The Mark of Zorro is a silent movie released in 1920 by United Artists starring Douglas Fairbanks. Others in the cast include Noah Beery, Marguerite de la Motte, Robert McKim, George Periolat and Sidney De Gray.

This genre-defining swashbuckler adventure was the first movie version of The Mark of Zorro. Based on the 1919 story The Curse of Capistrano by Johnston McCulley, which introduced the masked hero, Zorro, the screenplay was adapted by Fairbanks (as "Elton Thomas") and Eugene Miller. The movie was produced by Fairbanks for his own production company, Douglas Fairbanks Pictures Corporation, and was the first movie released through United Artists. It was directed by Fred Niblo.

It tells the story of Don Diego de la Vega (played by Fairbanks), the outwardly foppish son of a wealthy ranchero, Don Alejandro (played by Sidney De Gray), in the old Spanish California of the early 19th century. Seeing the mistreatment of the peons by rich landowners and the oppressive colonial government, Don Diego, who is not as effete as he pretends, has taken the identity of the masked Robin Hood-like rogue Señor Zorro ("Mr. Fox"), champion of the people, who appears out of nowhere to protect them from the corrupt administration of Governor Alvarado (played by George Periolat), his henchman, the villainous Captain Juan Ramon (played by Robert McKim), and the brutish Sergeant Pedro Gonzales (played by Noah Beery). With his sword flashing and an athletic sense of humor, Zorro scars the faces of evildoers with his mark, "Z."

When not in the disguise of Zorro, dueling and rescuing peons, Don Diego courts the beautiful Lolita Pulido (played by Marguerite de la Motte) with bad magic tricks and worse manners and she cannot stand him. Lolita is also courted by Captain Ramon; and by the dashing Zorro, who she likes.

The Mark of Zorro is full of plot twists and secret passageways. It has an appealing blend of romance, comedy and swordplay, as Zorro evades pursuit while fighting all oppressors. In the end, when Lolita's family is jailed, Don Diego throws off his masquerade, whips out his sword, wins over the soldiers to his side, forces Governor Alvarado to abdicate, and wins the hand of Lolita, who is delighted to discover that her effeminate fiancé, Diego, is actually the dashing hero.

Although some prefer the 1940 sound version starring Tyrone Power, Fairbanks' prodigious athletic prowess and tremendous enthusiasm made the original movie a great success, leading to a whole series of similar swashbuckler roles for Fairbanks, including The Three Musketeers (1921), Robin Hood (1922) and The Thief of Bagdad (1924). A sequel, Don Q, Son of Zorro, with Fairbanks reprising his role as Don Diego and also playing Don Diego's son, Don Cesar de la Vega, was released in 1925.

External links

• IMDb entry for The Mark of Zorro (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0011439/)
• AFI entry for The Mark of Zorro (http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/AbbrView.aspx?s=1&Movie=2078)
• The Film Tribute - The Mark of Zorro (http://www.filmtribune.com/markofzorro1920.html)