New-York tribune., 1920-11-29
On the Screen
Fairbanks Is Entertaining and
Amusing in ''The Mark
of Zorro''
By Harriette Underhill

tol used TO be "Thc Curse of the Capis-
tano" when it was in book form but
Zorro is so much less apt to be mis-
prl nounced and it is also much more
/ euphonious
This is Douglas Fairbanks's latest pic
ture, and all the time we were watching
il we couldn't help wondering what the
ewginal story was like. It couldn't
have been anything like the screen
version. for ther@ couldn't be another
hero like Fairbanks. For instance, if
an author had narrated that Zorro
climbed the side of the church, slid in
the window, changed clothes with a
monk, walked out again, broke open
lails, jumped from the floor to the first
balcony and escaped on foot CARRYING
senorlta IN his arms with fifty armed
soldiers after him no one would bother
TO read any further. He would say
there amt no such hero. But seeing
Is believing, as Dulcinea sarely re-
marked, and on the screen Zorro does
do it. or at least Douglas Fairbanks
docs, for never once do you think he
is Zorro
Picture Is Entertaining
The picture is entertaining and anus
lng but not in the least convincing.
Wien Zorro is backed up against wall
the only surprise lies in wondering
which one of them he is going to pick
up by the heels and hurl at the others.
douglas Fairbanks has never yet come
TO grief nor is there suggestion of it.
SO all one has to control are his risi-
b:lities.
The picture is directed by Fred Niblo
and it is very we'll done and the back
ground is all that one could ask in pic
turcsqueness. The story is Of Cali
forrla 100 years ago and Zorro Is the
handsome masked avenger who goes
about putting a 81" on the cheek of
shorrly to his native servant or kicks
the cat feels a cold breeze on the back
Of his neck, and there is the window
wide open and Zorro ready to brand
the offender
Takes Audience Into Confidence
We knew all the time that Zorro was
only Don Diego Vega with a mask and
raise mustache. and indeed it re-
Quires no great amount Of movie sense
to know this, for the only ones who are
kept in the dark arc the people about
him. The audience he takes into his
confidence, but as they are all with
him from the first he has nothing to
fear from that quarter.
Anu vi, "Hat Il gOOu time falrDanks
had making the picture The Co.'S
tight white trousers and folded red
sash reveal the fact that the popular
athletic, smiling hero hasn't taken on
an ounce Of flesh where it would spoil
his profile
The picture is going to make you
sigh for the good old days Of chivalry
when men like Zorro gave up their
seats in the subway and tempestu-
o.lsly wooed the ladies' Of their choice
to have breakfast with them every
morning.
Some excellent work rs done by
Noah Beery as Pedro and Robert NC
Kim as Captain Ramm. The girl is
Lolita, played by Marguerite Della
Motto. "The MARI of Zorro is we'll
worth seeing.
The program is more or less Spanish
and "Espana' is the ruling motive in
the music. We had the advantage
over the other people in the theater. A
Spanish family sat directly behind US.
and father read all the titles ont loud
the wife and kids. But we can't
promise this for every day, although
he did say something about manana
Lest any one go to the Rivoli under
the impression that he is going to see
sweet, glad play about birds and
flowers, let us say at once that "Helio-
trope" isn't the name of an ingenue
like Lavender" 1t is the name of a
"iifer" IN the penitentiary, and his full
name is "ieliotrope Harry" so called
because he Is SO fond of the scent and
never travels without it, But. of course,
is in
she is very ingenuish indeed. The first
title says that she reminds you of May
flowers and golden sunshine She
dWclls i'll a convent and reads love
poems, but at no time does the plot
make il necessary for her to feed a
dove.
But enough Of her. The real story is
about Heliotrope. Fred Burton plays
this part and he does it extremely
well-bctter than you'd think any one
could do it, for it isn't easy to be
natural doing things that no one ever
has been known to do
He is in for life offence unknown)
and he doesn't want daughter to know
that father is criminal. SO, when he
finds out that the mother has learned
Of her child's good fortune in capturing
millionaire, he begs pardon from
the Governor and starts on her trail.
1t is all so we'll done that you enjoy
ii even while you know that it never
could possibly happen in real life.
lleliotrope swears to do his wife no
harm before he is allowed to leave, so
the story is simply one of how he
keeps his promise. but has his revenge
much worse than anything one could
anticipate.
It is nice and shivery and some of
the men in the audience said it was
too gloomy but ali the women ap-
parently liked it.
Parts Are Well Handled
1t is we'll handled and many of the
parts were extraordinarily we'll ham
died. There was Thomas Findlay, who
was SO convincing AS the warden with
an honor system; there was Julia
Swayne Gordon, as the bad wife, and
William Mack, who was excellent as
Spike Foley. THE boy" and "the
girl' were done by Wilfred Lytell and
Diana Alien.
On incident struck us as peculiar.
4 letter was addressed to Spike at 472
West Forty third Street. He received
the letter, yet his address as he let
himself in with a latch key was plain
" l25 over the door. Good work for
Mr. Burleson.
The picture is from the story by
Richard Washburn Child. The,
scenario and irection are by George
d. Baker.
The overture is extremely preten-
tlous. 1t is Hymn to the SUM- from
Iris and is done bv the RivoE