Son of Zorro
Son of Zorro is a 1947 American Western film serial from Republic Pictures. It was the 43rd of the 66 serials produced by that studio. The serial was directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet and Fred C. Brannon. George Turner starred as a descendant of the original Zorro in 1860s United States. Plot. A man returning home after having fought in the Civil War discovers that corrupt politicians have taken over the county and are terrorizing and shaking down the citizens. He dons the costume of his ancestor, the famous Zorro, and sets out to bring them to  justice. Production. "Son of Zorro" was budgeted at $156,745 although the final negative cost was $119,343 (a $10,022, or 6.8%, overspend). It was the cheapest Republic serial of 1947. It was filmed between 21 June and 20 July 1946 under the working title "Zorro Strikes Again". The serial's production number was 1695. This was one of only four 13-chapter serials to be released by Republic. Three of the four were released in 1947, the only original serials released in that year. The fourth serial of the year was a re-release of the 15-chapter , 1941 serial "Jungle Girl". This marked the first time Republic had re-released a serial to add to their first run serial releases. Special effects. The special effects were created by the Lydecker brothers. Release. Theatrical. "Son of Zorro"'s official release date is 18 January 1947, although this is actually the date the sixth chapter was made available to film exchanges. The release of "Son of Zorro" was followed by a re-release of "Jungle Girl" instead of a new serial. This was the first time Republic had re-released a serial. This was followed by the next new  serial, "Jesse James Rides Again". The serial was re-released on 23 December 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. Television. In the early 1950s, "Son of Zorro" was one of fourteen Republic serials edited into a TV series. It was broadcast in six 26½-minute episodes.