"Castle in the Desert" is noteworthy because it was the last of the Charlie Chan movies produced and released by 20th Century Fox. This one has the look of a Universal "B" horror film in that it set within the walls of a remote castle in the middle of the Mojave desert complete with a dungeon, a mysterious owner, shadowy halls, things that go bump in the night et al.
Charlie Chan (Sidney Toler) is summoned to the castle by a note apparently sent by Lucy Manderly (Lenita Lane) the wife the wife of the owner (Douglas Dumbrille) a mysterious partly masked eccentric. On his arrival Charlie and later No. 2 son (Victor Sen Yung) find that a guest has apparently been poisoned. Lucy Manderly it seems is a descendant of the notorious Borgia family so suspicion immediately falls onto her. Manderly we learn, is a student of Cesar Borgia and is living as a recluse in an isolated castle to replicate Borgia's life and to write a book about him.
Also at the castle are suspects Carl Dethridge (Richard Derr) who is there researching a project, sculptor Watson Key (Henry Daniell), Madame Saturnia (Ethel Griffies) a seer who predicts tragedy, Dr. Retling (Steven Geray) the Manderlay's personal physician and their lawyer Walter Hartford (Edmund MacDonals and his comely young wife Brenda (Arleen Whelan).
Attempts are made on the lives of some of the guests including Charlie. Charlie discovers a sinister plot to discredit Manderly and take over his $20 million dollar fortune. And then a key figure is murdered. As part of Charlie's investigation son Jimmy dons a suit of armor with hilarious results. Needless to say Charlie unravels the mystery, identifies the culprits and moves on.
Although this was the last of the Fox Chans that had begun in 1931, the series would be resurrected 1944 by poverty row studio Monogram where it would run first with Toler until his death in 1947 and later with Roland Winters until 1949.
Charlie Chan (Sidney Toler) is summoned to the castle by a note apparently sent by Lucy Manderly (Lenita Lane) the wife the wife of the owner (Douglas Dumbrille) a mysterious partly masked eccentric. On his arrival Charlie and later No. 2 son (Victor Sen Yung) find that a guest has apparently been poisoned. Lucy Manderly it seems is a descendant of the notorious Borgia family so suspicion immediately falls onto her. Manderly we learn, is a student of Cesar Borgia and is living as a recluse in an isolated castle to replicate Borgia's life and to write a book about him.
Also at the castle are suspects Carl Dethridge (Richard Derr) who is there researching a project, sculptor Watson Key (Henry Daniell), Madame Saturnia (Ethel Griffies) a seer who predicts tragedy, Dr. Retling (Steven Geray) the Manderlay's personal physician and their lawyer Walter Hartford (Edmund MacDonals and his comely young wife Brenda (Arleen Whelan).
Attempts are made on the lives of some of the guests including Charlie. Charlie discovers a sinister plot to discredit Manderly and take over his $20 million dollar fortune. And then a key figure is murdered. As part of Charlie's investigation son Jimmy dons a suit of armor with hilarious results. Needless to say Charlie unravels the mystery, identifies the culprits and moves on.
Although this was the last of the Fox Chans that had begun in 1931, the series would be resurrected 1944 by poverty row studio Monogram where it would run first with Toler until his death in 1947 and later with Roland Winters until 1949.