Zorro (1957 TV series)

For other uses, see Zorro (disambiguation).
Zorro

Logo of Zorro
Genre Action/Adventure
Comedy-drama
Western
Created by Johnston McCulley (original stories)
Starring Guy Williams[1]
Gene Sheldon
Henry Calvin
George J. Lewis
Country of origin United States
No. of seasons 2
No. of episodes 78 (+4 specials) (list of episodes)
Production
Executive producer(s) Bill Anderson
Walt Disney
Running time 22–24 minutes
Production company(s) Walt Disney Productions
Distributor Disney-ABC Domestic Television
Release
Original network ABC
Picture format Black-and-white (also colorized)
Audio format Monaural
Original release October 10, 1957 (1957-10-10) – July 2, 1959 (1959-07-02)
Chronology
Related shows Zorro and Son
External links
Website

Zorro is an American action-adventure western drama series produced by Walt Disney Productions. Based on the well-known Zorro character created by Johnston McCulley, the series premiered on October 10, 1957 on ABC. The final network broadcast was July 2, 1959. Seventy-eight episodes were produced, and 4 hour-long specials were aired on the Walt Disney anthology series between October 30, 1960 and April 2, 1961.

Plot summary

Bernardo (Gene Sheldon) and Zorro (Guy Williams)

For most of its brief run, Zorro's episodes were part of continuing story arcs, each about thirteen episodes long, which made it almost like a serial. The first of these chronicles the arrival of Zorro / Diego to California in 1820 and his battle of wits with the greedy and cruel local Commandante, Captain Enrique Sánchez Monastario. After Monastario's final defeat, in the second storyline, Zorro must uncover and counter the machinations of the evil Magistrado Carlos Galindo, who is part of a plot to rule California. The third story arc concerns the leader of that conspiracy, the shadowy figure of "The Eagle", revealed as vain and insecure José Sebastián Vargas. It's revealed that the plot to gain control of California is so that he can turn it over to another country, implied to be Germany, for a huge profit. Season one concludes with Varga's death.

Season two opens with Diego in Monterey, the colonial capital, where privately collected money to bring a supply ship to California is consistently diverted to a gang of bandits. Diego stays to investigate, both as himself and as Zorro, and becomes interested in Ana Maria Verdugo, the daughter of the man organizing the effort. Once Zorro defeats the thieves, he enters into a rivalry with his old friend Ricardo del Amo, a practical joker who is also interested in Ana Maria. Ana Maria in turn is in love with Zorro. While in Monterey, Zorro and Sergeant Demetrio López García also get involved in a dispute between the peons and a repressive Lieutenant Governor. Diego is on the verge of giving up his mask to marry Ana Maria, but Don Alejandro talks him out of it. Zorro (and Diego) says goodbye to Ana Maria and returns to Los Angeles, where he gets involved in a series of shorter adventures. In one three episode story arc, guest starring Annette Funicello, Zorro must solve the mystery of Anita Cabrillo's father, a man who does not seem to exist. Other storylines late in the series involve Diego's never-do-well uncle (Cesar Romero), a plot against the governor of California, an encounter with an American "mountain man" (Jeff York, reprising a role from The Saga of Andy Burnett), and outwitting a greedy emissary from Spain.

Main Characters

Henry Calvin as Sergeant García, with Gene Sheldon as Bernardo in the background

Other recurring cast

Episodes

Other appearances

Guy Williams was introduced to the Disney audience as Zorro in a segment of the Disney anthology television series, The Fourth Anniversary Show.[5] During this episode, which starred the Mouseketeers and featured upcoming shows, Moochie (Kevin Corcoran) repeatedly asks Walt Disney, "What about Zorro?" Finally Zorro appears, but not in the same shot with the Mouseketeers. Zorro explains who he is, and coyly answers the question of whether he's "real."

Williams and other key cast members also made a number of live appearances at Disneyland in 1958. Some of their shows involved Zorro and Monastario battling each other on the rooftops of Frontierland.[6]

Another Mousketeer, Robert L. Crawford, Jr., prior to being cast on NBC's Laramie in the role of Andy Sherman, appeared on Zorro in the role of Pogo Bastinado in the episodes "The Well of Death" and "The Cross of the Andes" in May 1958.

