Zorro's Fighting Legion
Encyclopedia
Zorro's Fighting Legion is a 1939 Republic Pictures
film serial consisting of twelve chapters. It features Reed Hadley
as Zorro
. The plot revolves around his alter-ego Don Diego's fight against the evil Don Del Oro.
A trademark of this serial is the sudden demise of at least one native informant in each episode. The direction was identical for each informant's death, creating a source of unintentional humor: each informant, upon uttering the phrase, "Don del Oro is...", is shot by a golden arrow and dies before being able to name the villain's alter ego. The serial is also unusual in featuring a real historical personage, Mexican President Benito Juárez, as a minor character.
was $144,419 (a $6,593, or 4.8%, overspend). It was filmed between 15 September and 14 October 1939 under the working title
Return of Zorro. The serial's production number was 898.
This film was shot in Simi Hills
and Chatsworth, Los Angeles.
in 1955.
Source:
's official timeline: it takes place in Mexico instead of Alta California; Zorro wears a masquerade mask, rather than the traditional bandana; the characters Don Alejandro Vega (Don Diego's father) and Bernardo are absent; and Zorro's horse, Tornado, was changed to white (much like Kaiketsu Zorro
). However, this story is presented as a further adventure of Zorro, a sequel to the traditional "Mark of Zorro" origin story: Don Diego is said to be visiting from Los Angeles, and the serial intentionally did not remake the Zorro story; instead, it shows Zorro visiting Mexico because his help is needed there. The people of Mexico immediately recognize Zorro when he first appears, strongly suggesting that Zorro is a well-known hero.
The date given for the movie is 1824, which in and of itself establishes that it takes place well after Zorro's California adventures: Zorro opposed a corrupt Spanish Colonial government in his canon tales, and California ceased being a Spanish Colony in 1821.
Republic Pictures
Republic Pictures was an independent film production-distribution corporation with studio facilities, operating from 1934 through 1959, and was best known for specializing in westerns, movie serials and B films emphasizing mystery and action....
film serial consisting of twelve chapters. It features Reed Hadley
Reed Hadley
Reed Hadley was an American movie, television and radio actor.Reed Hadley was born Reed Herring in Petrolia in Clay County near Wichita Falls, Texas, to Bert Herring, an oil well driller, and his wife Minnie. Hadley had one sister, Bess Brenner. He was reared in Buffalo, New York...
as Zorro
Zorro
Zorro is a fictional character created in 1919 by New York-based pulp writer Johnston McCulley. The character has been featured in numerous books, films, television series, and other media....
. The plot revolves around his alter-ego Don Diego's fight against the evil Don Del Oro.
A trademark of this serial is the sudden demise of at least one native informant in each episode. The direction was identical for each informant's death, creating a source of unintentional humor: each informant, upon uttering the phrase, "Don del Oro is...", is shot by a golden arrow and dies before being able to name the villain's alter ego. The serial is also unusual in featuring a real historical personage, Mexican President Benito Juárez, as a minor character.
Plot
The mysterious Don Del Oro ("Lord of Gold"), an idol of the Yaqui Indians, has emerged and attacks the gold trade of the Republic of Mexico, planning to take over the land and become Emperor. A man named Francisco is put in charge of a fighting legion to combat the Yaqui tribe and protect the gold, but he is attacked by men working for Don Del Oro. Zorro comes to his rescue, but it is too late for him. Francisco's partner recognizes Zorro as the hidalgo Don Diego Vega. Francisco asks Diego, as Zorro, to take over the fighting legion and defeat Don Del Oro.Cast
- Reed HadleyReed HadleyReed Hadley was an American movie, television and radio actor.Reed Hadley was born Reed Herring in Petrolia in Clay County near Wichita Falls, Texas, to Bert Herring, an oil well driller, and his wife Minnie. Hadley had one sister, Bess Brenner. He was reared in Buffalo, New York...
as Don Diego Vega and his alter ego ZorroZorroZorro is a fictional character created in 1919 by New York-based pulp writer Johnston McCulley. The character has been featured in numerous books, films, television series, and other media....
. Though there were numerous Zorro serials, Hadley was the only actor to play the original Zorro in any of them. - Sheila DarcySheila DarcySheila Darcy, also known as Rebecca Wassem was an American film actress of the 1930s and the 1940s....
as Volita - William Corson as Ramon
- Leander De CordovaLeander de CordovaLeander de Cordova was a Jamaican actor and film director. He was the brother of Rudolph de Cordova.-Selected filmography:Actor* Zorro's Fighting Legion * Mission to Moscow * The Mysterious Desperado...
as Governor Felipe - Edmund CobbEdmund CobbEdmund Fessenden Cobb was an American actor. He appeared in 623 films between 1912 and 1966.He was born in Albuquerque, New Mexico and died in Woodland Hills, Los Angeles from a heart attack...
as Manuel Gonzalez - John Merton as Commandante Manuel
- C. Montague ShawC. Montague ShawCharles Montague Shaw was an Australian character actor, often appearing in small supporting parts in more than 150 films....
as Chief Justice Pablo - Budd Buster as Juan
- Carleton YoungCarleton YoungCarleton Scott Young was an American character actor born in New York City, New York and known for his deep voice.-Private life:...
as Benito JuárezBenito JuárezBenito Juárez born Benito Pablo Juárez García, was a Mexican lawyer and politician of Zapotec origin from Oaxaca who served five terms as president of Mexico: 1858–1861 as interim, 1861–1865, 1865–1867, 1867–1871 and 1871–1872...
