Highly Overrated But Still Good

A different way of telling a story

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

I have loved this movie since I was a little girl. This was one of the movies my Father sat us kids down to watch during Sunday Family Classics. The fencing scene here is as thrilling to watch as the ones in Captian Blood, SeaHawk and Robin Hood - those three starring Errol Flynn. Watching Basil Rathbone in roles other than Sherlock Holmes shows the range of roles and the skills they needed to learn to be a star. While Tyronne Power was the lead - all the top say 10 roles shared the storyline - almost equally in screen time and lines of dialogue. It remains a balanced and strong storyline. The black and white photography in this movie helps the mood and the scene with the large shadow of Zorro would definitely not work in color.

In the early 19th century, handsome swordsman Tyrone Power (as Diego Vega) travels from Madrid, Spain to Los Angeles, California. He learns, from sinister swordsman Basil Rathbone (as Esteban Pasquale), that scene-stealing J. Edward Bromberg (as Luis Quintero) and his cronies have taken command of the land. Clearly signaling their desire to lock horns, Mr. Power and Mr. Rathbone make a notable first impression. Power responds to tyrannical rule by becoming a Spanish-styled "Robin Hood". In black cape and mask, Power (as "Zorro") fights injustice, leaving a telltale sword-swiped "Z" as his calling card...Stylish direction by Rouben Mamoulian, and the 20th Century-Fox production team, helped this "Zorro" leave a mark. Power is fine as the avenger. Most of his antics are accomplished by the "Z" special effect and a stunt double on horseback. Surprisingly, Power's real performance is as Zorro's mild-mannered - actually, fey - alter ego. With a final fencing duel against Rathbone, Power nails both the performance and picture. Adding to the above are good roles for Gale Sondergaard (as Inez Quintero) and Eugene Palette (as Fray Felipe). Newcomer Linda Darnell (as Lolita Quintero) is a beautiful romantic interest.******** The Mark of Zorro (11/1/40) Rouben Mamoulian ~ Tyrone Power, Basil Rathbone, J. Edward Bromberg, Linda Darnell

"The Mark of Zorro" was clearly 20 Century Fox's answer to the spectacular success of Warner Brothers' "The Adventures of Robin Hood". Many of the same elements are present, including a swashbuckling outlaw hero fighting against the ruthless and greedy forces of oppression while winning a beautiful and virtuous heroine. They even managed to engage many of the same supporting cast; including Eugene Palette reprising his role of the hero's priest-friend, Basil Rathbone as a sword-wielding villain, and Montague Love (as a good guy this time). Rathbone, in particular, stands out in one of his most effective portrayals in a long series of classic villains, one every bit as memorable as the one he portrayed in Robin Hood. The plot itself is a re-do of the classic 1920 silent film that cemented Douglas Fairbanks' reputation as an international film idol. With so much of The Mark of Zorro being a re-hash of elements that had been done before, it stands to reason that the production would have to have been carried off extremely well in order to have had any impact. In fact, it was done very well indeed. To star in a vehicle such as this you need an actor with great presence and charisma and, at that time, Tyrone Power had that in spades. He was clearly intended to be 20th Century Fox's answer to Errol Flynn, a role that he unquestionably pulled off, particularly in the period before the war (the Tyrone Power who returned from military service in the war was a far more mature actor, one less suited to the former swashbuckling roles). Power's Zorro is less athletic than Douglas Fairbanks' version, but then no actor, with the sole possible exception of Burt Lancaster, could ever hope to approach Fairbanks in that department. However, there is little dispute that Power was at his very best at the time he made The Mark of Zorro.Power's co-star, Linda Darnell, who was still only 17 years old, was just beginning the period of her best work when this film was made. Unfortunately, she was given little to do in this film, besides look beautiful (with which she had no trouble). It is also unfortunate for Darnell that she shared most of her scenes with one of the screen's finest character actresses, the much-unappreciated Gale Sondergaard. That is no aspersion on the talent of Darnell, because Sondergaard was fully capable of stealing scenes from the best scenery-chewers in the business, including the likes of Betty Davis and Claude Rains. For example, during the same period when Zorro was produced, Sondergaard was also featured in the cast of "The Letter", in which she memorably dominated a scene shared with no less an acting presence than Bette Davis, and did it without even uttering a single word of dialogue!A movie like the "The Mark of Zorro" wouldn't work unless all the elements, actors, sets, costumes, music score and direction, come together. In this particular case, everything came together perfectly.

