Zorro

***Zorro*** (Spanish for "fox") is the secret identity of Don Diego de la Vega, a fictional character created in 1919 by pulp writer Johnston McCulley. He is a Californio living in Los Angeles during the era of Mexican California (between 1821 and 1846), although some movie adaptations of Zorro's story have placed him during the earlier Spanish rule.

The character has undergone changes through the years, but the typical image of him is a dashing black-clad masked vigilante who defends the commoners and indigenous peoples of the land against corrupt and tyrannical officials and other villains. Not only is he too cunning and foxlike for the bumbling authorities to catch, but he also delights in publicly humiliating them.

The character has been featured in numerous books, films, television series, and other media. Tiburcio Vásquez, Juan Nepomuceno Cortina and Joaquin Murrieta are cited as inspirations for Zorro.

### Publishing History

Zorro debuted in McCulley's 1919 story The Curse of Capistrano, serialised in five parts in the pulp magazine All-Story Weekly. At the end, Zorro's true identity is revealed to all. The story was published in 1924 as a novel under the title The Mark of Zorro.

In The Curse of Capistrano, Don Diego Vega becomes Señor Zorro in the pueblo of Los Angeles in California "to avenge the helpless, to punish cruel politicians", and "to aid the oppressed." He is the title character, as he is dubbed the "Curse of Capistrano."

The story involves him romancing Lolita Pulido, an impoverished noblewoman. While Lolita is unimpressed with Diego, who pretends to be a passionless fop, she is attracted to the dashing Zorro. His rival is Captain Ramon. Other characters include Sgt. Pedro Gonzales, Zorro's enemy but Diego's friend; Zorro's deaf and mute servant Bernardo; his ally Fray (Friar) Felipe; his father Don Alejandro Vega; and a group of noblemen (caballeros) who at first hunt him but are won over to his cause.

Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford, on their honeymoon, selected the story as the inaugural picture for their new studio, United Artists, beginning the character's cinematic tradition. The story was adapted as the film The Mark of Zorro (1920), which was a commercial success. McCulley's story was re-released by publisher Grosset & Dunlap under the same title, to tie in with the film.

In response to public demand fueled by the film, McCulley wrote more than sixty more Zorro stories, beginning in 1922. The last, "The Mask of Zorro" (not to be confused with the 1998 film), was published posthumously in 1959. These stories ignore Zorro's public revelation of his identity. McCulley died in 1958, just as the Disney-produced Zorro television show was becoming popular.

In McCulley's later stories, Diego's surname became de la Vega. In fact, the writer was wildly inconsistent. The first magazine serial ended with the villain dead and Diego publicly exposed as Zorro, but in the sequel the villain was alive, and the next entry had the double identity still secret.

Several Zorro productions have expanded on the character's exploits. Many of the continuations feature a younger character taking up the mantle of Zorro.

### Zorro on Film

#### The Mark of Zorro (1920)

***The Mark of Zorro*** is a silent adventure romance film released in the US on December 5, 1920, and starring Douglas Fairbanks and Noah Beery, Sr. This genre-defining swashbuckler adventure was the first movie version of The Mark of Zorro. Based on the 1919 story "The Curse of Capistrano" by Johnston McCulley, which introduced the masked hero, Zorro, the screenplay was adapted by Fairbanks (as "Elton Thomas") and Eugene Miller.

The film was produced by Fairbanks for his own production company, Douglas Fairbanks Pictures Corporation, and was the first film released through United Artists, the company formed by Fairbanks, Mary Pickford, Charlie Chaplin, and D. W. Griffith. The character Sgt. Pedro Gonzales (Noah Beery, Sr.) was later transformed into Sgt. Demetrio Lopez Garcia (Henry Calvin) by the Disney TV series with Guy Williams as Diego/Zorro, who was renamed Don Diego de la Vega.

The film has been remade twice, once in 1940 (starring Tyrone Power) and again in 1974 (starring Frank Langella). In 2015, the United States Library of Congress selected the film for preservation in the National Film Registry, finding it "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant".

