The Mark of Zorro (1920 film)

Last updated

The Mark of Zorro
FairbanksMarkofZorro.jpg
Directed by Fred Niblo
Written by
Produced byDouglas Fairbanks
Starring
Cinematography
Edited by William Nolan
Music by Mortimer Wilson
Production
company
Douglas Fairbanks Pictures Corporation
Distributed by United Artists
Release date
  • November 27, 1920 (1920-11-27)
Running time
90 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageSilent (English intertitles)
Budget$169,187.05 [1]
Box officeover $500,000 [1]
The Mark of Zorro

The Mark of Zorro is a 1920 American silent Western romance film starring Douglas Fairbanks and Noah Beery. 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.

Contents

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.

Noah Beery Jr. makes his first of many dozens of screen appearances, portraying a young child. His father began sporadically billing himself as Noah Beery Sr. as a result.

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". [2]

Plot

A colorized lobby card showing a scene from the film, 1920 The Mark oz Zorro lobby card.png
A colorized lobby card showing a scene from the film, 1920

The Mark of Zorro tells the story of Don Diego Vega, the outwardly foppish son of wealthy ranchero Don Alejandro Vega in the old Spanish California of the early 19th century.

Seeing the mistreatment of common citizens by rich landowners and the oppressive colonial government, Don Diego dons the mask of the Robin Hood-like rogue Señor Zorro ("Mr. Fox"), champion of the people, who appears out of nowhere to protect them from the corrupt administration of Governor Alvarado and his henchmen, the villainous Captain Juan Ramon and the brutish Sergeant Pedro Gonzales (Noah Beery, Wallace Beery's older half-brother). With his swift swordplay and an athletic sense of humor, Zorro scars the faces of evildoers with his mark, "Z".

When not in the disguise of Zorro, Don Diego courts the beautiful Lolita Pulido with bad magic tricks and worse manners, though she cannot stand him. Lolita is also courted by Captain Ramon; and by the dashing Zorro, whom she likes.

In the end, when Lolita's family is jailed and impoverished by the machinations of Governor Alvarado, Don Diego throws off his masquerade, wins over the soldiers to his side, forces the wicked governor to abdicate, and wins the hand of Lolita, who is delighted to discover that her effeminate suitor, Diego, is actually the dashing hero.

Primary cast

Magazine ad The Mark of Zorro (1920) - 16.jpg
Magazine ad

Reception and impact

Lobby card The Mark oz Zorro lobby card 3.png
Lobby card

The New York Times gave The Mark of Zorro a mixed review. [3]

Fairbanks biographer Jeffrey Vance, assessing the film's legacy in 2008, writes: "The Mark of Zorro is a landmark, not only in the career of Douglas Fairbanks, but also in the development of the action-adventure film. With this, his thirtieth motion picture, Fairbanks was transitioning from comedies to the costume films for which he is best remembered. Instead of reflecting the times, The Mark of Zorro offers an infusion of the romantic past with a contemporary flair ... Beyond reenergizing his career and redefining a genre, Fairbanks's The Mark of Zorro helped popularize one of the enduring creations of twentieth-century American fiction, a character who was the prototype for comic book heroes such as Batman; In fact, The Mark of Zorro is the canonical movie that the Waynes watched before being murdered." [4]

The Mark of Zorro was preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2012. [5]

Related Research Articles

<i>The Black Pirate</i> 1926 film

The Black Pirate is a 1926 American silent action adventure film shot entirely in two-color Technicolor about an adventurer and a "company" of pirates. Directed by Albert Parker, it stars Douglas Fairbanks, Donald Crisp, Sam De Grasse, and Billie Dove. In 1993, The Black Pirate was included in the annual selection of 25 motion pictures to be added to the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress, being deemed "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zorro</span> Fictional character

Zorro is a fictional character created in 1919 by American pulp writer Johnston McCulley, appearing in works set in the Pueblo of Los Angeles in Alta California. He is typically portrayed as a dashing masked vigilante who defends the commoners and Indigenous peoples of California against corrupt, tyrannical officials and other villains. His signature all-black costume includes a cape, a hat known as a sombrero cordobés, and a mask covering the upper half of his face.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swashbuckler</span> Stock character in literary works

A swashbuckler is a genre of European adventure literature that focuses on a heroic protagonist stock character who is skilled in swordsmanship, acrobatics, and guile, and possesses chivalrous ideals. A "swashbuckler" protagonist is heroic, daring, and idealistic: he rescues damsels in distress, protects the downtrodden, and uses duels to defend his honor or that of a lady or to avenge a comrade.

