Zorro

What a guy he was! An incredible athlete. He was daring, romantic, and well-mannered even under stress. At times witty, and a bit mischievous in dealing with the villains. Women pined for him, and men wished they could be him. He had a clever way of making the criminals pay for their misdeeds. As I remember it was a show an entire family could watch with no apprehension. Good, clean fun for all. And the underlying moral, "Crime does not pay." At least it does not succeed if Zorro is around. There was always an intriguing plot and I remember many good laughs while watching this nimble hero foil the plans of the evil commandante. This was well written, and well acted TV entertainment at its best. I was almost 11 years old when this show first appeared on TV, but I remember the dashing hero as if it were yesterday. This is the Zorro that I will likely compare all others to. I must say that Antonio Banderas put an incredible amount of energy into the latest production of Zorro. I greatly enjoyed it and will watch for the sequel due out in 2005. Perhaps Antonio can get access to some of the original Guy Williams versions and raise the bar on his portrayal of the dashing, cunning hero dressed in black? I rate the Disney Zorro played by Guy Williams as 10/10

One might say this is quite possibly the most entertaining TV show ever created. "Zorro" has a rare combination of action, adventure, suspense, music, and even comedy. Though Guy Williams is only one of many men who have donned the mask of Zorro, he is considered by many, including me, to be the one true Zorro. Williams, though the true highlight of the show, was just part of a great cast. Gene Sheldon is a convincing "deaf" mute and we can always rely on Sergeant Garcia (Henry Calvin) for a few laughs. This show also is unique because even though it holds enough action and plot for adults, it is still mild enough for even very young children to watch and enjoy.

When "Zorro" originally aired on ABC from 1957-1959, it was a smash hit, knocking 5 of the 7 shows airing at the same time off the air. Unfortunately, due to legal problems with the rights of the show, only two full seasons of the show and four one-hour episodes were completed. But, on the bright side, "Zorro" can still be seen nightly on the Disney Channel.

Guy Williams was the best Zorro in my opinion. Playing Don Diego as both foppish and intellectual allowed his character to be warm and sympathetic both in and out of the mask. And if you have ever watched any 60's TV show you'll notice that old set staple, Bryce Canyon, used for, I think, one of the first times on a television show. But just think, on Zorro it's not supposed to be yet another alien planet, but exactly what it is! A canyon outside of LA! That to me was always the cleverest thing about the show. The fact that it was filmed (sorta) near where it would have taken place if Don Diego had been real. I have to say though, I prefer the episodes in black and white. I think it looks weird when you see a bright blue sky in a "night" scene.

This show was a real treat, both on ABC from 1957 to 1959, and on the Disney Channel, with its blend of adventure and comedy. Excellent cast!

I am sorry that the series did not film further episodes, because it was superb. I saw it as a kid in syndication in 1965-66, and then again in 2002 on the Disney Channel.

"Zorro" had to have been the "Batman" of the late 1950s. Indeed, in the comic version of "Batman" it is Zorro whom Bruce Wayne considers his role model. After living in Texas and the Southwest, I can appreciate the series even more. I just wish Disney would bring it back, and that someone would revive the series. It was so interesting!

Considering my age, I watched the series quite late. Having heard a lot about these series from my older sisters and friends, I decided to watch them all. I bought the whole series on DVD (total of 78 X 30 min and 4 X 60 min) in summer 2006 and watched the whole 83 hours in around a month.

Having watched 3 other Zorro versions, I do agree that Guy Williams version is the best along with the other two pivotal characters of Bernardo and Sgt Garcia being unique. Considering the fact that I am in 2006 and still enjoining these series, I tried to imagine how enjoyable these series were for the peoples of 50's!!!