Ghost of Zorro (1949)

It's 1865 and the telegraph is heading west. George Crane, wanting to keep law and order out of his territory, is out to stop the construction. The engineer on the job is Ken Mason and he ... See full summary »

Director:

Fred C. Brannon

Writers:

Royal K. Cole, William Lively,

Stars:

Clayton Moore, Pamela Blake, Roy Barcroft

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Clayton Moore	...	Ken Mason
Pamela Blake	...	Rita White
Roy Barcroft	...	Hank Kilgore
George J. Lewis	...	Moccasin
Gene Roth	...	George Crane (as Eugene Roth)
John Crawford	...	Agent Mulvaney - chap's 3-4
I. Stanford Jolley	...	Paul Hobson - chap's 6-7
Steve Clark	...	Jonathan White - chap's 1, 10
Steve Darrell	...	Marshal Ben Simpson - chap. 8
Dale Van Sickel	...	Mike Hodge, Henchman
Tom Steele	...	Henchman Brace
Alex Montoya	...	Henchman Yellow Hawk
Marshall Reed	...	Henchman Fowler
Frank O'Connor	...	Doctor - chap. 8
Jack O'Shea	...	Freight Agent [Chap's 1, 4]

Storyline

It's 1865 and the telegraph is heading west. George Crane, wanting to keep law and order out of his territory, is out to stop the construction. The engineer on the job is Ken Mason and he is the grandson of Zorro. As Crane sends his men or Indians to stop the work, Mason repeatedly puts on the Zorro costume and rides to the rescue in this 12-chapter serial.

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Plot Keywords:

zorro | telegraph | 12 chapters | engineer | construction | 

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Taglines:

HE THREW TERROR INTO THE BLACK HEARTS OF BADMEN...AND GAVE COURAGE TO THE HELPLESS! (original poster - all caps)

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Crime | Western

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

24 March 1949 (USA)

Also Known As:

Zorro im Wilden Westen

Filming Locations:

Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$164,895 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Republic Pictures (I)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

167 min 167 min (12 episodes) 69 min (shortened) 151 min (part 1: 74'/ part 2: 77')

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Chapter Titles: 1. Bandit Territory 2. Forged Orders 3. Robber's Agent 4. Victims of Vengeance 5. Gun Trap 6. Deadline at Midnight 7. Tower of Disaster 8. Mob Justice 9. Money Lure 10.Message of Death 11.Runaway Stagecoach 12.Trail of Blood

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Connections

Featured in The American Experience: Guerrilla: The Taking of Patty Hearst (2004)

User Reviews

USE OF STOCK FOOTAGE IN SCENES

Much of the footage from Ghost of Zorro was taken from a previous Republic serial DAREDEVILS OF THE WEST (1943) starring Allen Lane and Kay Aldridge. Note the outfits of Clayton Moore and Pamela Blake in one scene where they are riding on a out of control stagecoach about to go over a cliff. They are identical to the outfits worn by Lane and Aldridge in a similar chapter ending. Also the name of the stageline shown on the coach is "Foster Stage Line" indicating it was the same stage used in the 1943 serial. Also in the first chapter, Miss Blake's construction crew is attacked by maurading Indians (Native Americans, for the politically correct readers!!!). She and the others are shown on an obvious indoor set rigged to look like it was shot outdoors. However the footage of Indians attacking came from the other serial. I wrote a detailed article using the actual pressbook copies from the Library of Congress for the first issue of the Classic Images film magazine. As to the quality of Ghost of Zorro, it was made at a time when Republic was using lots of stock footage in their serials and westerns trying to stave off the inevitable. The one benefit which came from its production was that it gave Clayton Moore the portrayal which helped him get the role of TV's Lone Ranger.