Production
Zorro's Fighting Legion was budgeted at $137,826, although the final negative costNegative cost
Negative cost is the cost of actually producing and shooting a film. It does not include such costs as distribution and promotion.Low-budget movies, for example The Blair Witch Project, can have promotional expenses that are much larger than the negative cost.The term comes from the costs up to the...
was $144,419 (a $6,593, or 4.8%, overspend). It was filmed between 15 September and 14 October 1939 under the working title
Working title
A working title, sometimes called a production title, is the temporary name of a product or project used during its development, usually used in filmmaking, television production, novel, video game, or music album.-Purpose:...
Return of Zorro. The serial's production number was 898.
This film was shot in Simi Hills
Simi Hills
The Simi Hills are a low rocky mountain range of the Transverse Ranges, located in eastern Ventura County and western Los Angeles County, of southern California, United States.-Geography:...
and Chatsworth, Los Angeles.
Stunts
- Dale Van SickelDale Van SickelDale Harris Van Sickel was an American college football, basketball and baseball player during the 1920s, who later became a Hollywood motion picture actor and stunt performer for over forty years...
doubling Reed Hadley - Yakima CanuttYakima CanuttYakima Canutt , also known as Yak Canutt, was an American rodeo rider, actor, stuntman and action director.-Biography:...
- James Fawcett
- Ted Mapes
- Ken TerrellKen TerrellKen Terrell was an American western and action film actor and stuntman best known for playing Joe Marcella in the 1956 film The Indestructible Man. He died March 8, 1966 from arteriosclerosis-Partial filmography:...
Theatrical
Zorro's Fighting Legions official release date is 16 December 1939, although this is actually the date the sixth chapter was made available to film exchanges. The serial was re-released on 24 March 1958, making it the last serial released by Republic, which re-released serials for several years following the release of their final serial King of the CarnivalKing of the Carnival
King of the Carnival is a Republic movie serial. It contains a substantial amount of stock footage from the earlier Republic serial Daredevils of the Red Circle. This was the last serial ever made by Republic and is often considered to be one of the worst produced by that company...
in 1955.
Television
In the early 1950s, Zorro's Fighting Legion was one of fourteen Republic serials edited into a television series. It was broadcast in six 26½-minute episodes.Chapter titles
- The Golden God (27 min 38s)
- The Flaming "Z" (16 min 41s)
- Descending Doom (16 min 41s)
- The Bridge of Peril (16 min 40s)
- The Decoy (16 min 39s)
- Zorro to the Rescue (16 min 40s)
- The Fugitive (16 min 41s)
- Flowing Death (16 min 41s)
- The Golden Arrow (16 min 39s) – Re-Cap Chapter
- Mystery Wagon (16 min 40s)
- Face to Face (16 min 40s)
- Unmasked (16 min 41s)
Source:
Differences from the Zorro canon
The story takes a few liberties with ZorroZorro
Zorro is a fictional character created in 1919 by New York-based pulp writer Johnston McCulley. The character has been featured in numerous books, films, television series, and other media....
's official timeline: it takes place in Mexico instead of Alta California; Zorro wears a masquerade mask, rather than the traditional bandana; the characters Don Alejandro Vega (Don Diego's father) and Bernardo are absent; and Zorro's horse, Tornado, was changed to white (much like Kaiketsu Zorro
Kaiketsu Zorro
is an Italian/Japanese anime, based on the western character Zorro. 52 episodes were produced, however, only 46 were broadcast in Japan. The series became very popular in European countries, including Spain and Portugal, the colonial power of the area in the story...
). However, this story is presented as a further adventure of Zorro, a sequel to the traditional "Mark of Zorro" origin story: Don Diego is said to be visiting from Los Angeles, and the serial intentionally did not remake the Zorro story; instead, it shows Zorro visiting Mexico because his help is needed there. The people of Mexico immediately recognize Zorro when he first appears, strongly suggesting that Zorro is a well-known hero.
The date given for the movie is 1824, which in and of itself establishes that it takes place well after Zorro's California adventures: Zorro opposed a corrupt Spanish Colonial government in his canon tales, and California ceased being a Spanish Colony in 1821.
External links
- Zorro's Fighting Legion at Todd Gault's Movie Serial Experience
- Stomp Tokyo Review of Zorro's Fighting Legion