On his steed, when the moon rises, the brave Zorro appears... Thus began one of the popular television series. Created by journalist, screenwriter and writer Johnston McCulley in 1919. For this reason, the swordsman is considered to be one of the first heroes of science fiction.
Although, he has changed his appearance over the years. He has always maintained his image of a handsome bandit and skilled swordsman, wearing black, a cape and a mask to cover his face.
So, Don Diego de la Vega, hides his true identity and with the help of his mute servant and friend Bernardo, In the face of the injustices and atrocities committed by the authorities to defend the defenseless citizens.
Where did it first appear?
Johnston McCulley in 1919 published the story The Curse of Capistrano in the All-Story Weekly magazine. The public liked it so much that three years later, in 1922, he wrote another 60 stories of the masked man.
The The last story of the masked swordsman was published in 1959., after McCulley's death. It should be noted that all of the stories are set in the city of Los Angeles during the years of the Mexican government, between 1821 and 1846.
Subsequently many of the adaptations take place during the years of Spanish domination. It is important to mention that this character is one of those who has had the largest number of adaptations. More than 40 productions in cinema and television. In terms of novels, there are more than 10 and in comics there are 7.
Inspired by real life?
The character, it is believed, was perhaps inspired by three real-life people. Although Johnston McCulley never talked about it. Possible candidates were:
- Mexican Joaquín Murrieta, also known as the Robin Hood of El Dorado.
- The Irish soldier Guillén de Lampart who lived in Mexico.
- Other inspirations would be the same Robin Hood and the Estanislao Indian, who led a revolt against the San José mission in 1827.
It should be noted that, according to the film researcher Adrian Escudero Tanús the character that served as inspiration was Guillén de Lampart.. Because he was exalted by the government of Porfirio Diaz, as a precursor of Mexico's independence.
So much so that he has a statue in the Independence Monument. He also used the same pseudonym, wore a mask, signed with a Z and his intention was to liberate blacks, Indians and mestizos.
Although the Porfiriato was abolished and eliminated from Mexican history, Lampart was forgotten. But in the United States these exploits were known and surely McCulley heard about them.
Others say it was inspired by Joaquin Murrieta, a Mexican who went to California in 1850, chasing the gold rush. Because, in that state, Latin outsiders such as Mexicans, Chileans and Peruvians were persecuted for working in the mines.
In addition, the governor of that time, Persifor Frazer Smith, ordered the expulsion of all these people. If they did not leave, they would be executed. For this reason, Murrieta together with Manuel Garcia known as Juan tres dedos, seeing that he could not support himself honestly, formed the gang to rob and murder the Americans. Some time later they were killed in a shootout.
Masked Swordsman Antagonists
The enemies of the masked swordsman are several, among them are the Commander Enrique Monasterio, el Águila, Rafael Montero and Rafael Moncada.
Monasterios was the commander of the city of Los Angeles., He practically had the city under strict control. He made the citizens pay very high taxes and sent those who protested to jail. On the other hand, they intercepted the mail in Monterrey so that the Governor would not find out about the whole situation.
El Águila was the nickname of José Sebastián Vargas, who served as Administrator of the Southern California Area. Among his malevolent and corrupt plans was to sell California to Russia or England. His pseudonym was due to the fact that he used an eagle feather, in some cases, with his henchmen or to send warning signals.
On the other hand, Rafael Montero appears in the 1998 film, a friend of Diego de la Vega. But he begins his antagonism with the swordsman, once he is appointed Spanish Governor of Alta California and begins to commit a series of arbitrariness and injustices.
AND Rafael Moncada, who exercised a dictatorship against the landowners of California. Character that appeared in the novel by Isabel Allende.
Loved characters
For those who watched the Disney series, You will surely easily remember Diego de la Vega, Sergeant Garcia, Corporal Reyes and of course Bernardo.
Diego de la Vega, was personified by Guy Williams, returns from the Kingdom of Spain to Los Angeles. After several years in that country where he was academically formed. But he found himself in a situation that was not very encouraging both politically and economically, due to the abuses of Commander Monasterio.
