“Close
to his wedding day, a millionaire
man-about-town mysteriously
disappears after being sent threatening
notes demanding money by someone
known as The Panda; and one million
pounds in cash has vanished from his
safe in the atmospheric wartime thriller The Missing Million...”
THE DEBONAIR MILLIONAIRE REX WALTON (Ivan Brandt) is engaged to be married
to heiress Dora Coleman (Patricia Hilliard) but when they meet for a celebration
dinner with Dora's father Michael (Brefni O'Rorke) and Rex's sister Joan (Linden
Travers) he receives a threatening note warning him to send one million pounds
before he marries Dora or suffer the consequences.
When Rex then receives a letter which seems to alarm him he suddenly vanishes
and Joan returns to their home, but her brother has already been there and their
housekeeper Mrs Tweedle (the marvellous character actress Marie Ault) tells
her he has already gone.
“The Missing Million
is a delightful classic
with a clever plot
that doesn’t take itself
too seriously...”
Inspector
Dicker of Scotland Yard (silent-era star John Stuart) arrives in response to
Rex's earlier call. Joan knows Rex had £1,000,000 in cash in the safe but does
not know the combination.
The Police Inspector helpfully arranges for a crack safe-breaker, Nobby Knowles
(Charles Victor in a quasi-comedy role), to open it whereupon they discover
the money is missing.
Some of The Panda's previous victims have apparently committed suicide and already
there have been break-ins to both the Waltons' home and the Colemans'. Soon
murders are being committed and Joan joins forces with Inspector Dicker to try
to track down her brother and unmask The Panda.
A chain of violent and surprising events is set into action; but all is revealed
after Dora tells Joan she believes herself to be next on the list of murder
victims. This terrific and amusing whodunit has all the hallmarks of Edgar Wallace's
clever twists. All is not as it seems — it is ever?
Fans of old black-and-white films will love this. Made in 1942 when acting in
films was still dramatically theatrical, The Missing Million is a delightful
classic with a clever plot that doesn't take itself too seriously. Comic turns
from both Charles Victor as Nobby Knowles and Marie Ault as Mrs "Tweedie" Tweedle.
Edgar Wallace is one of the twentieth century's most celebrated and prolific
crime writers. This little gem, The Missing Million, was filmed at Riverside
Studios, Hammersmith, London, England.
The Missing Millions also features: John Warwick as Bennett. Music Arranger
is Percival MacKay; Cinematography is by Stephen Dade; Producer is Hugh Perceval;
and Directed by Philip Brandon.
*
A
Network Distributing title, The Missing Millions is presented here in
a brand-new transfer from the original film elements and is released in the
UK on DVD on 22 July 2013. Running Time: 90 Minutes | Catalogue Number: 7953938
| RRP: £9.99.
"The Missing Million is a delightful classic with a clever plot that
doesn't take itself too seriously"
—Maggie Woods
“Close
to his wedding day, a millionaire