User reviews

Charlie Chan, who's just planning a little vacation with son Jimmy, gets a letter from a Mrs. Manderley, née Lucrezia Borgia (!), who summons him urgently to Manderley castle because she fears for her life... And THERE we've got a classic isolated old mansion if ever there was one: Mr. Manderley, a famous historian, has built his castle in the middle of the Mojave desert, complete with a vault full of poison bottles and Renaissance torture instruments, with no electricity and no phone - and very soon the distributor of the only car available is stolen as well, which leaves the persons present in TOTAL isolation - except for Jimmy, of course, who finds his way to the castle together with a strange old lady with spiritualistic gifts, Madame Saturnia...

And very soon it is revealed that recently, a genealogist who wanted to investigate on Mrs. Manderley's Borgia family tree (although she seems perfectly alright, her step-brother was a mad poisoner...) was poisoned in the castle - but strangely, Madame Saturnia insists that 'the finger of Isis has never touched this house'... yet...

She also warns Charlie to 'watch out for an arrow' - and very soon, arrows from an old crossbow start flying through the castle halls, dangerously near to our detective hero! And the suspects are plenty: Mrs. Manderley (who insists she didn't write the note to Charlie, and that her step-brother is dead; another thing Madame Saturnia denies vehemently...), Mr. Manderley, who wears a mask over one side of his face (a result of an accident, he explains), Dr. Retling, whose death certificate for the genealogist is being questioned by private eye Fletcher, Mr. Hartford, Manderley's attorney, who together with his wife seems to be seeking to take control of the Manderley fortune, and sculptor Watson King, who reveals himself as yet another private detective hired by Mrs. Manderley... Make your choice!

The creepy atmosphere of the old castle of course makes this entry in the 'Charlie Chan' series another immensely entertaining whodunit; and the cast is also superb: apart from distinguished British star Henry Daniell as Watson King and Douglas Dumbrille as Manderley, we also meet again with some of the cast members of that magnificent Charlie Chan movie "Dead Men Tell" from the previous year: Milton Parsons, Lenita Lane - and Ethel Griffies, giving once again a FORMIDABLE performance as the mysterious Madame Saturnia. Jimmy as always adds lots of fun, disguised in a medieval armor - a great mystery movie that shouldn't be missed by any fan of the genre!

This being the final entry in the Charlie Chan mystery series to be produced by 20th Century-Fox. Chan (Sidney Toler) finds himself summoned to a medieval-style castle built in the middle of the desert in the western U.S. It belongs to eccentric researcher Paul Manderlay (Douglass Dumbrille) and his wife Lucy (Lenita Lane) who happens to be a descendant of the infamous Borgias. They have a house full of guests, one or more of whom seems intent on killing them all.

This is an odd installment of the series, with a lot of comedy and an "old dark house" setting. The characters are all strange enough to hold one's interest, and Toler and Sen Yung's interplay is still fun. Fox decided to end the series with this one, stating a desire to cut back on film production during the war, but many feel it was also due to the Asian lead character, who, despite being Chinese-American, would still be resented by those with anti-Japanese sentiments due to the war. Toler himself would eventually buy the rights and take them to the poverty row Monogram company, where a new batch of Chan films started in 1944 with Charlie Chan in the Secret Service.

I've never understood why some folk in the Asian community don't like Charlie Chan.

A reviewer here said he cringed at the racist comment of an innkeeper who wouldn't let Charlie sit on his porch. Well, gee...in 1940 America that was common behavior. But Charlie Chan doesn't throw a fit, he gets on with the job of investigating murder and at the end of the film shows himself to be smarter than all the white folk who looked down on him.

Doesn't that make him a great role model? That was the case in many of the Charlie Chan films. The character was created at a time when Orientals were always villains, nothing more. Earl Derr Biggers created Chan to be a hero. He is brighter than everyone else he meets, for all that he doesn't speak grammatical English. Not because he's stupid, but because he's an immigrant from Hong Kong! Lesson? Just because someone's English language skills are not up to snuff doesn't mean that they can't run rings around you intellectually.

True also to the tenor of the times, Chan has to have "comic relief" - either his fully Americanized sons (and occasionally daughter) who speak English perfectly and are played by Asians who deserve to have their work seen - or by African Americans Stepin Fetchit or Mantan Moreland. I admit I do have problems watching those characters - I don't think I would have thought their actions funny then, nor do I think their funny now, but again, they're part and parcel of the times.

Having said all that, Warner Oland is the only Charlie Chan for me. I've never really cared for Sidney Toler's version. The plot is rather labyrynthine, but fun for all that. For the most part, anyway!

