Tyrone Power was one of Hollywood’s top level heart-throbs and came from an acting family which had performed onstage since the 1700s. Here are his swashbuckler movies.
THE MARK OF ZORRO (1940) – Tyrone Power starred in this semi-remake of the 1920 Douglas Fairbanks classic. To me, nothing can top the Fairbanks version, but this Power effort comes a close second.
We all know the basics – Don Diego de Vega (Power) returns to 1820s California following his higher education in Spain. His father’s letters while he was away have made him pose as a meek and foppish aristocrat; the better to covertly fight California’s oppressors as the masked and costumed el Zorro – “the Fox.”
Not even Diego’s father knows about his son’s dual identity, so he is just as contemptuous of the cowardly, buffoonish figure he pretends to be as everyone else. Eligible ladies of California look down on Diego, too, despite his family’s wealth. They all have the hots for the dashing Zorro who strikes the oppressors with his sword, pistols and whip, then vanishes into the night.
Ultimately, Zorro gains enough popular support to topple the villains, led by Basil Rathbone. Linda Darnell plays Lolita, Gale Sondergaard is Inez and Eugene Pallette portrays Frey Felipe. 94 minutes. Continue reading
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