#### Don Q, Son of Zorro (1925)

> *"With a whip for a weapon Douglas Fairbanks gives more laughs, more real thrills, more high speed, in "Don Q" than in any picture he has ever made."*
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***Don Q, Son of Zorro*** is the 1925 sequel to the 1920 silent film The Mark of Zorro. Released in the US on June 15, 1925, and in the UK on March 22, 1926, it was loosely based upon the 1909 novel Don Q.'s Love Story, written by the mother-and-son duo Kate and Hesketh Hesketh-Prichard. The story was reworked in 1925 (after Hesketh Hesketh-Prichard's death) into a vehicle for the Johnston McCulley character Zorro. The film adaptation was made by screenwriters Jack Cunningham and Lotta Woods for United Artists studios. Douglas Fairbanks both produced the film and starred as its lead character. It was directed by Donald Crisp, who also played the villain Don Sebastian.

The film was well-received: the New York Times rated it one of its top ten movies of 1925.

Don Cesar de Vega (Fairbanks), son of Zorro, is in Spain for his education. By way of education, he duels with Don Sebastian (Crisp) of the Queen's Guard (soon to be his rival for the hand of lovely Dolores de Muro, played by Fairbanks' wife Mary Astor), makes love, and befriends the visiting Archduke of Austria (Warner Oland). But a quarrel ending in violence gives Don Sebastian the chance to dispose of his rival...by framing him for murder! Feigning suicide, Cesar escapes. Being a chip off the old block, a whip-wielding outlaw (this being his weapon rather than the sword) sets out to clear the name of Vega... [IMDb.com]

#### The Bold Caballero (1936)

> *"FOR LOVE - AND FOR FREEDOM!... his battle cry."*
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***The Bold Caballero*** is a 1936 adventure film written and directed by Wells Root. It is based on the character Zorro, created by Johnston McCulley. The characters Don Alejandro Vega (Don Diego's father) and Bernardo are notably absent. Native American stars include Chief Thundercloud as Don Diego Vega/Zorro's aide and Charles Stevens as Captain Vargas. John Merton appears uncredited in this film as a First Sergeant. Merton also appears in Zorro's Fighting Legion as Manuel and Zorro's Black Whip as Harris. The film is notable for being the first "talking Zorro movie", as the first two Zorro movies were silent films, and the first in colour (Magnacolor). It was shot in Chatsworth, Los Angeles. The film was released on December 1, 1936, by Republic Pictures.

Zorro (Robert Livingston) has been captured and set for execution, charged with the murder of the new Governor (Robert Warwick) in Spanish California, as the Governor was marked with a "Z". Zorro escapes, and reveals his identity to the Governor's daughter, Isabella (Heather Angel). However, Isabella then has Don Diego arrested. He convinces Isabella that the Commandante (Sig Ruman) was the real killer, as the "Z" on the Governor was backwards. Eventually, Isabella helps free Don Diego, the Commandante is killed, and Diego and Isabella were reunite.

#### Zorro Rides Again (1937)

> *"ZORRO - Crack shot, super swordsman...known to few, his iron hand is felt by all who dare defy the law!"*
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***Zorro Rides Again*** is a 12-chapter Republic Pictures film serial. It was the eighth of the sixty-six Republic serials, the third with a western theme (a third of Republic's serials were westerns) and the last produced in 1937. The serial was directed by William Witney & John English in their first collaboration. The serial starred John Carroll who also sang the title song as a modern descendant of the original Zorro with Carroll stunt doubled by Yakima Canutt. The plot is a fairly standard western storyline about a villain attempting to illicitly take valuable land (in this case a new railroad). The setting is a hybrid of modern (1930s) and western elements that was used occasionally in B-Westerns (such as the western feature films also produced by Republic).

Noah Beery, Sr., who appeared in the 1920 silent The Mark of Zorro, appears as J. A. Marsden.