He decided to take action to stop these abuses. Being an expert in fencing, knowledgeable in combat tactics and camouflaged, he began his wanderings as the swordsman.
Thus, the Sgt. Demetrio López García played by Henry Calvin, who was also a lyric singer. A very naive and good-natured military man. Obese because he loved to eat and drink good wine. He did not like injustice and sometimes had to follow the orders of his commander even if they were unjust. It is worth mentioning that he dreamed of capturing the swordsman and collecting the reward offered for him.
As for the Corporal Reyes, was a very foolish military man, played by Don Diamond. Because of the things he did, it has always been thought that he was included in the series as a comic character.
Lastly, we have Bernardo, the swordsman's best friend. Helping him on many occasions and keeping his identity secret. He passes as a mute, and it is believed that it was for witnessing the murder or rape of his mother. The role was played by the comic actor Gene Sheldon.
Although he is not a character but an animal, we cannot leave out the hero's fast horse. There were three of them, one called Tornado and the Phantom and Princess mares.
Firstly, Tornado was a champion horse known as Diamond Decorator. The mare Ghost, becomes his companion in Monterrey, after Lieutenant Rafael Santos is seriously wounded, leaving him the animal. Finally we have Princess, who was a racing driver, only appeared in chapter 25.
An interesting fact is that three horses were almost always used, depending on the scenes. One for the rides, one for the fights and one for the classic neighing.
Adaptations of Zorro
Novels:
As for the novels after 1919, with Johnston McCulley's, It wasn't until 1998 that they decided to write another play. That year they released Jerome Preisler's Zorro and the Jaguar Warriors and Jacques Van Hauten's Zorro Arrives.
The following year, Skull and Crossbones written by Frank Lauria. That same year, Zorro and the Dragon Riders by David Bergantino.
It was not until 2004 that another play appeared, The Irish Zorro by Gerard Ronan and Chasing After Zorro by Britt Lomond.
In 2005, Isabel Allende released El Zorro: The Legend Begins and The Legend of Zorro by Scott Ciencin. Then in 2007, El Joven Zorro: la Marca De Hierro by writer Jan Adkins.
Then in 2008, Tales of Zorro (2008) Richard Dean Starr and The Origin of Legend written by Sandra Curtis.
Comic strips
Between 1939 and 1940, The first comics were issued in Jumbos notebooks, illustrated by Tori and Gal. Years went by, and again in 1999, they began to issue other comics. Thus they launched Zorro's Renegades, Lady Rawhide and Zorro Vol. 1, as part of Don McGregor's Books.
Then in 2008, The Zorro with 20 issues and Zorro Rides Again of 12 comics by Matt Wagner, printed by Dynamite Publishing.
In 2015 Lady Zorro: Blood and Lace, a graphic novel by Alex De Campi and Zorro: The Complete Dell Pre-Code Comics Adventures by Paul S. Newman and Gaylord Dubois.
Movies
With a large number of adaptations of this swashbuckler, surely the most remembered is the two-season series produced by Disney, starring Guy Williams and the movies starring Antonio Banderas.
Now then, it all started a year after the book The Curse of Capistrano was written.. Hence, in 1920 they premiered The Mark of Zorro with Douglas Fairbanks. The film was so successful that the publisher Grosset & Dunlap rewrote the literary work, calling it The Mark of Zorro. Then they continued:
- Don Q, El Hijo del Zorro in 1925
- In 1926, À la manière de Zorro
- The Bold Caballero in 1936
- In 1940 they premiered The Sign of Zorro.
- 1944, Zorro's Black Whip
- In 1948, El nieto del Zorro, with the comedian Resortes.
- The Sign of the Renegade appeared in 1951.
- In 1952, the sign of Zorro.
- It was followed by La montaña sin ley in 1953.
- Later in 1959, Zorro rides again, Zorro the avenger and The ghost of Zorro.
- 1960, they released The Lone Rider in the Valley of the Disappeared.
- In 1961, El Zorro vengador arrived.
