Castle in the Desert (1942)

User Rating:

7.6/10   

Director:

Harry Lachman

Writers:

Earl Derr Biggers (characters)
John Larkin (writer)

Release Date:

27 February 1942 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

...a poison arrow whizzes past... as Charlie Chan opens the gate to his most baffling adventure!

Plot:

Charlie Chan investigates apparent poisonings at a mystery mansion in the Mojave Desert.

Plot Keywords:

Charlie Chan | Mansion | Mojave Desert | Historian | Borgias

Cast

Sidney Toler	...	Charlie Chan
Arleen Whelan	...	Brenda Hartford
Richard Derr	...	Carl Detheridge
Douglass Dumbrille	...	Paul Manderley
Henry Daniell	...	Watson King
Edmund MacDonald	...	Walter Hartford
Victor Sen Yung	...	Jimmy Chan (as Sen Yung)
Lenita Lane	...	Lucrezia 'Lucy' Manderley
Ethel Griffies	...	Lily, Mme. Saturnia
Milton Parsons	...	Arthur Fletcher
Steven Geray	...	Dr. Retling (as Steve Geray)
Lucien Littlefield	...	Prof. Gleason
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Oliver Blake	...	Hank, hotel manager (uncredited)
George Chandler	...	The Bus Driver (uncredited)
Paul Kruger	...	Servant (uncredited)
Eric Wilton	...	Wilson - Majordomo (uncredited)

Directed by
Harry Lachman

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Earl Derr Biggers		characters
John Larkin		writer

Produced by
Ralph Dietrich	....	producer

Original Music by
David Buttolph		(uncredited)
Cyril J. Mockridge		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Virgil Miller

Film Editing by
John Brady

Art Direction by
Lewis H. Creber		(as Lewis Creber)
Richard Day

Set Decoration by
Thomas Little

Costume Design by
Herschel McCoy		(as Herschel)

Production Management
William Koenig	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Hal Herman	....	assistant director
Saul Wurtzel	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Bernard Freericks	....	sound
Harry M. Leonard	....	sound

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sam Benson	....	wardrobe supervisor (uncredited)

Music Department
Emil Newman	....	musical director
Edward B. Powell	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Conrad Salinger	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1942) (USA) (theatrical)
• Key Video (1989) (USA) (VHS)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2008) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Panasonic Disc Manufacturing  transfer

Runtime:

62 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Filming Locations:

Backlot, 20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

The exterior of the hotel would later be dressed as the saloon for The Ox-Bow Incident (1943).

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: The supposed statue of a Medieval executioner sways momentarily, revealing the statue as an actor.

Quotes:

Charlie Chan: Guilty conscience like dog in circus - many tricks.

Movie Connections:

Follows Charlie Chan at Treasure Island (1939)

"Man who fears death die a thousand times."

Lucy Manderley is the obvious suspect when two guests are seemingly murdered at Manderley Castle, located in the Mojave Desert. Her husband Paul is a mysterious recluse who stands to lose his $20 million dollar estate if it can be proved he is mentally unfit.

Charlie Chan has a lot to piece together in this brisk mystery. Number Two Son Jimmy Chan is on leave from the army to help out his "Pop". If at all possible, try to view the Chan films in the order that they were released, the continuity is amazing. It was in the prior "Charlie Chan in Rio" film that Jimmy received his military papers.

Ethel Griffies and Milton Parsons are on hand from "Dead Men Tell" and perform admirably, particularly Ms. Griffies as the amazingly accurate psychic Madame Saturna - "The stars never lie".

The funniest line in the film comes from Sidney Toler's Chan character, responding to son Jimmy's choice of a suit of armor for a disguise - "What has canned outpost observed?" My compliments to the writer of that line, I can't get it out of my head!

Keep an eye out at the hotel stop where Charlie boards his ride for Manderley Castle, the sign overhead states "Rooms 50 cents". Better get an early reservation!

This is an enjoyable film with a fine cast, and well worth your time. Give it a try.