The History of Zorro
Children often will imitate their favorite superhero. The world of superheroes comes alive in books and movies. Among some of the most famous are Superman, Batman and Spiderman. Zorro can also be included. Zorro is a masked swordsman, in Colonial California, defending the local citizenry.
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The Beginnings
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Zorro arrived on the scene in 1919 as the main character of Johnston McCulley's "The Curse of Capistrano." Originally a series of stories in All-Story Weekly, it was made into the novel "The Mark of Zorro." The story was made into a movie in 1920, by Douglas Fairbanks. Zorro quickly became a social icon and McCulley wrote 65 more novels portraying the life and times of Zorro. The preface, in the "Curse of Capistrano," states: "Exactly how McCulley stumbled upon the Zorro idea is a bit of a mystery. The influences of Baroness Orczy's Scarlet Pimpernel are obvious in Don Diego Vega's use of a foppish pose to mask his secret identity as Zorro."
The Character
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Zorro is a sword-wielding hero raised from wealth and high society. His manners are impeccable and believes in the importance of right and wrong, similar to Robin Hood. Don Diego de la Vega was the character's real name in the book. Diego was born in early Los Angeles during the decline of Spanish colonial rule. Diego received his education in Madrid and became a fencing champion. Once back in California, he pretended to be a quiet social elite as his alter ego, Zorro, fought the tyrannical rule of a dictator, casting his Z mark on defeated enemies.
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1920 to 1949
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After the surprise hit of "The Mask of Zorro," the movie "Don Q., the Son of Zorro" made its debut in 1925. "The Son of Zorro" makes a few references to the original with little similarity. In 1936, Republic Pictures made the move "The Bold Caballero" with new scenery and starting with Zorro's capture. "The Mark of Zorro" was remade in 1940, starring Tyrone Power, re-energizing the legend and bringing the original character back to the scene. The movie enriched the character and is considered a cinema masterpiece. In 1947 and 1949 came "Son of Zorro" and "Ghost of Zorro."
1950 to Present
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In 1957, Walt Disney launched Zorro into televisions nationwide. Starring Guy Williams, the new Zorro series spawned new lines of merchandise. However, the 1974 remake of "The Mark of Zorro," starring Frank Langella, appeared with the same script and music. In 1983 and 1990, Hollywood made two more runs at Zorro television series. "Zorro and Son" had a short run, but "The New World Zorro" ran for two years. The most recent attempts at reprising the Zorro role were by Antonio Banderas in 1998 and 2005, in "The Mask of Zorro" and "The Legend of Zorro".
Comic Books
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Zorro graced the pages of comic books multiple times since his introduction in 1919. The original six comic books were written by Johnston McCulley for Dell Comics, from 1949 to 1956. Walt Disney ran fifteen editions concurrently with the television series, from 1958 to 1961. Marvel comics ran 12 issues based on the 1991 television series "New World Zorro." Countless other appearances in different comic books help foment the legend, including 18 issues by Topps.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit "Zorro the Musical: Current.com" This is a picture of the mark of zorro symbolizing his appearance.