Zorro Rides Again's official release date is November 20, 1937, although this is actually the date the sixth chapter was made available to film exchanges. It was the first in a series of five Zorro serials: Zorro's Fighting Legion (1939), Zorro's Black Whip (1944), Son of Zorro (1947) and Ghost of Zorro (1949). In the early 1950s, Zorro Rides Again was one of fourteen Republic serials edited into a television series. It was broadcast in six 26½-minute episodes.

> *"Beware the dreaded Z"*
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A 68-minute feature film version, created by editing the serial footage together, was released on September 22, 1938 and re-released on January 16, 1959. The feature film had a working title of Mysterious Don Miguel before returning to the original name Zorro Rides Again. This was one of fourteen feature films Republic made from their serials.

#### Zorro's Fighting Legion (1939)

> *"WHIPS CRACK! SWORDS FLASH! BULLETS FLY!"*
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***Zorro's Fighting Legion*** is a Republic Pictures film serial consisting of twelve chapters starring Reed Hadley as Zorro and directed by William Witney and John English. The plot revolves around his alter-ego Don Diego's fight against the evil Don Del Oro.

A trademark of this serial is the sudden demise of at least one native informant in each episode. The direction was identical for each informant's death, creating a source of unintentional humour: each informant, upon uttering the phrase, "Don Del Oro is...", is shot by a golden arrow and dies before being able to name the villain's alter ego. The serial is also unusual in featuring a real historical personage, Mexican President Benito Juárez, as a minor character.

Zorro's Fighting Legion's official release date is December 16, 1939, although this is actually the date the sixth chapter was made available to film exchanges. The serial was re-released on March 24, 1958, making it the last serial released by Republic, which re-released serials for several years following the release of their final serial King of the Carnival in 1955.

It is the second in a series of five Zorro serials: Zorro Rides Again (1937), Zorro's Black Whip (1944), Son of Zorro (1947) and Ghost of Zorro (1949).

In the early 1950s, Zorro's Fighting Legion was one of fourteen Republic serials edited into a television series. It was broadcast in six 26½-minute episodes.

#### The Mark of Zorro (1940)

> *"Ride With Zorro . . . The Dashing Don Of California's Most Adventurous Era!"*
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*The Mark of Zorro* is a 1940 American black-and-white swashbuckling adventure film from 20th Century Fox, produced by Darryl F. Zanuck, directed by Rouben Mamoulian, that stars Tyrone Power, Linda Darnell, and Basil Rathbone. Released in the US on November 8, 1940, and on February 3, 1941 in the UK, it is a sound remake of the lavish 1920 smash hit silent film starring Douglas Fairbanks as Zorro and Noah Beery, Sr. as Sergeant Gonzales. That 1920 feature introduced Zorro's iconic all-black costume, subsequently incorporated into Johnston McCulley's later Zorro stories in his original fiction series upon which Fairbanks' film had been based.

The Mark of Zorro was nominated for an Academy Award for Best original score. The film was named to the National Film Registry in 2009 by the Library of Congress for being "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant", and to be preserved for all time.

Don Diego Vega (Power) is urgently called home by his father. To all outward appearances, he is the foppish son of wealthy ranchero and former Alcade Don Alejandro Vega (Montagu Love), having returned to California after his military education in Spain.

Don Diego is horrified at the way the common people are now mistreated by the corrupt Alcalde, Luis Quintero (J. Edward Bromberg), who had forced his father from the position of Alcalde. Don Diego adopts the guise of El Zorro ("The Fox"), a masked outlaw dressed entirely in black, who becomes the defender of the common people and a champion for justice.

In the meantime he romances the Alcalde's beautiful and innocent niece, Lolita (Darnell), whom he grows to love. As part of his plan, Don Diego simultaneously flirts with the Alcalde's wife Inez (Gale Sondergaard), filling her head with tales of Madrid fashion and culture and raising her desire to move there with her corrupt husband, Luis.

