Castle in the Desert

Castle in the Desert

Rating

2.5 (1)

Release Date

2/2/1942

Runtime

62 mins

Overview

Charlie Chan, with son Jimmy on a week's pass from the Army, takes up a request for help at a castle-home, miles from anywhere in the American desert south-west and inhabited by an eccentric, reclusive historian and his wife, a descendant of Lucrezia Borgia. Once there, he finds the request's legitimacy denied by all who are present, but still necessary as one houseguest has already been murdered, the other guests are at each other's throat, and the Borgia-related chatelain is suspected...

Status

Released

Original Language

English

Budget

-

Revenue

-

Homepage

-
Backdrop Image

How It Feels

Read from this film's synopsis, keywords and credits, and used to work out what it sits beside.

A lean detective mystery where Charlie Chan navigates a household of suspects and secrets in an isolated desert castle, balancing genuine intrigue with the comedic friction between the brilliant detective and his eager son. The claustrophobia of the setting and the eccentric cast keep the plot moving despite the brief runtime.

Mood

TenseUnsettlingPlayful

Themes

CrimeFamily

Tone

Ironic

Pacing

Brisk

Look

NaturalisticDocumentary-like

Structure

Single location

Reviews

Charlie Chan (Sidney Toler) Collection

Recommendations

Ranked by what each one shares with this film, with the reason on every card.

Same director · Same series

Same director · Same series

Feels similar

Feels similar

Covers similar ground

Feels similar

Feels similar

Feels similar

Feels similar

Feels similar

Feels similar

Feels similar

A similar mood

Feels similar

Feels similar

A similar mood

Feels similar

Feels similar

Feels similar

Feels similar

Castle in the Desert (1942) directed by Harry Lachman | FirstCinema