Madonna of the Desert (1948) User Reviews

Good Little B'

[nova-63 · 7/10 · 20 May 2012]

This is quite a good little film. Make no mistake, this is a low budget B' from Republic. However the story and cast exceeded my expectations. Don Castle stars as the man who possesses a valuable statue of Madonna, a statue that is suppose to bring luck to those who are true of heart. Castle has total faith in people (and the statue) and regularly lends it out for special events like a wedding, where the statue will bless the bride and groom with good fortune.

Sheldon Leonard plays the crook who wants to steal the priceless statue. His plan is to have a cohort arrive at Castle's home and take the real statue and leave a worthless fake. His cohort is a tough dame, played by Lynne Roberts. She comes to Castle's home, but circumstances arise and she begins to feel Castle's faith in man and the statue, causing her to renege on her bargain with Leonard. Leonard doesn't take this very well and sets out with a new plan to snatch the statue and deal Roberts a blow for her double cross.

This film is no masterpiece, just a pleasant, well executed B' thriller for those who enjoy such films.

Madonna vs . the Mobster

[mark.waltz · 5/10 · 2 November 2018]

In the late 1940's B studio Republic attempted several dramas with spiritual themes. "Angel in Exile" and "Angel on the Amazon" both had mystical heroines (Adele Mara and Vera Ralston) in exotic places. This Republic cheapie has another mystical heroine, but she's a jewel encrusted statue that somehow has the powers to protect anybody in danger while around it. Mobster Sheldon Leonard wants to get his hands on it, and sends out his right hand man Paul Hurst and cynical moll Lynne Roberts to get their hands on it and replace it with a phony. A sudden accident has Roberts catching on fire while trying to snag it, but leaving her with no injury. Of course, she begins to have second thoughts which puts her at odds with Leonard while its owner (Don Castle) and protector (Don "Red" Barry) aide Roberts in stopping the theft. This is an interesting little B action film, part crime caper and part spiritual drama, showing nicely how Roberts reforms based on a sudden surge of faith. Like the two other Republic films I mentioned, there's more than just a touch of "Song of Bernadette" in it. Leonard is great as the heavy, plotting with no regrets and willing to kill. Roberts makes her character very complex in the film's short running time, adding greatly to the film's impact.

Very sentimental.

[planktonrules · 5/10 · 2 April 2021]

The 'Madonna of the Desert' in the title refers to a bejeweled statue of the Virgin Mary that is owned by a poor guy. However, he refuses to sell the thing...and a mobster-type (Sheldon Leonard) insists on having it, even if it means stealing it. So he sends a larcenous lady to ingratiate herself to the owner and then switch it with a copy. But somewhere along the line, the lady falls for the mark and also begins to have faith in this supposedly lucky statue.

This is a very sentimental and schmaltzy film....too much so for my taste. Not a bad film but certainly one you'll never mistake for the earthier and darker Film Noir type of movie.

Faith

[boblipton · 6/10 · 26 September 2019]

Sheldon Leonard reads of an ivory Renaissance Madonna, decorated with gems in a farmhouse out in the middle of farm country. It's an opportunity in the making, so he has a pal in the fake antiques business make a copy. Then, deciding it needs to be done with a bit of class, he dispatches Lynne Roberts to pull the switch. She charms the Madonna's owner, Don Castle, and his grumpy hand, Paul Hurst.... and gradually comes to believe the statuette has actual powers, and her resolve wavers, even as fellow crook, Don Barry shows up, intending to steal it himself.

It's a beautiful script, co-written by Frank Wisbar and Albert Demond. At a whisker less than an hour in length, it can't really pull off the mysticism that I would like to think was in the script. It's a sweet, watchable, but not overwhelming moving.

Castle had been hired by MGM as a young Clark Gable type, but they never did anything worthwhile with him. He did a little better at Paramount, although usually on loan-out. His acting career had largely ended in 1951, but old co-star, Bonita Granville, got his a job producing job on TV's LASSIE. He died in 1962 of a drug overdose, aged 48.

