Swashbuckling and debonair, Disney’s Zorro, the complete first and second seasons, comes to DVD. The two seasons of the show aired from 1957-59 and thrilled the kids of the late 50s with action, adventure, and comedy.
Guy Williams plays Don Diego de la Vega, as seen in the very first episode. He is returning from an extensive trip to Spain, where he learned sword fighting. His valet, the mute Bernardo, is played by Gene Sheldon, a comedy relief of the series. He is also the first person to know that de la Vega is actually the elusive Zorro (Spanish for ‘fox’, think cunning and outwitting).
Bernardo, who cannot speak, is as cunning as his master, as he also pretends to be deaf so that he can listen to others’ conversations that might be of interest to Don Diego’s work. Sheldon was actually a pantomime, and his work on the show is really fun to watch.
Zorro is a prototype for other heroes to follow - Batman, for instance, whose butler Alfred knows his identity and takes care of him. Williams portrayed both Zorro and Don Diego with equal ease - whether pretending to be the fatigued ‘pretty boy’ just up from his nap or the sward slapping ‘Z’ man, he was at home.
Williams trained with Hollywood sword master Fred Cavens to learn swordplay. He also took guitar and singing lessons so that he could serenade the young senoritas, but he never mastered singing and playing and his voice was dubbed.
In season one, Zorro returns from Spain and is thrown into a different world than he left. He sees injustices happening even before he reaches his father’s hacienda. He decides that he will try to take care of business, i.e., helping those in trouble, in secret, and with Bernardo’s help, he dons the traditional costume of the black mask.
He also retrieves his horse, Tornado, in a secret valley where the horse was being taken care of while he was away.
He shows Bernardo a series of secret tunnels under the hacienda (think pre-Batcave, here), and this is where he keeps Tornado. Together the two make a formidable team.
Zorro’s nemesis is Capitan Monastario, played by Brett Lomond in the first season. The Capitan is a cruel but dashing (his glowing blue eyes come through even in the black and white picture). We see the local Commandante Monastario’s ruthlessness in the third episode ‘Zorro Rides to the Mission’ when he orders the Indians of the mission to build an unnecessary road and whips them to make a point.
We see the bumbling comedy of Sergeant Demetrio López García (played by Henry Calvin), the main source of comedy in the show. He is fat and good natured fond of drink, and tries to be overly polite as he gives the Commandante’s cruel orders, but he has a good heart. He does not want to see the Indians whipped and protests the building of the road weakly.
But his Capitan is angry that a certain man, Torres, has taken sanctuary in the local mission. By law, if a person takes safety in a church, he cannot take them into custody. Of course, Zorro rides in a saves the day and the Indians just as Torres is about to step from the shelter of the church.
By the second season, Disney studios and Walt himself had decided that the show needed a more adult orientated feel, and a love interest was added to Don Diego’s already complicated life.
Diego is willing to give up the mask for Ana Maria Verdugo, an arrogant don’s daughter (played Jolene Brand, we meet her in the first episode of the second season, actually in the first few minutes) but he is convinced to return to Los Angeles.
As stated in the introduction to the episodes, kiddies didn’t want to see a lot of kissing, and it was still a kid’s show. But the complicated issues of Don Diego keeping his two lives separate made good conflict, further enhanced by the developing love story.
Season Two also introduces a new horse to the escapades, the beautiful white stallion, Phantom. Zorro used his new horse in his visit to Monterey, and for that reason it would have been difficult for Diego to explain taking Tornado along on his trip. Phantom was given to Zorro by the horse's former owner, a military owner who was mortally wounded by bandits.
Later in the second season, we are introduced to Don Diego’s shifty uncle, Estevan de la Cruz, played by the great Caesar Romero (who ironically also played the Joker on the Batman series). There is a plot involving some fake jewels and Uncle Estevan, and then he decides to stay in Los Angeles, thus becoming a reoccurring character and a thorn in Diego’s side.
Walt Disney himself was very involved in the production of Zorro. He made sure that good matte painting were made and used, and the style and art work really “pop”, even today. The picture looks great for 1950s television being transferred to our technology.
These two sets (both seasons) are a real treat for fans of the series. Those of you who watched and asked for the merchandise and went around pretending to be a sword swinging masked man marking Zs into everything, this is for you.
As with any good series that spark nostalgia, the song sets a spark in memory. The song that sets the mood for each episode was written by Norman Foster (words) and George Bruns (music). It is said that this song is one of the most recognizable television themes ever.
“Out of the night, when the full moon is bright, comes the horseman known as Zorro….”
If that particular tune doesn’t make you want these two sets for your own collection, the documentary style introductions will. These are well put together, thoughtfully packaged in black and gold collector’s tins. Other amenities are added, such as a Zorro pin and production photographs.
Highly recommended for the nostalgia collector, these two sets are well worth the money, and would make a great gift for the holiday season. Amazon . As of yet, there is not a release date for this version of the DVD in the UK. Visit the DVD database for more information.
Walt Disney Treasures: Zorro - The Complete Second Season is now available at Amazon . As of yet, there is not a release date for this version of the DVD in the UK. Visit the DVD database for more information.
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