{{Short description|1940 film}} {{About||the generic meaning|missing persons|other uses|Missing Persons (disambiguation)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2025}} {{Use British English|date=April 2016}} {{Infobox film | name = The Missing People | image = "The_Missing_People"_(1940).jpg | alt = | caption = U.S. 1-sheet poster | director = Jack Raymond | producer = Charles Q. Steel | writer = Lydia Hayward | based_on = ''The Missing People'' by Edgar Wallace | starring = Will Fyffe<br />Kay Walsh<br>Lyn Harding | music = Percival Mackey | cinematography = George Stretton | editing = | studio = Jack Raymond Productions | distributor = Grand National Pictures (UK) | released = {{Film date|1940|01|13|UK|df=yes}} | runtime = 73 minutes | country = United Kingdom | language = English | budget = | gross = }} '''''The Missing People''''' is a 1940 British mystery film directed by Jack Raymond and starring Will Fyffe, Kay Walsh and Lyn Harding.<ref name="BFIsearch">{{Cite web |title=The Missing People |url=https://collections-search.bfi.org.uk/web/Details/ChoiceFilmWorks/150029812 |access-date=3 August 2025 |website=British Film Institute Collections Search}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The Missing People |url=http://explore.bfi.org.uk/4ce2b6b08b06b |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120713175038/http://explore.bfi.org.uk/4ce2b6b08b06b |archive-date=2012-07-13 |publisher=British Film Institute}}</ref> It was written by Lydia Hayward based on a novel by Edgar Wallace.
==Synopsis== Mr. Reeder, an investigator for the Department of Public Prosecutions, begins solving the disappearance of 27 people, after they had each received large sums of money from their respective families. Is the criminal-featured Joseph Bronstone, the guilty party?
==Cast== * Will Fyffe as J. G. Reeder *Kay Walsh as Peggy Gillette * Lyn Harding as Joseph Bronstone * Ronald Shiner as Sam Hackett *Patricia Roc as Doris Bevan * Anthony Holles as Ernest Bronstone * Reginald Purdell as Harry Morgan * Maire O'Neill as housekeeper
==Production== It was shot at Highbury Studios in London.
==Critical reception== ''The Monthly Film Bulletin'' wrote: "Will Fyffe, although perhaps falling short of some people's idea of J. G. Reeder, undoubtedly gives a fine performance as this character of Edgar Wallace, which is all the more praiseworthy as a complete departure from his usual characterisations. Lyn Harding as Brandstone the solicitor is rather theatrical. The rest of the cast give a sound backing to a film which grips right from the start."<ref>{{Cite journal |date=1 January 1939 |title=The Missing People |volume=6 |issue=61 |pages=93 |id={{ProQuest|1305802131}} |magazine=The Monthly Film Bulletin}}</ref>
''Kine Weekly'' wrote: "The story leaves much that is unexplained, the first half is wordy, and the climax, the one big moment of hectic action, is detmitely Lyceum, but no matter, the film registers in spite, or rather because of, its faults, Its whole-hearted success is a tribute both to the resourcefulness of Will Fyffe and the wisdom of Jack Raymond, who has cleverly caught the author's flair for getting a kick out of the obvious."<ref>{{Cite journal |date=25 May 1939 |title=The Missing People |volume=267 |issue=1675 |pages=16 |id={{ProQuest|2339733732}} |magazine=Kine Weekly}}</ref>
''TV Guide'' wrote, "Fyffe adds a great deal of charm to his role as he pieces the puzzle together in a manner baffling to the younger detectives. Otherwise, the plot is unbelievable but makes for some light-hearted fun."<ref>{{cite web |title=The Missing People Review |url=http://www.tvguide.com/movies/the-missing-people-106387/review/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160306073438/http://www.tvguide.com/movies/the-missing-people/review/106387/ |archive-date=6 March 2016 |work=TVGuide.com}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * [https://web.archive.org/web/20160310123914/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b6b08b06b ''The Missing People''] at the British Film Institute{{better source needed|reason=Help request: a live link can be searched for at https://collections-search.bfi.org.uk/web/search/expert – if available, replace the archive URL with the live link. Or if none found, remove this 'better source needed' template. | date=October 2023}} * {{IMDb title|0032800}}
{{Jack Raymond}} {{Edgar Wallace}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Missing People}} Category:1940 films Category:1940 mystery films Category:British black-and-white films Category:British mystery films Category:Films based on works by Edgar Wallace Category:Films directed by Jack Raymond Category:Films scored by Percival Mackey Category:Films about missing people Category:1940 English-language films Category:1940 British films Category:Films shot at Highbury Studios Category:English-language mystery films