Zorro's Fighting Legion (1939)

The masked hero leads a fighting force to fight a villian who plots the conquest of The Republic of Mexico.

Directors:

John English, William Witney

Writers:

Ronald Davidson (original screenplay), Franklin Adreon (original screenplay)

Stars:

Reed Hadley, Sheila Darcy, William Corson

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Reed Hadley	...	Don Diego Vega / Zorro
Sheila Darcy	...	Volita
William Corson	...	Ramon
Leander De Cordova	...	Governor Felipe
Edmund Cobb	...	Gonzalez
John Merton	...	Manuel [Ch. 1-9]
C. Montague Shaw	...	Pablo
Budd Buster	...	Juan
Carleton Young	...	Benito Juarez [ch 1-2, 12]
Guy D'Ennery	...	Don Francisco [Ch. 1]
Paul Marion	...	Kala [Ch. 10-12] (as Paul Marian)
Joe Molina	...	Tarmac
James Pierce	...	Moreno (as Jim Pierce)
Helen Mitchel	...	Doña Maria
Curley Dresden	...	Tomás

Storyline

It'a 1824 and Don Del Oro, a man completely hidden in a suit of armor, plans to become emperor of Mexico. Don Diego arrives and as the masked Zorro takes up the fight. He organizes the Legionnaires to fight Del Oro's henchmen and the Yaqui Indians. CHAP. 1, GOLDEN GOD: An explosion sends a landslide down on Zorro. CHAP. 2, FLAMING Z: Zorro is trapped in a building as it explodes. CHAP. 3, DESCENDING DOOM: Zorro is trapped in an elevator shaft with the car plummeting down at him. CHAP. 4, BRIDGE OF PERIL: Zorro is on a narrow suspension bridge when the suport ropes are cut. CHAP. 5, DECOY: Zorro is on a wagon that explodes. CHAP. 6, ZORRO TO THE RESCUE: Zorro is locked in a dungeon cell with a moving wall that is about to crush him. CHAP. 7, FUGITIVE: Zorro falls beneath a runaway stagecoach. CHAP. 8, FLOWING DEATH: Zorro is in a mine shaft when an avalanche of water is released. CHAP 9, GOLDEN ARROW: A man at close range shoots an arrow at the unsuspecting Don Diego. CHAP. 10, MYSTERY...

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Plot Keywords:

swordsman | masked hero | gold bullion | dual identity | b movie | 

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Taglines:

WHIPS CRACK! SWORDS FLASH! BULLETS FLY! (original print ad-all caps)

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | History | Western

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Certificate:

Passed

Did You Know?

Trivia

CHAPTER TITLES: 1. The Golden God; 2. The Flaming "Z"; 3. Descending Doom; 4. The Bridge of Peril; 5. The Decoy; 6. Zorro to the Rescue; 7. The Fugitive; 8. Flowing Death; 9. The Golden Arrow; 10. Mystery Wagon; 11. Face to Face; 12. Unmasked.

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Goofs

Arrows shot make a cartoon twang sound.

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Quotes

Gov. Felipe: I propose that Kala be hanged in the public square tomorrow morning.
Manuel Gonzalez: Excellent - make an example of him!
Chief Justice Pablo: I also agree. Show the Yaquis they cannot break our laws and live and we'll have little to fear from that quarter.
Don Diego Vega: Except bloodshed and death.

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Connections

Featured in Top 10 Dumbest Indiana Jones Moments (2009)

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Soundtracks

We Ride!
Music by William Lava
Lyrics by Eddie Cherkose
Sung by Zorro's Legionaires over the credits and throughtout the serial.

User Reviews

What Diego can't do, Zorro can!

Serials were short subjects originally shown in theaters in conjunction with a feature film that were related to pulp magazine serialized fiction. Known as "chapter plays," they were extended motion pictures broken into a number of segments called "chapters" or "episodes." Each chapter would be screened at the same theater for one week. The serial would end with a cliffhanger, as the hero and heroine would find themselves in the latest perilous situation from which there could be no escape.

The audience would have to return the next week to find out how the hero and heroine would escape and battle the villain once again. Serials were especially popular with children, and for many children in the first half of the 20th century, a typical Saturday at the movies included a chapter of at least one serial, along with animated cartoons, newsreels, and two feature films.

The golden age for serials was 1936-1945. This was one of the best of the era.

Zorro has been seen in many films, but Reed Hadley ("Racket Squad", The Undying Brain) was excellent in the role.

The action is constant, and we are led chapter by chapter to the ultimate end where we find out the identity of the evildoer.

Zorro triumphs, as he always does.

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

16 December 1939 (USA)

Also Known As:

Return of Zorro

Filming Locations:

Burro Flats, Simi Hills, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Republic Pictures (I)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

212 min (12 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA High Fidelity Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1