<i>The Mark of Zorro</i> (1940 film) 1940 film by Rouben Mamoulian

The Mark of Zorro is a 1940 American black-and-white swashbuckling film released by 20th Century-Fox, directed by Rouben Mamoulian, produced by Darryl F. Zanuck, and starring Tyrone Power, Linda Darnell, and Basil Rathbone.

<i>Douglas Fairbanks in Robin Hood</i> 1922 film by Allan Dwan

Robin Hood is a 1922 silent adventure film starring Douglas Fairbanks and Wallace Beery. It was the first motion picture ever to have a Hollywood premiere, held at Grauman's Egyptian Theatre on October 18, 1922. The movie's full title, under which it was copyrighted, is Douglas Fairbanks in Robin Hood. It was one of the most expensive films of the 1920s, with a budget estimated at one million dollars. The film was a smash hit and generally received favorable reviews.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Noah Beery</span> American actor (1882–1946)

Noah Nicholas Beery was an American actor who appeared in films from 1913 until his death in 1946. He was the older brother of Academy Award-winning actor Wallace Beery as well as the father of prominent character actor Noah Beery Jr. He was billed as either Noah Beery or Noah Beery Sr. depending upon the film.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Noah Beery Jr.</span> American actor (1913–1994)

Noah Lindsey Beery was an American actor often specializing in warm, friendly character roles similar to many portrayed by his Oscar-winning uncle, Wallace Beery. Unlike his more famous uncle, however, Beery Jr. seldom broke away from playing supporting roles. Active as an actor in films or television for well over half a century, he was best known for playing James Garner's character's father, Joseph "Rocky" Rockford, in the NBC television series The Rockford Files (1974–1980). His father, Noah Beery, enjoyed a similarly lengthy film career as an extremely prominent supporting actor in major films, although the elder Beery was also frequently a leading man during the silent film era.

<i>Zorro</i> (1957 TV series) American action-adventure western drama series

Zorro is an American action-adventure Spanish Western television series produced by Walt Disney Productions and starring Guy Williams. Based on the Zorro character created by Johnston McCulley in his 1919 novella, the series premiered on October 10, 1957, on ABC. The final network broadcast was July 2, 1959. Seventy-eight episodes were produced, and four hour-long specials were aired on the Walt Disney anthology series between October 30, 1960, and April 2, 1961.

<i>Zorro</i> (novel) 2005 novel by Isabel Allende

Zorro is a 2005 novel by Chilean author Isabel Allende. Its subject is the American pulp hero Diego de la Vega, better known as El Zorro. He first appeared as a character in Johnston McCulley's novella The Curse of Capistrano (1919). His character and adventures have also been adapted for an American TV series, other books, and cartoon series.

<i>Zorros Fighting Legion</i> 1939 film by John English, William Witney

Zorro's Fighting Legion is a 1939 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.

<i>The Curse of Capistrano</i> 1919 novel by Johnston McCulley

The Curse of Capistrano is a 1919 novel by Johnston McCulley and the first work to feature the Californio character Diego Vega, the masked hero also called Zorro. It first appeared as a five-part magazine serial. The story was adapted into the silent film The Mark of Zorro in 1920. It appeared in book form in 1924, also using the title The Mark of Zorro.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marguerite De La Motte</span> American actress

Marguerite De La Motte was an American film actress, most notably of the silent film era.

