"Castle In The Desert" apparently holds a special place in the hearts of many Charlie Chan fans, because it was the last film in the series to be produced by 20th Century Fox, before Monogram took over (this is better-produced than Monogram, yes, but it is still unmistakably a B-movie). There is absolutely nothing special about it directing-wise (there is little atmosphere or invention), but it does have a good plot (it's like a Chinese box: the real mystery is hidden inside another mystery) and a particularly smart and subtle clue about the identity of the murderer early on - see if you can spot it. My favorite Chan line (paraphrased from Shakespeare!): "Man who fears death die a thousand times". **1/2 out of 4.
Review of Castle in the Desert