After almost seven decades THE MARK OF ZORRO by Rouben Mamoulian still thrills, delights, astonishes and mesmerizes a large audience. Such cinematic adaptations, indeed, deserve to be called 'incomparable' and superior versions where any attempt at a remake is destined to be a failure. Although the story of the Californian "Robin Hood" had been brought to screen in the silent era by Fred Niblo and was, years later transformed into THE MASK OF ZORRO, Rouben Mamoulian's movie with Tyrone Power in the lead remains a superior version that I call 'The Movie of Zest.' Why? Such a content as in Johnston McCulley's 1919 story THE CURSE OF CAPISTRANO (that is where the fictional character Zorro first appeared) does not require much effort to see, much psychology where its zestful aim would turn into a reflective one. Such a movie primarily offers to us, gives us tension and characters: goodies and baddies, of course, 'angels' and 'scorpions' so that blood can run faster in our veins as we are watching their clashes and cross our fingers for the heroes. There are better or worse films in that respect but truly seldom can we find an equally overwhelming film as THE MARK OF ZORRO which really does its best thanks to excellent cast and a terrific character development. Let me discuss this aspect in more details.While THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD was a 'tour De force' for Errol Flynn, THE MARK OF ZORRO is a true 'tour De force' for Tyrone Power. He gives the most heroic, the most sympathetic, the emotionally and skillfully flawless performance as foppish Don Diego/mysterious Zorro. Tyrone Power crafts the very gist of his role(s), of his disguises creating an unforgettable picture in us. He builds a perfect tension in the viewers that does not fade till the end. And the rest that are with or against Zorro ......with his spirit comes Fray Felipe beautifully and humorously portrayed by Eugene Palette. He is the one of the flaming wrath, holy wrath. He is the one whose fruit is neither an enemy nor a rival; the one who awaits an angel with a flaming sword to come and fight fire with fire. Consider, for instance, the scene when he talks to Don Diego about the violent and corrupt government....with his heart comes a delicious Lolita, 'more lovely and more radiant than a morning in June,' sensually portrayed by Ms Darnell. Her image with a sweet white kitten has a powerful visual effect. Although this was the heyday of the code in Hollywood (1941), Ms Darnell is extremely sexy but perfectly decent. Here's another evidence for one true fact: she can have all clothes on and still give the most erotic performance. The terrific on-screen chemistry between Ms Darnell and Mr Power is worth attention with their best two scenes: the 'Sombrero Blanco' dance and the chapel scene. No wonder the young swordsman and a mysterious vigilante does not hesitate to marry her, raise fat children with her and watch their vineyards grow......with his sentiments comes Don Alejandro Vega (Montagu Love), his father, the deposed Alcalde, more loyal, more delicate. He seems helpless when seeing the people starve and desperate when his beloved son just makes the first steps toward making him a grandfather......against his morals come the violent and corrupt government, in particular 'His Excellency' Don Luis Quintero (J. Edward Bromberg), the new Alcalde who is cowardly and blood drunk; and the cruel captain Esteban Pasquale (Basil Rathbone), the true villain, a swordsman of evil for whom that poor fruit is not an enemy but merely a rival, who delights in terrorizing people by high taxation. The duel scene which has become, in a way, a symbol of this film is the climax of tension and the heights of thrill. While J. Edward Bromberg gives a memorable performance as Don Luis Quintenero, Basil Rathbone shines in the role, gives the clearest indication where evil lies, appears to portray a true evil's incarnate....with him, finally, come the people of Los Angeles, the people fighting for justice, and also the people who have great zest for his story and for the wonderful screen adaptation with masterful direction and acting. Highly recommended movie! 10/10