Castle in the Desert (1942)

68% User Rating

1h 2min

Charlie Chan, with son Jimmy on a week's pass from the Army, takes up a request for help at a castle-home, miles from anywhere in the American desert south-west and inhabited by an eccentric, reclusive historian and his wife, a descendant of Lucrezia Borgia. Once there, he finds the request's legitimacy denied by all who are present, but still necessary as one houseguest has already been murdered, the other guests are at each other's throat, and the Borgia-related chatelain is suspected...

Harry LachmanDirector

Cast

View Cast & Crew

Sidney Toler

Charlie Chan

Victor Sen Yung

Jimmy Chan

Lenita Lane

Lucy Borgia Manderley

Douglass Dumbrille

Paul Manderley

Steven Geray

Dr. Retling

Edmund MacDonald

Walter Hartford

Arleen Whelan

Brenda Hartford

Ethel Griffies

Mme. Saturnia, aka Lizzie

Henry Daniell

Watson King

Richard Derr

Carl Detheridge

Lucien Littlefield

Prof. Gleason

Milton Parsons

Arthur Fletcher

George Chandler

The Bus Driver

Oliver Blake

The Hotel Manager

Eric Wilton

The Majordomo

Paul Kruger

(unconfirmed)

Tex Phelps

(scene deleted)

Reviews (1)

All Reviews

CinemaSerf

Rating 70%

June 26, 2022

I have to say that I rather enjoyed this - but boy, is it a far-fetched affair! This time "Charlie Chan" (an on-form Sidney Toler) and No. 2 son "Jimmy" are invited to a remote castle in the Mojave desert tp investigate some strange goings on. What adds to the mystery is that the owner of this spookily lit house - "Manderley" (the man that is, not the house) wears a partial mask to cover an huge scar obtained in an accident and his wife "Lucy" (Lenita Lane) is a distant descendant of the infamous Borgia family. What ensues plays all the best cards from a mansion house game of "Cluedo" with some intrigue emanating from the many Borgia legends (with some very interesting pronunciations) that they have tapped into - all involving deadly poisons and a ring... No electricity, no phone and loads of ancient instruments of torture help keep the suspense going, as do contributions from Douglass Dumbrille; rent-a-baddie Henry Daniell and the outrageous "Madame Saturnia" (Ethel Griffies). The ending, well that's quite amusing too - and all in all, it's a good hour of diversion.