Zorro (1975 Italian film)
Zorro is a 1975 swashbuckler film based on the character created by Johnston McCulley, directed by Duccio Tessari and starring Alain Delon in the title role. The film was an Italian-French co-production, filmed in Almería, Spain. Ottavia Piccolo and Stanley Baker also star, with "Zorro" being Baker's final film before his death in 1976. It was released by United Artists on March 5, 1975, and was both a critical and commercial success. Plot. On the eve of his return to Spain from Alta California, Don Diego de la Vega meets his old friend  Miguel de la Serna, who is about to take up the governorship of Nueva Aragón - after his uncle Don Fernando died of “malaria” in a malaria-free region, and was replaced by the dictatorial Colonel Huerta. Diego vainly warns the idealistic Miguel that Nueva Aragón is ruled by greed and hatred; later that very evening Miguel is assassinated by Huerta's underlings. Diego vows to avenge Miguel by taking his place, but not before a dying Miguel makes Diego swear "the new governor will never kill." As Colonel Huerta asks the local council to appoint him both military and civil  governor of Nueva Aragón, Diego walks in, disguised as de la Serna. While lulling Colonel Huerta's fears by pretending to be a useless fop, Diego learns that Huerta is a cruel despot as well as a dangerous swordsman. With Joaquín, Miguel's devoted mute servant, and aided by Assassin, the late Don Fernando's Great Dane, Diego goes among the people and learns how miserable and afraid they are: the innocent are punished for speaking the truth while the guilty, who cheat unmercifully, are called “respectable” citizens. Inspired by street urchin Chico's tales of Zorro, a freedom-loving  black fox spirit, Diego creates his own alter ego and begins a campaign for justice with a hilarious marketplace brawl. Outwitting Huerta and his men time and again, he finally stages his own kidnapping (as the governor) by himself (as Zorro) both to free wrongfully held prisoners and to make Colonel Huerta think both are dead. Huerta, feeling himself safe at last, forces aristocrat Hortensia Polido to the altar. He shoots the monk Brother Francisco when the latter leads protesters to the church steps, just as Zorro reappears. Brother Francisco's murder absolves Diego of his vow to his dead  friend Miguel - leaving Zorro free to engage Huerta in a duel to the death. Production. The film was made in part because Alain Delon had enjoyed making the swashbuckler "The Black Tulip" in 1964 and wanted to do another one. Filming began in July 1974 in Spain, with most of the crew being from Italy. Some studio work was done in Rome. The final sword duel was inspired by "Scaramouche" (1952). Release. "Zorro" was released in France on 5 March 1975 and in Italy on 6 March. It was released in the United States in June 1976 by United Artists . It was also one of the first Western-produced films to be screened in the People's Republic of China, after the Cultural Revolution. It was released there in 1978, and was purportedly seen by over 70 million viewers.