The Mark of Zorro (1940) slashed its way across our screen, and it was a light-hearted doozy, featuring Tyrone Power in the eponymous role, and a youngish Basil Rathbone playing his foil, the evil Capitan Esteban. For all that the newly returned Don Diego (Power) swiftly falls into the foppish, jaded ways of a foolish young nobleman, the story moves along at a spirited clack. For motivation, it depends, perhaps too much, on tax-collecting scenes and mild threats of a whipping, and while Basil tries to exude evil, I fear only the greed of a decayed fencing master comes through. Mere assertion of their dishonorable ways lack in punch, and perhaps a bit more depiction of their depravity would have boosted the story.
No matter. Power’s Zorro is dazzling as he fools his parents, his priest, and the buffoonishly greedy leader of this California colony, while courting the man’s beautiful niece, although I did have to wonder what she’d done to admire his wide-eyed admiration – but perhaps such would not be historically accurate. He is clever, but not without error, which is good to see – but his opponents, even the redoubtable Esteban, have no true wit about them. A fine, if short, dueling scene is tossed in, and I felt their footwork was excellent, and while the stage combat requires rather large moves, I saw a number of feints, circular parries, and other credibly executed maneuvers – only the head slashes seemed ridiculous.
Zorro escapes once again, breaking the heart of the wife of the evil leader while winning that of the niece, and all comes out well. A fine way to spend a tired evening or a rainy afternoon. The careful ear may even detect a few double entendres.
