The Mark of Zorro

"Ride With Zorro. . . The Dashing Don Of California's Most Adventurous Era!"

1940 1h 34m EN

👍

7.2

SOLID

★7.2TMDB · 240

AdventureRomance

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Returning from Spain, the son of a California nobleman comes home to find his native land under a villainous dictatorship. On one hand, he plays the useless fop, while on the other, he is the masked avenger Zorro.

“Ride With Zorro. . . The Dashing Don Of California's Most Adventurous Era!”

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Cast

Tyrone Power
Don Diego Vega, aka Zorro
Linda Darnell
Lolita Quintero
Basil Rathbone
Captain Esteban Pasquale
Gale Sondergaard
Inez Quintero
Eugene Pallette
Friar Felipe
J. Edward Bromberg
Don Luis B. Quintero
Montagu Love
Don Alejandro Vega
Janet Beecher
Senora Isabella Vega

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Rouben Mamoulian
Writers: Johnston McCulley, John Taintor Foote
Languages: English, Spanish
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Shot for just $1.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Made its money back 4.0× over at the box office.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

ERA

Did you know

86 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Spanish.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Rouben Mamoulian, shot by Arthur C. Miller. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Alfred Newman. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Robert Bischoff shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Tyrone Power and Linda Darnell and Basil Rathbone carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Rouben Mamoulian directs. Arthur C. Miller behind the camera. Alfred Newman scores. Robert Bischoff cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Made its budget back several times over at the box office. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English, Spanish.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Shot for just $1.0M — micro-budget by Hollywood standards.
2Made its money back 4.0× over at the box office.
386 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
4Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Spanish.
5Directed by Rouben Mamoulian, shot by Arthur C. Miller. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
6Original score by Alfred Newman. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
7Editor Robert Bischoff shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
8Tyrone Power and Linda Darnell and Basil Rathbone carry the top of the cast.
9Marketing tagline: "Ride With Zorro. . . The Dashing Don Of California's Most Adventurous Era!".
10IMDB entry: tt0032762 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

The technical file

Cinematography: Arthur C. Miller
Original score: Alfred Newman
Editing: Robert Bischoff
Costume design: Travis Banton
Runtime: 94 min · 1h 34m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Budget: $1,000,000
Box office: $4,000,000
Return: 400% of budget
Original language: EN
Certification (US): NR
IMDB: The Mark of Zorro (1940)

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Rouben Mamoulian

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Community reviews

What people are saying

John Chard2020-09-06
★ 8/10
Pleasant scorpions! Agreeable rattlesnakes! The Mark of Zorro is directed by Rouben Mamoulian and is adapted to screenplay by John Taintor Foote, Garrett Fort and Bess Meredyth from Johnston McCulley's story "The Curse of Capistrano". It stars Tyrone Power, Basil Rathbone, Linda Darnell, Gail Sondergarrd, Eugene Pallette and J. Edward Bromberg. Music is by Alfred Newman and cinematography by Arthur C. Miller. The 1820's and the son of a California nobleman comes home from Spain to find his native land under a villainous dictatorship. So on one front he plays a dandy cowardly fop, while on the other he is the masked avenger of the people, Zorro. A reimaging of the Douglas Fairbanks 1920 silent version, this cut is the definitive classic version. Matinee idol Power slips into the dual role of Don Diego Vega with ease, giving the Latin Robin Hood/Scarlet Pimpernel the requisite swashbuckling verve and glint in the eye comedic bravado. This in essence is 20th Century Fox's answer to WB's The Adventures of Robin Hood, and this does have similarities (no bad thing) with some players from "Hood" carried over into this production. Rathbone is on his prime villain duty, and his swordplay with Power is a pure joy. Rathbone, a fully fledged trained swordsman gave Power the highest compliment about how well he took to fencing, and it shows as we get epees to the death. The romance sparkles, Sondergaard straight away wants to get into Poewer's pants, Power wants to get into Darnell's pants, while Rathbone will just take what he can while he fondles his sword. It's a pure joy, for kids and adults of all ages, supremely directed by Mamoulian (the control of the 100's of extras at pic's finale is dynamite), and acted with style and knowing skill by the cast. You will believe that this Zorro does in fact change the course of history. A thrilling, fun, beautiful swashbuckler from a truly golden age. 9/10
CinemaSerf2022-12-25
★ 7/10
Tyrone Power is at his swashbuckling best in this enjoyable story of the brave Spaniard masquerading as a useless drip whilst trying to bring a semblance of law and order back to his father's old province that was then California. Clad in black, and nimble as a ninja, he must constantly try to outwit the forces of the scheming "Don Luis" (J. Edward Bromberg) who is ably aided and abetted by his sinister henchman "Capt. Pasquale" (Basil Rathbone) whilst he also must try to hold the affections of the increasingly disappointed "Lolita" (Linda Darnell) who wants a real man in her life! Loads of familiar faces make up a strong supporting cast, and the rivalry between Rathbone and Power builds nicely to a suitably lively conclusion with swords, chairs, tables and candles all flying. There is plenty of humour here too, and Darnell plays the feisty "Loilta" for all she is worth. Certainly the best of the "Zorro" films, well photographed with plenty of action and a minimum of cluttering romance! Great fun.