Good movie set in the Mojave desert. One of the best Chan movie with Sidney Toler. The ambiance for suspense is nicely set in a castle in the middle of nowhere. And there's always that famous phrase: «One of us is a murderer». I just love it when they say that!

The acting is good. Victor Sen Yung is funny as Number 2 son and I also liked the fortune teller lady. She was adding some fun to the movie.

One quote: «What I'd like now is the relaxation of a good murder case»! (Jimmy Chan to his father)

In all, an entertaining movie.

Out of 100, I gave it 78. That's good for **½ on a **** star rating system. Seen at home in Welland, June 2nd, 2001. Marko Roy.

While I admit that the Chan films of Warner Oland are, as a group, superior to those of Sidney Toler, that doesn't mean that some of the Toler films aren't rock solid and as good individually as anything Oland made. Three that immediately come to mind are Charlie Chan at Treasure Island, Charlie Chan at the Wax Museum, and this film, Castle in the Desert. (By the way, why isn't the title Charlie Chan and the Castle in the Desert? It would have made sense to me.) In Castle in the Desert, Charlie is summoned to a strange, isolated castle in the middle of the Mojave Desert. But no one in the house will admit to having sent of Chan. His presence is, however, quickly needed when in no time at all Charlie finds himself up to his elbows in murder, poison, deadly arrows, red herrings, and suspects galore. What could be more fun!

I've seen someone use this phrase before to describe a Charlie Chan film and I think it fits Castle in the Desert – "It's a crackling good mystery". As I've indicated, all of the necessary ingredients for a fun outing with Chan are here. In fact, Castle in the Desert is really more like two mysteries in one. While the solution to the first is fairly obvious, it's still a lot of fun and just an appetizer for the more difficult and dangerous mystery to come. This was Toler's last Chan film for Fox and, by the time this one was made, Toler could have played the role in his sleep. He seems so at ease with the character. The rest of the cast is enjoyable with Henry Daniell and, one of my favorites, Douglass Dumbrille standing out in support. Another bonus for Castle in the Desert is that Victor Sen Yung as #2 son Jimmy Chan isn't anywhere near as annoying as he is in some of the other Chan films.

Overall, Castle in the Desert is a nice finale to the Chan films at Fox. Nothing that would come later at Monogram is anywhere close to matching it. I've got no problem rating this one a strong 7/10 verging on an 8/10.

Final Fox Chan film leaves us somewhat dissatisfied despite a complicated but enjoyable plot. There is a body within the first few minutes, sufficient suspects, ties to the Borgia family, lots of misdirection and clues, and Chan once again dodging arrows. The characters are marooned in an eerie reconstructed medieval castle (complete with a dungeon in the basement) located in the Mojave Desert. For a change, it is possible to figure out the ending ahead of or along with Chan. $20M is a great incentive for crime.

Sidney Toler does good job at discovering a mystery and solving murder but fails to perform his usual wrap up at the end clarifying all of the loose ends. Son Jimmy (on leave from the Army) assists Pop without resorting to too much comedy. Pop takes US Army Carrier Pigeon No. 13576 with him to the desert but alas, the pigeon succumbs to the poison nightshade. `Man without enemies like dog without fleas.'

Good supporting cast. Ethel Griffies and Milton Parsons return to play small but effective roles. Only a few (unnecessary) racial slurs. Some interesting camera work with the use of shadows to convey danger. By the way, there is a real castle in the desert, Scotty's Castle, now part of Death Valley National Park. And I suspect that hotels in the region now rent rooms for more than $2/night! Recommended.

This was, sorry to say, the last Chan film made by 20th Century Fox. It is also one of the most fun and atmospheric. It is set in a castle in the Mojave Desert owned by a descendant of the Borgias, played by Douglass Dumbrille. This is creepy and funny with Jimmy Chan (Sen Yung)sneaking around the castle amid the suits of armor. Henry Danielle is also on hand as a guest of the house. A nutty fortune teller also adds to the fun! Another one to watch over and over.

Lucy Manderley makes a brusque announcement: "Two things we never discuss in this house—my family and Paul's accident." –Her husband Paul wears a mask that covers half of his face; Lucy herself is descended from the Borgias of Renaissance Italy, renowned for power and poison. "This house" is the Manderley estate, a lonely medieval-style castle stuck out in the desert.

Charlie Chan is on hand at said estate—but the urgent invitation he answered was apparently a fake. Has Mr. Chan been summoned to witness a murder or provide an alibi? Sidney Toler is steady as always as he attempts to find out.

Eerie music, dimly lit castle sets and some good shadowy camera work create an appropriately spooky atmosphere for this fairly standard but highly enjoyable Chan mystery.

