The Mark of Zorro (1940)

User Rating:

7.7/10   

Director:

Rouben Mamoulian

Writers:

John Taintor Foote (screenplay)
Garrett Fort (adaptation) ...
(more)

Release Date:

8 November 1940 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Romance | Western

Tagline:

Ride With Zorro . . . The Dashing Don Of California's Most Adventurous Era !

Plot:

A young aristocrat must masquerade as a fop in order to maintain his secret identity of Zorro as he restores justice to early California.

Plot Keywords:

California | Fop | Justice | Secret Identity | Spain

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

Tyrone Power	...	Diego
Linda Darnell	...	Lolita Quintero
Basil Rathbone	...	Captain Esteban Pasquale
Gale Sondergaard	...	Inez Quintero
Eugene Pallette	...	Fray Felipe
J. Edward Bromberg	...	Don Luis Quintero
Montagu Love	...	Don Alejandro Vega
Janet Beecher	...	Senora Isabella Vega
George Regas	...	Sergeant Gonzales
Chris-Pin Martin	...	Turnkey
Robert Lowery	...	Rodrigo
Belle Mitchell	...	Maria
John Bleifer	...	Pedro
Frank Puglia	...	Propietor
Eugene Borden	...	Officer of the Day
Pedro de Cordoba	...	Don Miguel
Guy D'Ennery	...	Don Jose
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Stanley Andrews	...	Commanding Officer (uncredited)
Fortunio Bonanova	...	Sentry (uncredited)
Ralph Byrd	...	Student / Officer (uncredited)
Robert Cauterio	...	Manuel, Horse Groom (uncredited)
Rafael Corio	...	Diego's Manservant (uncredited)
Gino Corrado	...	Caballero (uncredited)
Franco Corsaro	...	Orderly (uncredited)
Jean Del Val	...	Sentry (uncredited)
Art Dupuis	...	Soldier (uncredited)
William Edmunds	...	Peón selling cocks (uncredited)
Victor Kilian	...	Boatman (uncredited)
Fred Malatesta	...	Sentry (uncredited)
Francisco Marán	...	Officer (uncredited)
Ted North	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Hector Sarno	...	Moreno, Peón at Inn (uncredited)
George Sorel	...	Caballero (uncredited)
Charles Stevens	...	Jose, a Peón (uncredited)
Paul Sutton	...	Morales, Soldier Finding Secret Wall (uncredited)
Lucio Villegas	...	Caballero (uncredited)
Harry Worth	...	Caballero (uncredited)
Frank Yaconelli	...	Don Alejandro's Servant (uncredited)

Directed by
Rouben Mamoulian

Writing credits
John Taintor Foote		(screenplay)
Garrett Fort		(adaptation) and
Bess Meredyth		(adaptation)
Johnston McCulley		(story "The Curse of Capistrano")

Produced by
Raymond Griffith	....	associate producer (uncredited)
Darryl F. Zanuck	....	executive producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Alfred Newman
David Buttolph		(uncredited)
Hugo Friedhofer		(uncredited)
Cyril J. Mockridge		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Arthur C. Miller		(director of photography) (as Arthur Miller)

Film Editing by
Robert Bischoff

Art Direction by
Richard Day
Joseph C. Wright

Set Decoration by
Thomas Little

Costume Design by
Travis Banton

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Sid Bowen	....	assistant director (uncredited)
Lynn Shores	....	second unit director (uncredited)

Sound Department
W.D. Flick	....	sound
Roger Heman Sr.	....	sound (as Roger Heman)

Stunts
Rex Rossi	....	stunts (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Sam Benson	....	wardrobe (uncredited)

Music Department
Alfred Newman	....	musical director (uncredited)

Other crew
Albert Cavens	....	fencing double: Tyrone Power (uncredited)
Fred Cavens	....	choreographer: duel (uncredited)
Ernesto A. Romero	....	technical advisor (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Distributors

• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1940) (USA) (theatrical)
• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1947) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation (1958) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• FS Film Oy (2007) (Finland) (DVD)
• Fox Films (1941) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Fox Video (video)
• M.P.E.A. (1949) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• TV3 (1990) (Finland) (TV)
• Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (1964) (1975) (Finland) (TV)

Also Known As:

The Californian (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

94 min | Portugal:90 min (censored version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Spanish

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

Canada:G (Manitoba/New Brunswick/Nova Scotia/Prince Edward Island/Quebec) | Canada:PG (Ontario) | USA:Approved (certificate #6597) | Australia:G | Finland:S | Germany:12 | Portugal:M/12 | Sweden:Btl | UK:U

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

Like most of the actors who portrayed Zorro at around this time, 'Tyrone Power (I)' was not of Hispanic heritage (he was of British descent).

Goofs:

Continuity: When the padre leaves the cell he has a pistol in his right hand. When he starts hitting the soldiers, he has a tree limb in his right hand. When the Alcade resigns, the padre escorts him the pistol is back in his right hand.

Quotes:

Fray Felipe: To think that the boy that I helped to raise, the boy that I taught to hold a firm wrist behind a true point, has turned into a puppy! Bah!
Don Diego Vega: Well,! Tsk, tsk, tsk! How vexatious!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Aladdin and the King of Thieves (1995) (V)

An excellent classic

This is an excellent classic that I pop in and watch often. No matter how many times you watch this one, it's still a great movie. This one is well worth purchasing. And who doesn't like Zoro? It's just a great little romp with horses, swords, and peons. Eugene Palette is one of my favorite supporting actors that just so happens to be the Fiar Fray Felipe, the local church leader. Although a member of the church, the Friar is also capable of using (and teaching?) the use of the sword. After the return of Don Deigo and the mysterious highwayman Zoro, the Friar finds himself the "purveyer of stolen goods!" He also gets in on the action at the end, hitting soldiers on the head left and right and saying "God forgive me!" He also gets to escort the Vega's down to the ship sailing for Spain at the end as well as other pieces here and there. Overall he got a fairly substantial part in the movie in my opinion. Just a great movie for the family or just yourself on a rainy day or any day.