(1940 Film)

 

I saw this movie on TV as a very young boy and remembered very little about it. I rewatched it recently and, despite its flaws, it is more relevant than ever.

The Universal Scenario:

I don’t know about the recent Zorro productions (for all I know they gender-swapped the character and made the masked kickass grrrlboss fight against “white supremacy” or something–I’m not gonna bother finding out), but otherwise, all the incarnations have a similar backdrop: a tyrannical military-political complex has institutionalized injustice and oppresses both the peons and caballeros alike. Crushing taxes are the usual instrument of oppression, but just as with today’s IRS, the Alcalde of Los Angeles has enough armed goons to murder or imprison anybody who doesn’t bend the knee.

Don Diego de la Vega, son of Alejandro de la Vega, has been sent away to a military academy in Spain where he grew from a boy to a young man–and also the top cadet in his class thanks to his swordsmanship and horsemanship. He gets a letter from his father which compels him to quit the academy before graduation and return to California immediately. He is chapped about not getting his commission, but obeys his father and bids his fellow cadets goodbye.

It isn’t until he reaches California that the reason for his father’s urgent message becomes clear: Don Alejandro has been forced into retirement as Alcalde, and replaced by a cruel, corrupt tyrant. Don Diego grieves for his people. Then when somebody (a priest or monk in some versions) expresses their desire for an avenging angel to intervene, he is inspired. He will disguise himself as El Zorro (the Fox) to play Robin Hood in Los Angeles. The corrupt government will be unable to retaliate against his family, because his true identity is kept secret.

Characters in this Version:

Linda Darnell plays love interest Lolita Quintero, niece of the new Alcalde, who rankles at the injustice her uncle causes. Darnell is one of the quiet beauties of that era, and a good choice for the part.

Actor Eugene Pallette reprises his role of Friar Tuck in The Adventures of Robin Hood, only now he is called Fray Felipe and he’s in Los Angeles instead of Nottingham. And he doesn’t fight with a quarter staff. But I think he might wear the same costume.

J. Edward Bromberg plays the new Alcalde as a weak, cowardly Prince John Type. He’s like a mixture of Tim Walz and a less demented Joe Biden–but just as much of a tool. However, he’s not a complete fool.

Capitan Esteban Pasquale is the Alcalde’s egomaniacal muscle, who is really running the show through the petty politician, who he intimidates into compliance. Basil Rathbone really broke his foot off in this role–and with minimal screen time.

Tyrone Power does well as the swashbuckling Zorro, but is perhaps too convincing as the effeminate fop Don Diego pretends to be so as to avoid anyone suspecting him as the masked outlaw.

Character Folly:

Can’t really blame Tyrone Power for this, as I doubt he wrote the script, but he’s a little too foolish to be in the resistance business. It reminds me of the unmasking-in-public fetish so prevalent in the Marvel movies. Within days of donning the guise of the Fox, he begins revealing his secret to everyone but his father (who buys into his son’s metrosexual facade and is ashamed).

First Friar Tuck Fray Felipe is read in on Operation Zorro.

Then Lolita. Simply brilliant, Don Diego. After all, she’s beautiful, which of course means she is morally pure and will be faithful to you until the end of time. Not only that, women never gossip or reveal secrets. At least special women, which you are convinced of beyond any doubt after spending maybe a cumulative hour within her presence.

But that’s not nearly careless enough. Don Diego has to pull all the stops out to spread his folly wider and farther. He intentionally blows his cover to Capitan Pasquale and the Alcalde. He kills the former in a sword fight, so I guess that loose end is tied up. But the latter has him arrested and jailed. Great plan, Don Diego.

Zorro Through the Ages:

Tyrone Power was pretty adroit for the role. There are some nice action sequences in The Mark of Zorro  to keep you entertained, but this movie doesn’t hold up as well as I’d hoped.

But then, not many do. I watched the original silent version with Douglas Fairbanks Sr. It proved my attention span has dwindled along with my hearing since I was a young man.

There was a Zorro movie from Spain (or was it Italy?) that made the rounds on network TV back in the day that I enjoyed as a child (“Here’s to being free/Here’s to you and me/La la la la la el Zorro’s back!”) but wasn’t much impressed by when I found it at a public library and watched as an adult.

Out of all the actors who’ve played Zorro over the years, it’s actually Guy Williams I like the best. That’s right–I’m referring to the old Disney series. Williams’ Don Diego was more of a troubadour than a dandy, but he was both believable and admirable in the role. As Zorro, he buckles a swash with the best of them.

Another mark in Disney’s favor is that, though many tried to discover Zorro’s true identity and some came close, Williams’ Don Diego didn’t spill the beans to anybody but his father and their mute servant. In other words, close, trustworthy allies.

What Disney did (back before being handed over to a depraved mind) was preserve the character’s utility for future adventures.

The typical formula (with Zorro’s identity becoming known to all by the end of the story) could be remade, but sequels weren’t much of an option after the public unmasking.

 

CONCLUSION

Zorro is a fantastic character just dying for a mythic treatment. Maybe that’s what some film makers were shooting for. Nobody has quite pulled it off to the extent that would satisfy me as a fan.