{"id":44549,"date":"2019-09-03T13:41:11","date_gmt":"2019-09-03T20:41:11","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=44549"},"modified":"2021-01-24T10:00:21","modified_gmt":"2021-01-24T17:00:21","slug":"mark-of-zorro-the-1940","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=44549","title":{"rendered":"Mark of Zorro, The (1940)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;How could I refuse a man anything with a naked sword in his hand?&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Mark-of-Zorro-Poster.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Mark-of-Zorro-Poster-202x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"202\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-44550\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Mark-of-Zorro-Poster-202x300.jpg 202w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Mark-of-Zorro-Poster-86x128.jpg 86w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Mark-of-Zorro-Poster.jpg 673w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 202px) 100vw, 202px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nA 19th century Spanish don (Tyrone Power) is shocked to find that his father (Montagu Love) has been replaced as governor of Los Angeles by a corrupt alcalde (J. Edward Bromberg). Donning a mask, Power becomes &#8220;Zorro&#8221; the masked avenger, fighting the villainous Bromberg and his henchman (Basil Rathbone), and winning the heart of Bromberg&#8217;s beautiful niece (Linda Darnell).\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Basil Rathbone Films<\/li>\n<li>Historical Drama<\/li>\n<li>Linda Darnell Films<\/li>\n<li>Mistaken or Hidden Identities<\/li>\n<li>Rouben Mamoulian Films<\/li>\n<li>Tyrone Power Films<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nThis remake of the <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=24019\">1920 silent-era film<\/a> (starring Douglas Fairbanks, Sr.) brought the <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Zorro\">fictional masked vigilante Zorro<\/a> to a new generation of movie-going viewers. 20th Century Fox matinee-idol Power is well-cast in the title role, bringing verve and elan to a character embodying a hybrid of Robin Hood and <a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=16647\">The Scarlet Pimpernel<\/a>. The cinematography is appropriately atmospheric, and Rouben Mamoulian directs with a solid hand throughout; a particular highlight is Power&#8217;s thrilling duel with Rathbone. With that said, the humor, romance, and corruption-driven narrative aren&#8217;t all that memorable, and I suspect modern film fanatics won&#8217;t be quite as taken with this outing as 1940 audiences were. It&#8217;s primarily worth a look for its (and Power&#8217;s) historical popularity. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The truly exciting swashbuckling scene between Power and Rathbone<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Mark-of-Zorro-Swashbuckling.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Mark-of-Zorro-Swashbuckling.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"944\" height=\"720\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-44551\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Mark-of-Zorro-Swashbuckling.png 944w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Mark-of-Zorro-Swashbuckling-128x98.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Mark-of-Zorro-Swashbuckling-300x229.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Mark-of-Zorro-Swashbuckling-768x586.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 944px) 100vw, 944px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Arthur C. Miller&#8217;s atmospheric cinematography<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Mark-of-Zorro-Cinematography1.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Mark-of-Zorro-Cinematography1.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"944\" height=\"720\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-44553\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Mark-of-Zorro-Cinematography1.png 944w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Mark-of-Zorro-Cinematography1-128x98.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Mark-of-Zorro-Cinematography1-300x229.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Mark-of-Zorro-Cinematography1-768x586.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 944px) 100vw, 944px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Mark-of-Zorro-Cinematography2.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Mark-of-Zorro-Cinematography2.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"944\" height=\"720\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-44552\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Mark-of-Zorro-Cinematography2.png 944w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Mark-of-Zorro-Cinematography2-128x98.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Mark-of-Zorro-Cinematography2-300x229.png 300w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/08\/Mark-of-Zorro-Cinematography2-768x586.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 944px) 100vw, 944px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nNo, though it&#8217;s recommended for one-time viewing given its historical relevance. Listed as a film with Historical Relevance and a Personal Recommendation in the back of Peary&#8217;s book. Named to the National Film Registry in 2009 by the Library of Congress.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0032762\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tvguide.com\/movies\/the-mark-of-zorro\/review\/105688\/\">TV Guide Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1940\/11\/04\/archives\/the-screen-the-mark-of-zorro-with-tyrone-power-not-mr-fairbanks-at.html\">NY Times Original Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dvdtalk.com\/dvdsavant\/s989zorro.html\">DVD Savant&#8217;s Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;How could I refuse a man anything with a naked sword in his hand?&#8221; Synopsis: A 19th century Spanish don (Tyrone Power) is shocked to find that his father (Montagu Love) has been replaced as governor of Los Angeles by a corrupt alcalde (J. Edward Bromberg). Donning a mask, Power becomes &#8220;Zorro&#8221; the masked avenger, fighting the villainous Bromberg and his henchman (Basil Rathbone), and winning the heart of Bromberg&#8217;s beautiful niece (Linda Darnell). Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: Basil&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=44549\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-44549","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-reviews"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44549","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=44549"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44549\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":65547,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/44549\/revisions\/65547"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=44549"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=44549"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=44549"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}