Among the entertaining cast on hand at the old dark castle are Douglass Dumbrille as the odd Mr. Manderley and Lenita Lane as his nervous wife; Henry Daniell as mysterious sculptor Watson King; and Ethel Griffies as Madame Saturnia, a spooky soothsayer whose predictions all involve death.

Sen Yung also offers assistance as Jimmy Chan. On a week's leave from the Army, Jimmy tells his Pop that "What I'd like now is the relaxation of a good murder case." He finds a suit of armor a good hiding place to spy from, but keeps getting pushed over and tumbling down flights of stairs….

The plot involves a couple of murders by poison—pointing suspicion at Lucy Manderley, the only possibly-unbalanced Borgia in the group. Other elements adding to the mystery include a sleeping potion like the one Shakespeare's Juliet took, and the early disappearance of the only vehicle's distributor, leaving the entire group stranded and cut off.

Overall, it's a fairly standard Charlie Chan: a decent mystery plot featuring a few chills, a fair mix of comedy, and a bit of action as well. Very entertaining for fans.

by far one of the better Chan films with Sidney Toler.It's filled with some nice surprises, a touch of chamber music, and familiar faces.Good acting for this type of film, the direction stood out (as opposed to Chan movies that would follow), but a flawed script that left some questions unresolved. Overall a good movie!

Charlie Chan (Sidney Toler) is summoned to a mysterious castle in the Mojave Desert where a bizarre masked man (Douglas Dumbrille) lives with his wife, a descendant of the famous Borgia family. There are also several other guests at the castle. When one of them is poisoned, Charlie must investigate with meddlesome son Jimmy (Victor Sen Yung).

The last of the 20th Century Fox Charlie Chan films is one of the weirdest. The plot, at its heart, is a simple old dark house mystery. But the setting here, a castle in a desert, is different enough to keep things somewhat fresh. Also the eccentric characters help out a lot. It's an enjoyable entry in the Fox series. Not the best or worst but somewhere in the middle. Sadly, the quality would drop considerably when the series moved to Monogram a couple of years later.

Citizen Kane might have indirectly inspired this Charlie Chan classic oddly enough. The setting is a Castle In The Desert whose look might have been taken from the real life San Simeon or the film Xanadu. But it has that look of a sinister place where all kinds of crime does occur. And in this case murder does visit the Castle In The Desert.

There are two criminal conspiracies going on at the same time and the instigator of one has the hubris to ask Charlie Chan in to help with one. Silly perpetrator, did the individual not realize what forces they were turning loose, the mind of one shrewd detective?

Sidney Toler arrives with Victor Sen Yung as number 2 son and they're both among others trapped in the place. Their hosts are eccentric millionaire Douglass Dumbrille and wife Lenita Lane with such interesting and varied guests as Ethel Griffies, Henry Daniell, Steven Geray, Arleen Whelan, Richard Derr, Edmund MacDonald, and Milton Parsons, all of whom have dabbled in screen villainy. In fact that's the best thing going about Castle In The Desert, a ton of red herrings to choose from.

Castle In The Desert is not one of the strongest Charlie Chan features and 20th Century Fox would drop the series after this film and it would reemerge at Monogram in two years. But the cast makes this one a lot of fun.

My opinion is this is one of the best in the Chan series. It has a good story that is written well. The cast is great with some wonderful character actors. I think the production quality is a little better than other Chan films. One thing that stands out are lighting and camera angles. They create an ambiance of suspense.

Castle in the Desert (1942) was the last Charlie Chan movie produced by 20th Century Fox. This one starred Sidney Toler as the man himself and Sen Yung as number 2 son.

Charlie is invited to a desert castle to see Mrs. Manderley, a descendant of the Borgias, and her husband Paul, who wears a handkerchief over one side of his face because of a horrible accident. The castle has no phone or electricity because Paul is a historian and tries to replicate the conditions of the men he is studying.

A death has occurred, but in order for Manderley to hold onto his $20 million fortune, he cannot be attached to any scandal. He persuades a doctor to allow the man to be moved to a hotel where he will be found, and nothing will attach to the Manderley or the castle.

Soon Jimmy Chan arrives with a sculptor (Henry Daniell) he met at the station who also needed a ride; there is also an eccentric astrologer (Ethel Griffiths) who claims the man who died is not dead, and neither is Mrs. Manderley's stepbrother, who presumably died in the war.

There is another death and a murder, and Charlie soon uncovers not one, but two conspiracies that are designed to get control of the Manderley money.

This was a good movie, but confusing. I still can't figure out what the deal was with the stepbrother. All they did was talk about him being alive, and I think Charlie said he was in the house. I swear I never saw him. Anyway, I wasn't satisfied at all with the ending. They should have stuck with one conspiracy.

