Don Q Son of Zorro (1925), although made five years after The Mark of Zorro, takes place perhaps 25 years later, and stars Douglas Fairbanks as both the hero, Don Cesar de Vega, and his father Don Diego, otherwise known as Zorro. Instead of colonial California, the stage is now set in Spain for intrigue, adventure, and romance. From the beginning, Don Cesar's bravado, humility, and sense of humor are on display, as well as his uncanny skill with the whip, his demonstration of which leads unintentionally to a chain of events that will find him hunted by those in power. Like his father, he will be forced to become an outlaw and draw on those abilities he learned or inherited from him. Fairbanks exploits every opportunity to disregard gravity by virtue of his acrobatic training, and when even that is not enough, there is always the whip to disarm or entangle a foe or hoist him to safety.
Although there is action in abundance, there is also love, and the object of Don Cesar's affection is Dolores, played very capably by Mary Astor. The scene in which they first meet is amusingly scripted, albeit with very little dialogue from Fairbanks, and it is apt that it occurs in the proverbial eye of a hurricane of activity.
Of the villains I will say nothing lest too much is revealed, but the varying shades of gray in which they are painted is a refreshing change from the unvarying black that typifies most enemies in action movies.
Don Q Son of Zorro is one of the lesser known swashbuckling movies, but undeservedly so. It is a fine (and rare) example of the sequel that not only honors its parentage with a faithful continuity, but stands as a solid work in its own right. Few action movies are as well balanced as this one.
Writing: GoodDirecting: Good
Acting: Good
Cinematography: Good
Stunts: Superb
Swordplay: Fair
Whip-Handling: Superb
Panache: Superb
Overall Rating: Great
Swashbuckling Rank: Great
[Originally posted in Cuparius.com on 1 October 2010.]
Addendum
The following is from a Wikipedia article on Hesketh Hesketh-Prichard:
In 1904, the mother-and-son writing team [Kate Prichard and Hesketh Hesketh-Prichard] produced The Chronicles of Don Q., a collection of short stories featuring the fictional rogue Don Quebranta Huesos, a Spanish Robin Hood-like figure who was fierce to the evil rich but kind-hearted to the virtuous poor. A second collection, The New Chronicles of Don Q. followed in 1906. The pair produced a full-length novel, Don Q.'s Love Story, in 1909. Don Q. was brought to the stage in 1921 when it was performed at the Apollo Theatre, London. In 1925, the book was reworked as a Zorro vehicle by screenwriters Jack Cunningham and Lotta Woods; the United Artists silent film Don Q, Son of Zorro was produced by Douglas Fairbanks, who also starred as its lead character. The New York Times rated the film one of its top ten movies of the year.
So, the son of Zorro predates Zorro himself!
Written by: Jack Cunningham and Lotta Woods (uncredited)Based on: Don Q.'s Love Story by Kate Prichard and Hesketh Hesketh-Prichard
Directed by: Donald Crisp
Performed by: Douglas Fairbanks, Mary Astor, Jack McDonald, Donald Crisp, et al.
