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 Bennet, 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. Bill Elliott starred in three serials at Columbia Pictures, and The Valley of Vanishing Men was his last cliffhanger at that studio or anywhere else. Shortly after making this chapterplay, Elliott signed with Republic Pictures where his contract excluded him from doing any more serial work. Slim Summerville as Missouri Benson Carmen Morales as Consuelo Ramírez Production Writing about the film's atmosphere, Cline says that this serial was a "grim tale...[with a] mood of ominous dread." Missouri was added to the cast because a normal comedy relief character would have not have worked. Chapter titles 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 Source: See also List of film serials by year List of film serials by studio References External links The Valley of Vanishing Men at Cinefania.com 1942 films American black-and-white films Columbia Pictures film serials 1940s English-language films Films about missing people Films directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet Films set in ghost towns Films set in New Mexico 1942 Western (genre) films American Western (genre)