In both his guises Don Diego must contend with the governor's ablest henchman, the malevolent Captain Esteban Pasquale (Rathbone). He eventually dispatches the Captain in a fast-moving rapier duel-to-the-death, forcing a regime change, Don Diego's plan all along.

#### Zorro's Black Whip (1944)

> *"MASK OF MYSTERY! Who is this daring figure who conquers villainy and evil with the crack of a blazing black whip!"*
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Zorro's Black Whip is a Republic Pictures film serial starring Linda Stirling. The film was made after the 1940 20th Century-Fox remake of The Mark of Zorro and Republic wasn't able to use the character himself, but still wanted to capitalise on it. However, and despite the title, Zorro does not feature in this serial. The hero(ine) is actually called The Black Whip throughout.

The serial is set in pre-statehood Idaho, and involves a fight to prevent and ensure statehood by the villains and heroes respectively.

Parts of this serial were reused as stock footage to pad out later serials such as Don Daredevil Rides Again (1951) and Man with the Steel Whip (1954) – despite the fact that both of those serials had male leads.

Zorro's Black Whip's official release date is November 16, 1944, although this is actually the date the sixth chapter was made available to film exchanges. The serial was re-released on July 8, 1957 between the similar re-releases of The Purple Monster Strikes and Radar Men from the Moon. The last original Republic serial release was King of the Carnival in 1955.

#### Son of Zorro (1947)

> *"THE BOLDEST MAN IN THE WEST LIVES AGAIN...striking blow after blow against ruthless...reckless renegades!"*
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**Son of Zorro** is a Republic film serial directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet and Fred C. Brannon. George Turner starred as a descendant of the original Zorro in 1860s United States.

A man returning home after having fought in the Civil War discovers that corrupt politicians have taken over the county and are terrorising and shaking down the citizens. He dons the costume of his ancestor, the famous Zorro, and sets out to bring them to justice.

Son of Zorro's official release date is January 18, 1947, although this is actually the date the sixth chapter was made available to film exchanges. The serial was re-released on December 23, 1957 between the similar re-releases of Radar Men from the Moon and Zorro's Fighting Legion. The last original Republic serial release had been King of the Carnival in 1955.

In the early 1950s, Son of Zorro was one of fourteen Republic serials edited into a television series. It was broadcast in six 26½-minute episodes.

#### Ghost of Zorro (1949)

> *"HE THREW TERROR INTO THE BLACK HEARTS OF BADMEN...AND GAVE COURAGE TO THE HELPLESS!"*
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***Ghost of Zorro*** is a Republic Movie serial, which uses substantial stock footage from earlier serials, including Son of Zorro and Daredevils of the West. This movie was shot in Chatsworth, Los Angeles.

It's 1865 and the telegraph is heading west. George Crane, wanting to keep law and order out of his territory, is out to stop the construction. One of the main engineers on the job is Ken Mason, the grandson of the original Zorro. As Crane hires his men to stop the work, Mason finds himself in the legendary role his ancestor originated.

Ghost of Zorro's official release date is March 24, 1949, although this is actually the date the sixth chapter was made available to film exchanges.

> *"Who rides behind the black mask of Zorro? Daredevil or Demon!!"*
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A 69-minute feature film version, created by editing the serial footage together, was released on June 30, 1959. It was one of fourteen feature films Republic made from their serials.

#### The Sign of Zorro (1958) and Zorro, The Avenger (1959)

> *"MASKED RIDER LEAVES DREADED 'Z'"*
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Portions of the first 13 Zorro TV episodes starring Guy Williams were edited into a feature film called The Sign of Zorro, released in the UK on December 8, 1958 and in the US on June 11, 1960.

A further compilation of episode from the series were edited together to produce Zorro, The Avenger, which was released outside of the US in 1962.