- Then in 1962, La venganza del Zorro and Cabalgando hacia la muerte.
- Then in 1963, they released 5 tapes. Zorro and the Three Musketeers and The Invincible Masked Knight. The Invincible Masked Knight, The Three Swords of Zorro and The Sign of Zorro.
- Then in 1964, Las hijas del Zorro.
- In 1965, El Zorro rides again.
- Then in 1966, Zorro the rebel.
- In 1968, The Mark of Zorro, Zorro's Nephews and The Sword of Zorro.
- In 1969, El Zorro contra el imperio de Napoleón, El Zorro Justiciero, El Zorro en la Corte de Inglaterra and Nipoti di Zorro.
- It was followed by 1971, El Zorro de Monterrey and El Zorro caballero de la justicia.
- In 1972, The Erotic Adventures of Zorro
- 1974, The sign and the son of Zorro.
- Then in 1975, The Mark of Zorro and Zorro's Dream.
- In 1976, The New Adventures of Zorro and The Great Adventure of Zorro.
- In 1978, El Zorro Blanco.
- After several years, in 1998, they released La Mascara del Zorro, starring Antonio Banderas. Later in 2005, La Leyenda del Zorro was released.
- And the latest so far in 2019, Zorro, the Iron Feeling, an Argentine production.
Series
- Zorro Rides Again in 1937, a 12-part serial, by John English.
- In 1939, again with John English, they premiered The Legion of Zorro, with 12 episodes.
- In 1947 they premiered El hijo del Zorro (Zorro's Son), and the family was starting to grow, with 13 episodes.
- Then in 1949, they released El fantasma del Zorro, with 12 episodes.
- Between 1957 and 1959, Disney released perhaps the best remembered series of Zorro with Guy Williams, with 82 chapters in 2 seasons. It was later remastered in color in the 90s. You can watch both seasons at Youtube totally free.
- In 1958, they released The Sign of Zorro, made up of the first 13 episodes of the Disney series.
- In 1983, Zorro and son for 3 episodes.
- Then between 1990 and 1993, they aired the 88-episode series called El Zorro or The New Adventures of Zorro.
- In 2007, the Colombian telenovela El Zorro: la espada y la rosa arrived.
Animated Series
- In 1981 they premiered the animated series of The Adventures of Zorro.
- Then in 1996, they released the 52-episode anime The Legend of Zorro, produced by Ashi Productions studio. All free on Youtube.
- In 2006, Zorro Generation Z arrived, produced by BKN New Media, with 26 episodes.
- Then in 2015, they released 26-episode Zorro: The Chronicles, produced by Cyber Group Studios.
As you could read, it is a swordsman that a lot of adaptations. Especially films from various countries, from Spanish-speaking, Latin, European and of course American.
In addition, this vigilante has also inspired other characters such as the Lone Ranger and Batman. Surely, also of other superheroes, but these are the most obvious.
New series of the masked swordsman coming soon
Little is known so far, but a new series of the swordsman will be released very soon. One of the most interesting twists is that the role will be taken by a lady. All this to update a series that has pleased and will continue to please our days where women are becoming more and more empowered.
Its release is not yet defined, but it will be directed by Robert Rodriguez and his sister Rebecca Rodriguez, and will be executive produced by Sofia Vergara. It is said to be a new version, centered on Sola Dominguez, an underground artist, who is threatened after exposing criminal gangs in her fight for social justice.
It should be noted that this is the second time that NBC and Propagate have attempted to carry out this series. Due to the failure of a previous attempt with Alfredo Barrios Jr. which did not bear fruit.
Waiting for them to come to a happy ending for the delight of the fans of the masked swordsman. Thus, we will be able to enjoy an excellent series to which we are accustomed with this character and his adventures to defend the most dispossessed. Obviously it must be done taking care of the details, since he is a very beloved character with many adaptations in different media.
Now, to finish this post, did you know that the works and movies of this masked hero were so extensive? If by chance you did not have the opportunity to see them, in the links we leave you several of the series and films of this hero of cloak and sword.
Image: TN
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