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The Mark of Zorro

Play trailer Poster for The Mark of Zorro Released Nov 1, 1940 1h 33m Adventure Play Trailer Watchlist
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92% Tomatometer 13 Reviews 79% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
Tired of Governor Quintero's (J. Edward Bromberg) exploitation of poor Californians, Don Diego (Tyrone Power) decides to fight back and assumes the identity of Zorro. A masked hero with a sword, Zorro fights on behalf of the people against the corrupt Quintero and his wicked assistant, Captain Pasquale (Basil Rathbone). At the same time, Diego falls for Lolita (Linda Darnell), the governor's niece, and he pursues her while constantly battling to oust Quintero from power.
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The Mark of Zorro

Critics Reviews

View All (13) Critics Reviews
Steven D. Greydanus Decent Films Powers can't match [Fairbanks'] astonishing acrobatics and doesn't try — but the rousing climactic duel against Basil Rathbone's villainous Captain Esteban, one of the best swordfights ever filmed at that time, almost makes up for it. Rated: A- May 30, 2003 Full Review Tony Sloman Radio Times This is a wonderful adaptation of the great romantic legend, based on the 1919 Johnston McCulley story. Rated: 4/5 Apr 4, 2024 Full Review Mike Massie Gone With The Twins The romantic moments are unusually entertaining, largely thanks to the humor applied, turning some of the flirtation into comedy skits and others into hilarious notes on Diego’s effeminate facade. Rated: 8/10 Sep 22, 2022 Full Review Aurelio Pego Cine-Mundial I still believe that ... this is a completely anachronistic film and that nobody can replace Douglas Fairbanks. [Full review in Spanish] Sep 14, 2019 Full Review Matt Brunson Creative Loafing Tyrone Power is excellent as both fop and fox, and his swordfight with Basil Rathbone is just one of the many highlights in this exciting adventure yarn. Rated: 3.5/4 Aug 7, 2016 Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews It's one of the all-time great swashbucklers. Rated: A Jun 17, 2007 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Ingrid B Exciting and foxy Tyrone Power is awesome. He was an underrated actor. There are always fascinating nuances to his performances. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 11/11/24 Full Review Sara T After watching many Zorro movies and even the series this remains one (if not the best) iteration of Zorro! Love it! Tyrone Powell works so well with the role! Not downplaying anyone like Guy Williams as he was *amazing* as well but I love this one just as much. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/26/23 Full Review Audience Member Classic swash with rousing musical accompaniment, good sword fight. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/17/23 Full Review victor o I have seen other adaptations of Zorro before, on film as well as on television, but I never sat down to see the older adaptations. To be honest I only saw this because Batman creators Bob Kane and Bill Finger were inspired by the epic. I also heard plenty of great things about Tyrone Power and Basil Rathbone's depictions of the characters in this adaptation of Zorro. Set in the early 1800s in Spanish-ruled California, the governor is miles away from the ruling authority in Madrid and becomes a dictator of his people. But Don Diego (Tyrone Power) takes it upon himself to use his resources from his horsemanship and swordsmanship to fight the corrupt government as a vigilante, fighting for the oppressed as the Fox, or as it's known in the original Spanish, Zorro. This will be done many times over but it certainly is more than a treat watching one of the earliest Zorro films. Tyrone Power was amazing in the movie. Acting wise he was straightforward but with a good deal of charisma, going from the spoiled fop to the dashing vigilante convincingly. I agree with Basil Rathbone who said Power was the best swordsman in motion pictures, their fight being a spectacular piece of filmmaking. The romance between Diego and Lolita, another staple of Zorro movies, is also nicely done. They don't call them classics for anything. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Taylor L We really need to go back to the golden age of film, not because the writing, acting, or themes were better, but because the stars had way cooler names. Tyrone Power? Basil Rathbone? Montagu Love? If it doesn't sound like either a James Bond villain or a pornstar, it shouldn't be up in lights. Perhaps not as formative or massively successful (by the standards of the day) as the silent 1920 version starring Douglas Fairbanks, The Mark of Zorro is still the classic swashbuckler formula featuring one of the genre's most distinctive and enduring characters. It's got classic deceptions, a Robin Hood-esque vigilante, romance, and the elegant witticisms that each define the gentleman crusader. When you're referring to material this influential, it's essentially impossible to call something tired or unoriginal when it blazed the trail for so much of what came after it. Maybe a bit slow in parts and not featuring quite the scale of some of its contemporaries, but Power still fits the role quite well. Eugene Pallette's bullfrog voice and hard American accent as a Mexican friar is just peak classic Hollywood casting. (3/5) Rated 3 out of 5 stars 09/03/22 Full Review Liam D One of the first ever Zorro movies and it's an classic as a Swashbuckler can be with great acting, fantastic costumes, spectacular action And a bombastic score by Alfred Newman (Camelot, The Greatest Story Ever Told) Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/03/22 Full Review Read all reviews
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Movie Info

Synopsis Tired of Governor Quintero's (J. Edward Bromberg) exploitation of poor Californians, Don Diego (Tyrone Power) decides to fight back and assumes the identity of Zorro. A masked hero with a sword, Zorro fights on behalf of the people against the corrupt Quintero and his wicked assistant, Captain Pasquale (Basil Rathbone). At the same time, Diego falls for Lolita (Linda Darnell), the governor's niece, and he pursues her while constantly battling to oust Quintero from power.
Director
Rouben Mamoulian
Screenwriter
John Taintor Foote, Garrett Fort, Johnston McCulley, Bess Meredyth
Distributor
20th Century Fox, Fox
Production Co
20th Century Fox
Genre
Adventure
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 1, 1940, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Oct 27, 2015
Runtime
1h 33m
Sound Mix
Mono
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.37:1), 35mm
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