George J. Lewis, who portrayed Diego's father Don Alejandro, had previously appeared in the 1944 serial Zorro's Black Whip as Vic Gordon, an ally of the Black Whip.

Broadcast history

The show was very popular, especially with children, and its theme song (written by Norman Foster and George Bruns and first recorded by the Mellomen) was a hit recording for The Chordettes, peaking at #17 on the Hit Parade. It also created a problem with "Z" graffitiing on school desks and walls across the United States.[6]

Despite good ratings, the series ended after two seasons due to a financial dispute between Disney and the network over ownership of Zorro, Mickey Mouse Club, and the Disney anthology television series (at the time titled Disneyland). During the legal battle, however, Disney kept the franchise going for a few years in the form of four new hour-long Zorro adventures aired on the anthology series: Zorro: El Bandido (October 30, 1960); Zorro: Adios El Cuchillo (November 6, 1960); Zorro: The Postponed Wedding (January 1, 1961); and Zorro: Auld Acquaintance (April 2, 1961). Guy Williams was kept on full salary during this period, but by the time Disney and ABC resolved their differences, Walt Disney decided that public interest in the character had flagged. Nevertheless, Disney continued to pay $3,500 per year for the television rights until 1967.[6]

Reruns of the series aired on The Disney Channel starting on the day the channel launched on April 18, 1983,[7] and continued until September 9, 2002.

The 1957–1959 episodes were colorized in 1992, and appeared in that format for a time on The Disney Channel and elsewhere, often alternating with the original black-and-white versions. It aired for ten years.

Revivals

In 1983 a comedy follow-up, Zorro and Son, aired on CBS. The series was shot in color on many of the same studio lots where the original was filmed. Featuring none of the original cast (Guy Williams walked out after a script dispute), the show performed poorly in the ratings.

Media

VHS

Several compilations from the series were issued on VHS over the years, but are now out of print. They are as follows:

Theatrical films compiled from episodes

VHS television episodes

DVD releases

Two volumes from season one of Zorro were released on DVD in the United States in 2006, representing the entire Monastario storyline and the beginning of Magistrado Galindo storyline. Three more volumes soon followed, completing the season, which was then reissued as a boxed set entitled Zorro, the Complete First Season. All of the above DVDs are only available from the Disney Movie Club. Each volume contains the 1992 colorized version of about eight episodes. No special features are included. The Disney Movie Rewards program offers a Complete 1st Season set for 2,200 points.

Recently, the Disney Movie Club released the second season, also consisting of five volumes.

International Releases

The following international regions are available:[8]

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment released the entire series on DVD in Region 1 on November 3, 2009 under their Walt Disney Treasures banner featuring several bonus features.[9] however like many other Disney releases it was available for a limited time, before entering moratorium and put back in the Disney Vault along with the other Walt Disney Treasures DVD sets. currently the two seasons (region 1 format) are out of print, with higher sale prices, costing over $100–$200.

DVD Name Ep # Release date
Season 1 39 November 3, 2009
Season 2 39 November 3, 2009

References

  1. "Masked Zorro Returns Friday to Make His Mark on Cable TV". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 6, 2010.
  2. "Jeffrey Stone, 85, was model for Prince Charming". Big Cartoon Forum Asia Unbound. August 24, 2012. Retrieved September 21, 2012.
  3. In English it's correct to have a surname as middle name, but in this case, a Spanish character, the addition of the surname López would mean he should be called Sergeant López, not Sergeant García.
  4. Dore, Shalini (June 1, 2010). "Dancer-thesp Strauss dies, 'Mask of Zorro' star was 75". Variety Magazine. Retrieved June 11, 2010.
  5. Disneyland: The Fourth Anniversary Show at the Internet Movie Database
  6. 1 2 3 Cotter, Bill (1998–2004). "Zorro – A History of the Series". Walt Disney's Zorro tribute site. Retrieved August 25, 2006.
  7. The Disney Channel Magazine, April/May 1983 (Premiere Issue), pp. 8, 14.
  8. Cotter, Bill (2004–2005). "Zorro on DVD". Walt Disney's Zorro tribute site. Retrieved August 25, 2006.
  9. http://www.tvshowsondvd.com/news/Zorro-Seasons-1-and-2/11858

External links

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