as Consuelo Ramírez
Kenneth MacDonald
Jack Ingram
George Chesebro
John Shay
Tom London
Arno Frey
Julian Rivero

PRODUCTION:
Writing about the film's atmosphere, Cline says that this serial was a "grim tale...[with a] mood of ominous dread." Missouri Benson was added to the cast because a normal comic relief character would have not have worked.

CHAPTERS:
Trouble in Canyon City
The Mystery of Ghost Town
Danger Walks by night
Hillside Horror
Guns in the Night
The Bottomless Well
The Man in the Gold Mask
When the Devil Drives
The Traitor's Shroud
Death Strikes at Seven
Satan in the Saddle
The Mine of Missing Men
Danger on Dome Rock
The Door that Has No Key
Empire's End