{{short description|1930 film by John P. McCarthy}} {{Use American English|date=June 2021}} {{Use mdy dates|date=June 2021}} {{Infobox film | name = The Land of Missing Men | image = | caption = | director = John P. McCarthy | producer = Trem Carr<ref name="AFI">[https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/moviedetails/10151 The Land of Missing Men]. American Film Institute. Retrieved June 13, 2021.</ref> | writer = John P. McCarthy<br>Bob Quigley <small>(script)</small> | starring = | music = | cinematography = Harry Neumann | editing = | studio = Trem Carr Productions | distributor = Tiffany Productions | released = {{Film date|1930|9|22|ref1=<ref name="Harrison">[https://archive.org/details/harrisonsreports00harr_4/page/n207/mode/2up Harrison's Reports (1930)], November 8, 1930 – via the Internet Archive. p. 208. Retrieved June 13, 2021.</ref>}} | runtime = 55 minutes | country = United States | language = English }} '''''The Land of Missing Men''''' is a 1930 American pre-Code Western film written and directed by John P. McCarthy – with a script from Bob Quigley – and produced by Trem Carr for his studio Trem Carr Productions. Starring Bob Steele, Al St. John, Eddie Dunn, Caryl Lincoln, Al Jennings and Fern Emmett.
The film was released on September 22, 1930, in the United States by Tiffany Productions, and received mostly positive reviews from critics. It was the third film in a series of Trem Carr productions starring Western actor Bob Steele, following ''Near the Rainbow's End'' and ''Oklahoma Cyclone'' (both 1930), the latter also directed by McCarthy.<ref name="AFI"/>
==Plot== Steve O'Neil and his partner, Buckshot, after being accused of holding up a stagecoach in cattle country, are asked by a dying man to save his daughter from a planned stagecoach holdup.<ref name="AFI"/><ref>Pitts, Michael R. (2005) "[https://books.google.com/books?id=F8OSCgAAQBAJ Poverty Row Studios, 1929-1940: An Illustrated History of 55 Independent Film Companies, with a Filmography for Each]". Ed. 2, 2015. McFarland. p. 415–17. Retrieved 12 October 2021.</ref>
== Cast == The American Film Institute lists the following cast for the film:<ref name="AFI"/>
*Bob Steele as Steve O'Neil *Al St. John as Buckshot *Eddie Dunn aa Sheriff Bower *Caryl Lincoln as Nita Madero *Al Jennings as John Evans *Fern Emmett as Martha Evans *Emilio Fernandez as López *Noah Hendricks as Texas
== Production == Production began on August 1, 1930.<ref>''Variety'', [https://archive.org/details/variety100-1930-08/page/n27/mode/2up August 6, 1930]. p. 28. "Batting Out Westerns". Via the Internet Archive. Retrieved June 22, 2021.</ref> The sound was recorded with the RCA Photophone.<ref name="AFI"/>
== Release and reception == The six reel Western, approximately 5,100 feet long,<ref name="AFI"/> runs for 55 minutes, and was released on September 22, 1930, distributed in the United States by Tiffany Productions.<ref name="Harrison"/> The October 5, 1930, issue of ''The Film Daily'' called the film "a standout among Westerns", and praised the direction of McCarthy and Bob Steele's performance, adding that "Bob Steele does the best work of his career under this able direction".<ref>''The Film Daily'', [https://archive.org/details/filmdailyvolume55354newy/page/962/mode/2up October 5, 1930]. p. 10. Via the Internet Archive. '''p. 926'''. Retrieved June 13, 2021.</ref> The October 29 issue of ''Variety'' reviewed the film less favourably, however, and considered the film to be an "average Western".<ref>''Variety'', [https://archive.org/details/variety100-1930-10/page/n329/mode/2up October 29, 1930]. p. 27. "Film Reviews" at the Internet Archive. '''p. 330'''. Retrieved June 13, 2021.</ref> J.L.K. of ''Exhibitors Daily Review and Motion Pictures Today'' (later ''Motion Picture Daily'') criticised the screenplay but praised the performances, saying "there are many more moments that stand out as the some of the best and most original stuff ever shot in westerns {{sic}}".<ref>''Exhibitors Daily Review and Motion Pictures Today'', [https://archive.org/details/exhibitorsdailyr28unse/page/n451/mode/2up October 2, 1930]. p. 2. Via the Internet Archive. '''p. 452'''. Retrieved June 22, 2021.</ref>
== See also == * Bob Steele filmography * List of American films of 1930
== References == {{reflist}}
== External links == * {{Internet Archive film|id=LandOfMissingMen}} * {{IMDb title|tt0021046}} * {{AFI film|10151}} * {{TCMDb title|80748}}
{{John P. McCarthy}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Land of Missing Men, The}} Category:1930 films Category:1930 Western (genre) films Category:American black-and-white films Category:American Western (genre) films Category:Films directed by John P. McCarthy Category:1930 English-language films Category:1930 American films Category:English-language Western (genre) films