Noir and Religion

[MikeF-6 · 8/10 · 2 February 2020]

The first title card says that this is a production of The Hollywood Television Service, but it was not a made-for, well, not exactly. Not at this date. The Hollywood Television Service was a unit of Republic Pictures whose job was to produce theatrical films of just under one hour in length ("Madonna" runs 59:46) and to edit existing programmers, especially westerns, down to that length to accommodate the growing TV market which had left networks and local stations desperate for content. That said, "Madonna Of The Desert" is an interesting, well acted, and sometimes even moving story of crime, redemption, and sentimental religion. Criminal con-man Nick Julian (Sheldon Leonard) reads a magazine story about a small statue of the Madonna owned by a California farmer (Don Castle) in a remote town. The article also reports that some believe it to date back to the middle ages and be very valuable. Nick enlists a sometimes partner in crime, a tough as nails dame named Monica Dale (Lynne Roberts), to seduce the farmer and switch out the stature for a plaster fake. Monica is well on her way to succeeding when she experiences what looks like a miracle from the Madonna. Slowly, she begins to question her way of life, but Nick is waiting nearby and expects results. Also featuring Don "Red" Berry as a rival thief. You will not have wasted your time by watching this.

Madonnas getting mixed up in the desert

[clanciai · 9/10 · 16 December 2018]

I loved this kind of morality which comes off with all its interesting turns quite naturally, as Lynne Roberts, dashingly beautiful, changes from a gangster bride to a madonna of the desert. It's all about a small statue, originally from Spain in the 1500s, which found its way to South America, where it ends up in a house in the Arizona desert with a war veteran and his old man, where it becomes attractive to collectors. One of them is a hoodlum and a swindler and will obtain it by any means, which is why he sends out Lynne Roberts for her. A copy is manufactured to arrange a switch, but the switch does not come off without complications, and of course they get mixed up. Even the small madonna herself starts a drama complicating things, and everything runs out of control for everybody. Lynn Roberts succeeds ultimately in landing on her feet, and the whole mess reaches a very satisfactory end, in spite of all the shootings, car accidents, fires, and so on. It's a gem of a small but very educating film.

Religious noir

[jarrodmcdonald-1 · 7 December 2023]

Recently I watched the Monogram crime flick I WOULDN'T BE IN YOUR SHOES. I became an instant fan of star Don Castle and wanted to seek out more of his work from the late '40s. Between his assignments at Monogram, he did a loan out to Republic that is worth seeing and discussing. In MADONNA OF THE DESERT he plays a religious man (not a priest, or else we couldn't have a romantic subplot) who lives in the Arizona desert with a cantankerous old man (Paul Hurst).

Inside the home of Castle's character there is a bejeweled statue of the Virgin Mary that is quite valuable and adored by the local hispanics. One neighboring Catholic family borrows the statue to put on an altar at a relative's wedding, believing the presence of the Madonna will bless the union.

Into this scenario we have a standard crime plot that goes a bit noir in spots. A scheming crook (Sheldon Leonard) has heard about the nearly priceless statue and covets it, thinking that once in his possession, he can fence it on the black market. He sends a sexy dame (Lynne Roberts) to Castle's place in the hopes of having her ply her charms and steal the item. This is where things get a bit romantic and more interesting.

Of course, we know Roberts will really fall in love with Castle, against her better judgments. But it takes a little while for her to reform. There's a unique scene where she goes with Castle to the Mexican family's wedding and she tries to take the statue. She accidentally knocks a candle over and sets the altar on fire, which in turn causes the sleeves of her dress to burst into flames.

Ordinarily, Miss Roberts would have been badly burned and scarred, but to her astonishment there are no injuries to her skin. The dress may be ruined, but she is perfectly fine. The locals consider this a miracle, and now Roberts herself has been converted, beginning to share the same faith as Castle and the others.

Yes, it may be a bit hokey, particularly to an atheist viewer. But I found it all very creative, a nice spin on the 'bad girl gets reformed' trope. I liked how the characters weren't afraid to demonstrate their spirituality. When Leonard sends another man (Don Barry) to complete the mission of absconding with the statue, we know he won't have a prayer. But the new relationship between Castle and Roberts does stand a chance and it will last for an eternity.

Light hearted crime flick from Republic Pictures

[searchanddestroy-1 · 19 May 2023]

If you miss this one, you won't lose much, because the director George Blair was the bottom of the basket in terms of film makers for the company. You can waste time, if you have nothing else to do. But don't expect much from this little programmer which is not a crap though. It's action less for a Republic movie, or may I say, there could have been more action in this romance drama with a bit of crime atmosphere. The only reason not to be scared is that it is short, under one hour long, it is bearable but also easily forgettable. Talkative at the most, unfortunately and not very interesting; this statuette tale is not the MALTESE FALCON.