''The Nursemaid Who Disappeared'' is a 1939

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

black-and-white Black-and-white (B&W or B/W) images combine black and white in a continuous spectrum, producing a range of shades of grey. Media The history of various visual media began with black and white, and as technology improved, altered to color. ...

, crime film,

directed Director may refer to: Literature * ''Director'' (magazine), a British magazine * ''The Director'' (novel), a 1971 novel by Henry Denker * ''The Director'' (play), a 2000 play by Nancy Hasty Music * Director (band), an Irish rock band * ''D ...

Arthur B. Woods Arthur Bickerstaffe Woods (17 August 1904 – 8 February 1944) was an English film director with 27 credits between 1933 and 1940. Woods' films were mainly quota quickies but were diverse in style, from light comedy and musicals to dark crime ...

and starring

Ronald Shiner Ronald Alfred Shiner (8 June 1903 – 29 June 1966) was a British stand-up comedian and comedy actor whose career encompassed film, West End theatre and music hall. Career Early life and career When he was seventeen, Shiner joined the Royal Nor ...

as Detective Smith (uncredited), Ian Fleming,

Arthur Margetson Arthur Margetson (27 April 1887 – 13 August 1951) was a British stage and film actor. Margetson worked as a stockbroker before he became an actor. In 1936, Margetson married actress Shirley Grey. Filmography * ''Wolves'' (1930) as Mark (fi ...

, Peter Coke and Edward Chapman. Based on a 1938

Philip Macdonald Philip MacDonald (5 November 1900 – 10 December 1980) was a British-born writer of fiction and screenplays, best known for thrillers. Life and work MacDonald was born in London, the son of author Ronald MacDonald and actress Constance Roberts ...

novel, it was produced by Warner Brothers - First National Productions. The

1956 Events January * January 1 – The Anglo-Egyptian Condominium ends in Sudan. * January 8 – Operation Auca: Five U.S. evangelical Christian missionaries, Nate Saint, Roger Youderian, Ed McCully, Jim Elliot and Pete Fleming, ar ...

American 20th Century-Fox film, ''

23 Paces to Baker Street ''23 Paces to Baker Street'' is a 1956 American DeLuxe Color mystery thriller film directed by Henry Hathaway. It was released by 20th Century Fox and filmed in Cinemascope on location in London. The screenplay by Nigel Balchin was based on the 1 ...

'', was based on the same novel.

Plot

In this thriller, a playwright overhears a gang of men plotting a kidnapping and enlists the assistance of a detective to investigate them. They soon find the ring is fronted by a bogus employment agency that sends "clients" to check out potential victims. Action ensues as they endeavor to stop them.

Cast

as Det. Antony Gethryn * Peter Coke as Tom Sheldon * Lesley Brook as Avis Bellingham * Edward Chapman as Jenks *

Coral Browne Coral Edith Browne (23 July 1913 – 29 May 1991) was an Australian-American stage and screen actress. Her extensive theatre credits included Broadway productions of '' Macbeth'' (1956), '' The Rehearsal'' (1963) and '' The Right Honourable Gent ...

as Mabel Barnes *

Joyce Kennedy Joyce Kennedy (1898–1943) was a British stage and film actress An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such ...

as Lucia Gethryn *

Dorice Fordred Dorice Fordred (25 November 19024 August 1980) was a South African actress, best known for character parts and Shakespearean roles on the London stage.'Miss Dorice Fordred: Noted stage actress', ''The Times'', August 13, 1980. The ''Brooklyn Dai ...

as Janet Murch *

Martita Hunt Martita Edith Hunt (30 January 190013 June 1969) was an Argentine-born British theatre and film actress. She had a dominant stage presence and played a wide range of powerful characters. She is best remembered for her performance as Miss Havi ...

as Lady Ballister * Marion Gerth as Ada Brent * Ian McLean as Inspector Pike * Ian Fleming as Sir Egbert Lucas *

Eliot Makeham Harold Elliott Makeham (22 December 1882 – 8 February 1956) was an English film and television actor. Career Makeham was born in London, England. Between 1931 and 1956, Makeham appeared, primarily in character roles, in 115 films and in 1 ...

as Mr. Hines *

as Detective Smith ''(uncredited)''

References

External links

* * * 1939 films 1939 crime films British black-and-white films 1930s English-language films Films directed by Arthur B. Woods British crime films Films based on British novels 1930s British films {{1930s-crime-film-stub