"Zorro's Fighting Legion" (1939), CHAPTER 7: The Fugitive

"Zorro's Fighting Legion" (1939), CHAPTER 7: The Fugitive (16 min 23s)

Zorro falls beneath a runaway stagecoach.

In 1824 the President of the newly formed Republic of Mexico, Benito Juarez (Carleton Young), is trying to put his new country on a solid financial footing, and has arranged to have gold shipments forwarded to the capitol from the local San Mendolita mine. The mysterious "Lord of Gold," Don Del Oro (Bud Geary, C. Montague Shaw), an idol of the Yaqui, emerges and attacks the gold trade of the Republic of Mexico, intent on becoming Emperor.

Don Francisco (Guy D'Ennery) has organized a group of patriots to act as a protective force for the gold convoys.

A thug from the Don del Oro mob, stages an 'insult' to himself and challenges Don Francisco to a duel with swords, Don Francisco getting run through. Suddenly the dark clad masked swordsman appears, and after a sword fight, he carves his trademark 'Z' on the face of the bad guy. Don Francisco declares with his dying breath to his ward Ramon (William Corson) that Zorro (Reed Hadley) is his nephew, the hidalgo Don Diego Vega from the city of Los Angeles. Francisco asks Diego, as Zorro, to take over the fighting legion and defeat Don Del Oro. He also attempts to tell of the true identity of Don del Oro, but dies before completing his statement.

There is a big reception for Diego at Don Francisco's Hacienda, where Diego disappoints Ramon's sister, Volita (Sheila Darcy), with his timid act. Later, Diego and Ramon slip away to join up with a meeting of the volunteers. When they ask, "who will lead us with Don Francisco now dead?", Ramon declares "Zorro, we are Zorro's Fighting Legion!"

Both Don Diego and Ramon hold seats on the local ruling Council. It soon becomes apparent that some of the other members of the Council are in league with Don-del-Oro. First there is the Chairman of the Council (Leander de Cordova), the head of the militia Manuel (John Merton), Chief Justice Pablo (C. Montague Shaw) and Gonzolez (Edmund Cobb).

The masked hero leads a fighting force to fight a villian who plots the conquest of The Republic of Mexico. Zorro finally unmasks the false god, Don-del-Oro, and restores peace to the valley before riding off into the sunset.

A 1939 Republic Pictures action film serial consisting of twelve chapters starring Reed Hadley as Zorro and directed by William Witney and John English. The plot revolves around his alter-ego Don Diego's fight against the evil Don Del Oro.

The cast includes Jim Pierce, Curley Dresden and Charlie King as Don-del-Oro's henchmen, and bits by future serial star and Lone Ranger Clayton Moore and stuntman Canutt. "Big" Jim Pierce played Tarzan in "Tarzan and the Golden Lion" (1927), and married Joan Burroughs, the daughter of "Tarzan" creator Edgar Rice Burroughs. Up until the climactic unmasking scene, Don-Del-Oro was portrayed by Bud Geary; after his unmasking, the villain was portrayed by C. Montague Shaw.

The story changes Zorro's official timeline. Set in 1824, well after Zorro's California adventures, 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; Zorro's horse, Tornado, was changed to white; and Don Diego is visiting from Los Angeles.

This serial is not a remake of the Zorro story. Instead, it's presented as a further adventure of Zorro, a sequel to the traditional "Mark of Zorro" origin story originally starring Douglas Fairbanks and Noah Beery Sr., which would be remade the year after "Zorro's Fighting Legion" with Tyrone Power and Basil Rathbone. 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. Zorro opposed a corrupt Spanish Colonial government in his canon tales, and California ceased being a Spanish Colony in 1821.

The serial is unusual in featuring a real historical personage, Mexican President Benito Juárez, as a minor character. His appearance in Chapters 1-2 & 12 is an anachronism. Although Juarez was alive at the time this serial was set, 1824, he would have been only 18 years old at the time. The inclusion of Juarez in the story is due to the release of the highly successful and popular "Juarez" (1939) earlier that year; which starred Paul Muni in the title role.

It is the second in a series of five Zorro serials: "Zorro Rides Again" (1937), "Zorro's Black Whip" (1944), "Son of Zorro" (1947) and "Ghost of Zorro" (1949).

The serial was re-released on March 24, 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 Carnival" (1955).

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.

Видео "Zorro's Fighting Legion" (1939), CHAPTER 7: The Fugitive канала Donald P. Borchers