The Mark of Zorro
In 1940, the direction of Power's career took a dramatic turn when his movie "The Mark of Zorro" was released. Power played the role of Don Diego Vega/Zorro, fop by day, bandit hero by night. The role had been performed by Douglas Fairbanks in the 1920 movie of the same title. The film was a hit, and 20th Century Fox often cast Power in other swashbucklers in the years that followed. Power was a talented swordsman in real life, and the dueling scene in "The Mark of Zorro" is highly regarded. The great Hollywood swordsman, Basil Rathbone, who starred with him in "The Mark of Zorro", commented, "Power was the most agile man with a sword I've ever faced before a camera. Tyrone could have fenced Errol Flynn into a cocked hat."