#### The Erotic Adventures of Zorro (1972)

> *"The first movie rated Z"*
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An erotic parody of the masked avenger, also known as The Sexcapades of Don Diego, was co-produced in Italy and Germany, and starring Douglas Frey was released in the US on November 9, 1972.

#### The Mark of Zorro (1974)

***The Mark of Zorro*** is a 1974 television film, first broadcast on October 29, 1974, which starred Frank Langella alongside Gilbert Roland, with Yvonne De Carlo, versus Ricardo Montalban and Robert Middleton, and which was also a backdoor pilot for a television series on which ABC-TV declined to pick up the option. The film used Alfred Newman's musical score for the 1940 film version along with new incidental music composed by Dominic Frontiere.

In the 1840s, the foppish Don Diego de la Vega (Langella) returns from Spain to his family in California to find that his father (Roland) has been replaced as ruler of the region by the cruel Don Luis Quintero (Middleton). Despite being a skilled swordsman, Diego downplays his skills in front of the evil Captain Esteban (Montalban) and shows himself to be rather a clown in front of his family. However, Diego secretly picks up the sword of justice as the masked hero Zorro and fights to return justice to the region and his people.

#### Zorro, the Gay Blade (1981)

> *"Zexy, Zany, Zensational!"*
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***Zorro, The Gay Blade*** is a swashbuckling comedy film released in the US on July 17, 1981, by 20th Century Fox, produced by C.O. Erickson and George Hamilton, directed by Peter Medak, that stars George Hamilton, Lauren Hutton, Ron Leibman, and Brenda Vaccaro. Via its dedication to director Rouben Mamoulian and opening prologue, the film establishes that it is a sequel to 20th Century Fox's swashbuckling adventure film The Mark of Zorro (1940).

Hamilton was nominated for a Golden Globe award for playing the dual role of Don Diego de la Vega (Zorro) and his gay twin brother Bunny Wigglesworth, né Ramón de la Vega.

In 1840's Mexico, wealthy landowner Don Diego Vega learns of his late father's secret as Zorro, the masked folk hero, and Vega adopts his new persona. But when Vega is incapacitated by an injury, he asks Ramon, his very gay, long-lost twin brother (now calling himself 'Bunny'), to replace him as the caped hero, who makes some drastic changes to his Zorro persona.

#### The Mask of Zorro (1998)

> *"No one has seen his face....but everyone....knows this mark."*
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***The Mask of Zorro*** is an American swashbuckler film based on the character of the masked vigilante Zorro created by Johnston McCulley. It was directed by Martin Campbell and stars Antonio Banderas, Anthony Hopkins, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Stuart Wilson. The film features the original Zorro, Don Diego de la Vega (Hopkins), escaping from prison to find his long-lost daughter (Zeta-Jones) and avenge the death of his wife at the hands of the corrupt governor Rafael Montero (Wilson). He is aided by his successor (Banderas), who is pursuing his own vendetta against the governor's right-hand man while falling in love with de la Vega's daughter.

Producer Steven Spielberg had initially developed the film for TriStar Pictures with directors Mikael Salomon and Robert Rodriguez, before Campbell signed on in 1996. Salomon cast Sean Connery as Don Diego de la Vega, while Rodriguez brought Banderas in the lead role. Connery dropped out and was replaced with Hopkins, and The Mask of Zorro began filming in January 1997 at Estudios Churubusco in Mexico City, Mexico. The film was released in the United States on July 17, 1998 and in UK cinemas on December 11, 1998, to critical and commercial success. The Legend of Zorro, a sequel also starring Banderas and Zeta-Jones and directed by Campbell, was released in 2005, but did not fare as well as its predecessor.

James Horner was hired to compose the film score and his work was influenced by Miklós Rózsa's score from El Cid. The soundtrack, released by Sony Classical Records and Epic Soundtrax on July 7, 1998, was commercially successful and propelled by the rising profile of the Latin heartthrobs of Marc Anthony and Australian singer Tina Arena. Their duet, "I Want to Spend My Lifetime Loving You", plays in the closing credits of the film and was released as a single in Europe. Listen to the album on Deezer.

