David Lean gets the best out of a cast that includes Ann Todd and Ralph Richardson. Eric Portman and Van Heflin are the rival archaeologists searching the Sahara for a golden mask. Good adventure yarn with great shots of the desert in Technicolor. Or is the real murderer still at work. Unmemorable whodunit, but entertaining enough for fans of the genre.
Script adapt .
Dirk Bogarde has the title role. Michael Horden is his employer, a widower in the diplomatic service, trying to bring up his son Jon Whiteley. The son's more interested in Dirk however, making Michael very jealous. Bogarde by this point was King of the Rank Studios and trying to stretch himself with roles which were different from the norm. This is one of his better early efforts at escaping from being just a matinee idol.