<i>The Legend of Zorro</i> (anime series) Japanese anime television series

The Legend of Zorro is a Japanese anime, based on the western character Zorro. The series was initially broadcast in Italy in 1994 before being broadcast in Japan two years later, albeit with some episodes skipped.

<i>Don Q, Son of Zorro</i> 1925 film

Don Q, Son of Zorro is a 1925 American silent swashbuckler romance film and a sequel to the 1920 silent film The Mark of Zorro. 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 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Swashbuckler film</span> Subgenre of the adventure film genre

A swashbuckler film is characterised by swordfighting and adventurous heroic characters, known as swashbucklers. While morality is typically clear-cut, heroes and villains alike often, but not always, follow a code of honor. Some swashbuckler films have romantic elements, most frequently a damsel in distress. Both real and fictional historical events often feature prominently in the plot.

<i>The New Adventures of Zorro</i> (1981 TV series) 1981 American TV series or program

The New Adventures of Zorro is an American animated television series produced by Filmation in 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.

<i>Zorro</i> (musical) Musical

Zorro is a musical with music by the Gipsy Kings and John Cameron, a book by Stephen Clark and Helen Edmundson, and lyrics by Stephen Clark. It is inspired by the 2005 fictional biography Zorro, the first original story of the pulp hero Zorro, written by Chilean author Isabel Allende. It also contains numerous references to earlier Zorro-related works, especially the 1998 film The Mask of Zorro. The original musical did a trial run tour which proved to be successful, and led to a transfer to the West End.

<i>Zorro: Generation Z</i> Animated series

Zorro: Generation Z is an animated series that began in 2006, and produced by BKN International, BKN New Media and Zorro Productions. Former Marvel Studios development executive Rick Ungar developed the original series. The programming deal and concept for the new series was developed by Ungar, G7, and Pangea and underwritten partially by a master toy license with Brazilian toy company, Gulliver Toys. What made the show unique were the plethora of Pangea-designed high tech gadgets and the conceit of having the young Zorro ride his motorcycle named after his horse, Tornado.

<i>Zorro</i> (Philippine TV series) 2009 Philippine television drama series

Zorro is a 2009 Philippine television drama action series broadcast by GMA Network. The series is based on the Zorro character created by Johnston McCulley. Directed by Mark A. Reyes and Dominic Zapata, it stars Richard Gutierrez in the title role. It premiered on March 23, 2009, on the network's Telebabad line up. The series concluded on August 7, 2009, with a total of 98 episodes. It was replaced by Darna in its timeslot.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Douglas Fairbanks</span> American actor and filmmaker (1883–1939)

Douglas Elton Fairbanks Sr. was an American actor and filmmaker best known for being the first actor to play the masked Vigilante Zorro, best known for his swashbuckling roles in silent films. One of the biggest stars of the silent era, Fairbanks was referred to as "The King of Hollywood". He was also a founding member of United Artists as well as the Motion Picture Academy and hosted the 1st Academy Awards in 1929.

References

  1. 1 2 Vance, Jeffrey; Maietta, Tony (2008). Douglas Fairbanks. University of California Press. ISBN   978-0-5202-5667-5. The Mark of Zorro was produced at a cost of $169,187.05 and in its initial release grossed over three times that amount domestically; it was Fairbanks' most profitable film up to that time.
  2. Mike Barnes (December 16, 2015). "'Ghostbusters,' 'Top Gun,' 'Shawshank' Enter National Film Registry". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved December 16, 2015.
  3. "The Screen" (PDF), The New York Times , New York, NY, U.S.A., November 29, 1920, ISSN   0362-4331, OCLC   1645522, archived from the original on August 30, 2007, retrieved June 2, 2015, All of which may mean that The Mark of Zorro is more enjoyable than The Curse of Capistrano could ever hope to be.
  4. Vance, Jeffrey (2008). Douglas Fairbanks. Berkeley: University of California Press Academy of Motion Picture its and Sciences. p.  93. ISBN   9780520256675. OCLC   804906297.
  5. "Preserved Projects". Academy Film Archive.

Further reading