The Mark of Zorro [DVD] [1940]

This is great fun, despite a lag for romance in the middle. Los Angeles, the size of a village, is being persecuted by a nasty, usurping mayor. Along comes Diego (Tyrone Power), the handsome son of the deposed mayor, all the way from Spain, and within hours he is terrorising the mayor's garrison. Calling himself the Fox (Zorro), he leaves his trade mark Z scratched on nearby walls. Luckily, one of the villains is Basil Rathbone, so we can look forward to a swordfight between him and Power , which turns out to be almost as good as that between Rathbone and Flynn, in 'The Adventures of Robin Hood', the only disappointment being that it's not in technicolor. Although Robin Hood was Warner Brothers and Zorro is Twentieth Century Fox (ideal for Zorro) we have the great Eugene Pallette repeating his role as the priest. One and a half hours of enjoyable nonsense.PS The love interest is Linda Darnell who died horribly by fire in her early forties, having managed almost three films a year for sixteen years. I remember her for 'Forever Amber', adapted from a scandalous book. The film was banned in certain places but eventually emerged with a PG certificate.

Don Diego Vega has spent many years in Spain learning the arts of sword play and horse riding. On his return to his home in California he discovers that his father has been deposed as The Governor of his home region, and instead the spineless toad, Don Luis Quintero, sits in his place. Quintero himself used as a puppet and controlled by his cruel and brutal military Captain.As soon as he realises what's going on, Don Diego, hides his true heroic and courageous nature from even his parents, instead pretending that he has learned the ways of, and become a foppish socialite since leaving for school in Spain.A move which although outrages his father, allows him access to the home of the greedy Quintero, allowing Don Diego time to hatch a plot to put his father back into his rightful position of state. With a little help from Don Diego's alter ego, the masked avenger of justice: Zorro, of course...This is such a great film it really is. It's got just about everything you'd want. Adventure, excitement, Zorro craves all these things! With some romance, stunts and sword fights thrown in for good measure of course.Basil Rathbone plays the humourless villain, Captain Pasquale, who forces the Governor's hand (an act that doesn't take much doing in all fairness.) by threat of his expert swordsmanship! And of course in the end it's up to Zorro to free the people of tyranny, get the girl, and do for the baddies.Tyrone Power plays the dashing Don Vega and he really looks the part, especially hilarious when he's camping it up in his tight trousers as Don Vega.. With the true highlight coming just before the end, involving the duel between Rathbone and Power. A fencing display that has arguably never been bested in cinema history! It's so frenzied and vicious it's simply mesmerising! With Rathbone (who was a superb fencer in real life!) and Power (who was also quite skilled ~ but semi~doubled by a stuntman in this) going at it hammer and tongues!My only gripes being that I would have liked the final battle between Rathbone and Power to have featured longer in the film, later in the film, and with Power wearing the Zorro costume! Silly I know, but what can I say!The US dvd has both the colourised (that's the version I watched, I'd only ever seen the black and white version before I think) and Black & White versions. Which they've done a very decent job on, considering the film's 75yrs old! The colourisation looks pretty good. There's also commentaries on both prints and a documentary on Tyrone Power.Top movie. Probably the best Zorro movie, certainly the best I've seen.5/5

Tyrone Power's charm alone is enough to carry this movie, but there is so much more. Don't be put off by the filming in black-and-white. Although I am an old fan of monochrome movies, I appreciate it can be an acquired taste nowadays - but 'The Mark of Zorro' might be all you need to acquire that taste. If you're familiar with the modern versions of this story be prepared for a wittier, tighter dialogue and be prepared also to see one of the best sword fights ever filmed - it was real enough as both Power and Rathbone were masters of the art. Solid gold entertainment, I'd say.

Considered the best Zorro film, this is an all-time classic swashbuckler from the golden years of Hollywood. Exciting and dashing, with sparkling dialogue, played to perfection by its stars. Tyrone Power and Basil Rathbone are the perfect good-versus-evil foils to each other. Oh, and don't forget that thrilling swordfight - the finest sword duel ever committed to film.

Not enough action-too much of Tyrone Power playing the effete son a la Scarlet Pimpernel (Sid James did it better in Carry On Don't lose your Heads). Basil Rathbone suitable villainous but really rather wasted.Perhaps the sequel was better?

It was ok, but nothing comparable to Guy Williams performance: he is "The Zorro"!, even if I like Tyron Powel. Unfortunately the actress Linda Darnell was quite flat and boring, which didn't help.

I had been looking for a digital copy or DVD for ages and was very pleased to see this version for sale. This is an excellent version especially with the sword fight scene being so good. Next day delivery was impressive as well.

I SAW THIS FILM YEARS AGO IN MY TEEN YEARS AND I LOVED IT THEN, TYRONE POWER WAS MY HEROAND HE FITS THIS ROLE AS ZORRO PERFECTLY, LINDA DARNELL WAS THE LOVELY LEAD WITH HIM, I WOULD RECOMMEND THIS FILM IF YOU LIKE A ROMANTIC EPIC FROM A BYGONE AGE WHEN OUR HERO'S WERE GALLANT AND BRAVE FIGHTING THE WRONG DOER'S.