Zorro, el vengador

"The Sign of Zorro" is a full-length film made up of 8 episodes of the popular "Zorro" series from television. And, it uses the same catchy tune to begin the film as the show.

Guy Williams plays Don Diego, a young man who has been studying abroad. However, his father begs for him to return...though Don Diego doesn't know exactly why. Well, it's soon apparent, as the latest man appointed as the Comandante in Mexican-ruled California is robbing folks blind in order to become the wealthiest man in the state. But attacking the Comandante directly is ill-advised and Don Diego poses as an ineffectual intellectual instead of the macho crime fighter. Additionally, his sidekick who is mute also pretends to be deaf in order to better spy on the crooks. As 'Zorro', Don Diego fights evil...righting wrongs and battling injustice.

As you'd expect, in this compilation there are many instances where Zorro gets the better of the Comandante and his troops....as well as narrow escapes. No major surprises here...especially since it was taken from a childrens' show.

So is it any good? Yes. The acting is nice and despite being filmed in black & white, it is an enjoyable production. My only complaint is that the Sergeant is an obvious dunderhead...perhaps too much so to have any sense of realism.

By the way, the film uses the term 'deaf & dumb'...an old fashioned but inaccurate way to describe deaf folks. This is because 'dumb' in this case means unable to talk...and deaf people can talk, just often not that well. Plus 'dumb' has many other very negative connotations. I am glad it was left in the film, as I hate censorship, though I was taken aback by it as well.