The Mark of Zorro (1940) Reviewed

The Mark of Zorro from 1940 probably has the best fencing scenes of any Zorro film before or since. With Tyrone Power as Don Diego Vega/Zorro, and Basil Rathbone as the film's leading villain, Captain Esteban Pasquale, this should come as no surprise, as they constituted two-thirds of the trinity of Hollywood's greatest swordsmen at the time (Errol Flynn being the third). The climactic scene of the film is a breathtaking display of swordsmanship and drama as the two enemies duel, and it stands as one of the greatest single scenes in the history of swashbuckling films. In the tradition of its greatest forebearers, stunt doubles were neither used nor required in the fencing scenes.

In some ways, the film is standard Hollywood fare, although not offensively so. It manages to be inventive and spirited, despite a reliance on certain predictable conventions. Eugene Pallette, playing Fray Felipe, unfortunately reprises his role as Friar Tuck from 1938's The Adventures of Robin Hood, which is perhaps the worst of the film's imperfections. J. Edward Bromberg's portrayal of the corrupt Don Luis Quintero, the despotic Alcalde, is a bit on the clownish side, but manages to be adequate.

The romantic scenes are a great improvement over the film's silent predecessor, with Linda Darnell giving a fine performance as Lolita Quintero; the stunts are impressive without being over-the-top; and the banter is witty, but not distractingly so. All in all, it is an excellent bit of escapism, and the fencing is unforgettable.

Writing: Fair
Directing: Good
Acting: Fair Good
Cinematography: Fair
Stunts: Good
Swordplay: Superb
Panache: Great

Overall Rating: Good
Swashbuckling Rank: Great


[Originally posted in Cuparius.com on 5 August 2006.]


Addendum

Written by: John Taintor Foote, Garrett Fort, and Bess Meredyth
Based on: The Curse of Capistrano by Johnston McCulley
Directed by: Rouben Mamoulian
Performed by: Tyrone Power, Basil Rathbone, Linda Darnell, et al.