Madonna of the Desert

This is quite a good little film. Make no mistake, this is a low budget B' from Republic. However the story and cast exceeded my expectations. Don Castle stars as the man who possesses a valuable statue of Madonna, a statue that is suppose to bring luck to those who are true of heart. Castle has total faith in people (and the statue) and regularly lends it out for special events like a wedding, where the statue will bless the bride and groom with good fortune.

Sheldon Leonard plays the crook who wants to steal the priceless statue. His plan is to have a cohort arrive at Castle's home and take the real statue and leave a worthless fake. His cohort is a tough dame, played by Lynne Roberts. She comes to Castle's home, but circumstances arise and she begins to feel Castle's faith in man and the statue, causing her to renege on her bargain with Leonard. Leonard doesn't take this very well and sets out with a new plan to snatch the statue and deal Roberts a blow for her double cross.

This film is no masterpiece, just a pleasant, well executed B' thriller for those who enjoy such films.