### Zorro on TV

#### Zorro (1957)

***Zorro*** is an American action-adventure western drama series produced by Walt Disney Productions. Based on the well-known Zorro character created by Johnston McCulley, the series premiered on October 10, 1957 on ABC. The final network broadcast was July 2, 1959. Seventy-eight episodes were produced, and 4 hour-long specials were aired on the Walt Disney anthology series between October 30, 1960 and April 2, 1961.

Portions of the first 13 episodes were edited into a feature film called The Sign of Zorro.

In 1983 a comedy follow-up, Zorro and Son, aired on CBS. The series was shot in colour on many of the same studio lots where the original was filmed. Featuring none of the original cast (Guy Williams walked out after a script dispute), the show performed poorly in the ratings.

#### The New Adventures of Zorro (1981)

The New Adventures of Zorro is an American animated television series produced by Filmation first aired on September 12, 1981. The series, which has 13 episodes, is based on the fictional character created by Johnston McCulley. It aired as part of The Tarzan/Lone Ranger/Zorro Adventure Hour.

The High Chaparral's Henry Darrow voiced Zorro in the series, and he would reprise the role in the live-action comedy Zorro and Son in 1983.

#### Zorro and Son (1983)

***Zorro and Son*** is an American television Western based on the character Zorro that aired on CBS. Created by Walt Disney Television, the series stars Henry Darrow as Zorro (Don Diego) and Paul Regina as his son, Zorro, Jr. (Don Carlos). Set approximately twenty years after the first series, Zorro and Son is an updated, comical version of the original series.

The series premiered on April 6, 1983, and was cancelled after five episodes.

It featured the same theme song by Norman Foster and George Bruns that was used on Disney's 1957 Zorro TV show.

#### Zorro (1990)

***Zorro*** (also known as The New Zorro, New World Zorro, and Zorro 1990) is an American action-adventure drama series featuring Duncan Regehr as the character of Zorro. Regehr portrayed the fearless Latino hero and fencer on The Family Channel from January 5, 1990 to January 30, 1993. The series was shot entirely in Madrid, Spain and produced by New World Television (U.S.), The Family Channel (U.S.), Ellipse Programme of Canal Plus (France), Beta TV (Germany), and RAI (Italy). 88 episodes of the series were produced, 10 more than the first Zorro television series, which was produced by Disney in the late 1950s.

The series is set in early 19th-century Spanish California. When the commandant of Los Angeles, Alcalde Luis Ramone, terrorizes the people of the pueblo and oppresses them, Don Alejandro de la Vega summons home from Spain his son Diego to fight the alcalde and his men. When Diego arrives, he finds his town in a sorry state, and while pretending to have little interest in anything but books and his experiments, he creates the secret identity of El Zorro: The Fox. He and his mute servant, the teenage Felipe, battle the alcalde's tyranny.

Henry Darrow, who played Zorro in 1983's Zorro and Son appeared as Don Alejandro de la Vega (Seasons 2–4), replacing Efrem Zimbalist Jr. who played the character in the first series.

#### The New Adventures of Zorro (1997)

The New Adventures of Zorro was an animated television featuring the character of Zorro. The show was on the air for two seasons 1997-1998.

The show starred Michael Gough as Zorro/Diego Dela Vega, with Earl Boen as Captain Montecero, the lead villain. Pat Fraley played Diego's father Don Alejandro Dela Vega and Tony Pope was the bumbling Sergeant Garcia who was popularised by Henry Calvin on the 1950s Disney live-action series. This series added elements of science fiction and fantasy to the Zorro legend, with the hero battling supervillains who used steampunk gadgets or magic. Zorro employed similar equipment designed by his mute manservant Bernardo, and was aided by the magic of the Native American wise woman Grey Owl.

Guest voices include Edward Asner, Clancy Brown, Mark Hamill and Ron Perlman.