Anyway, Toler and Sen Yung are good, and the cast is high quality, with Douglas Dembrille as Manderley, Henry Daniell, Richard Derr, and Arlene Whelan. The quality of the series is about to go down -- this is the last one of any quality.

This touch far fetched Sidney Toler Chan is a more than serviceable entry in the series. Confined to a castle for most of the film its claustrophobic setting makes it more fun house than mystery with Charlie's number two son on leave from WW2 bungling about in a suit of armor while banshee like Ethel Griffies swoops about the castle owned by a disfigured Douglas Dumbrille, perennial villain moved up to second lead. Arlean Whelan and Henry Daniell also make ideal suspects.

There's the usual Charlie aphorisms, some crass xenophobia, dark shadows and revealing angles along with Dumbrille's booming authoritative voice to keep things entertaining as the plot stretches logic a tad but with a worthwhile deceptive twist to easily redeem it.

Chan is apparently summoned to the castle by the lady of the house, Lenita Lane, who in her message says that she fears for her life following the poisoning of visitor Lucian Littlefield. Her husband (Douglass Dumbrille), who is an eccentric recluse spending his time researching 16th century history and the Borgias specifically, is suspicious of all visitors. There's a rogue's gallery in the household: Henry Danielle as a sculptor there to do the lady's bust; Steven Geray as the family doctor, Edmond McDonald as the family lawyer and his wife Arleen Whelan; and Richard Derr a history professor at a college bearing the family name. As if that's not enough characters for a 62 minute movie, Milton Parsons pops in as a PI to investigate the poisoning and Ethel Griffies as the local fortune teller joins the party with the insufferable Victor Sen Yung, who like pepper, a little goes a long way. There's a fairly complex plot that develops which is difficult to follow with the annoying antics of Yung. Even with his carrying on, the rest of this strong cast manages to stay on script and provide a very good atmospheric mystery. Sidney Toler as Chan is exceptional, remaining skeptical of the common belief among the house that Lane, also a descendant of the Borgia family, is a poisoning murderess. I wanted to rate this higher but Yung's nonsense held me back. Still, this is a decent feature in the series and recommended.

Some supposedly bad folks live in a castle in the desert. We are privy to a murder, when a man who has had some friction with the principle characters, dies from a poison drink. Meanwhile, Charlie and Jimmy receive a cryptic message to come to the castle. The family, which are supposedly descendants of the Borgias, are shunned by their neighbors. Charlie gets someone to take him there against the wishes of others in the town and not long after that the number two son shows up like a bad penny. It turns out that this is one weird family. A private detective shows up shortly after and he is poisoned. I rather enjoyed the bleakness of this as well as the skeletons in the closet of these persons. It was quite entertaining.

A confused and totally muddled screenplay fittingly closes the Fox series of Charlie Chan entries, which is number 30 in the official 47-picture compendium which excludes the 1981 "Charlie Chan and the Curse of the Dragon Queen".

Actually, the equally preposterous script of this one is so full of holes, red herrings, misleading alliances, spooky hallucinations and other bizarre elements, it would make an equally amusing parody; but unfortunately the players and the director have all chosen to play it straight as a die. A shame, because a fair amount of money has been thrown at the movie which is beautifully produced and often quite stylishly directed.

Although it's disconcerting to see such wonderful sets and glistening cinematography squandered on this ridiculous mish-mash of impossible plotting and over-the-top characters, within these limits, Castle in the Desert is quite fascinating. The players are particularly engrossing. Toler is in top form as he tosses off the usual quota of quixotic aphorisms, including: "Man has enemies like dog has fleas"; "Caution sometimes mother of suspicion"; "The man who walks always has both feet on ground"; "Elaborate excuses seldom true"; and "A timid man never win lottery prize!"

This is the only Charlie Chan I threw in the waste basket, but that's because I was disgusted with all the pro-astrology message in this film. For those who could care less about that, this will be another entertaining Chan mystery. For the rest of us, this was disappointing.

Normally, Chan debunks these "stargazer" figures in his films but, for some reason, in this movie the astrologer is given total validity. Everything she predicts comes true so Chan gives her respect. It was amazing how many times the occult was presented in classic-era movies. Since the Code restricted profanity, nudity, anti-clergy bias, etc., one of the ways these could still get anti-Biblical messages across was through all the occult nonsense. This is just one more example.

This was Sidney Toler's last Charlie Chan before switching studios, adding Mantan Moreland to the cast and making the last of the films a lot more humorous (or stupid, depending on what you prefer). Moreland was funny as "Birmingham Brown" but he also was demeaning to the black race with his role.

Regardless of the stories or the cast, Charlie Chan always remained smart, funny and a good family man, and his films (including this one) are always entertaining.