film sequel be a novelty in 1925 and when don q and son of zorro mark a big profit for united artist . then and now and it be consider to be a good film than the original and the mark of zorro ( 1920 ) and which make star and producer douglas fairbanks the personification of the swashbuckler five year earlier . since his screen debut in 1915 and fairbanks have always be cast in contemporary comedy a a fun loving and never say die and go getter who get the girl and catch the bad guy all the while exhibit his athletic prowess and bravado . he be a major film actor and but his popularity be begin to wane due to the monotony of his role and vehicle . the formation of united artist corporation in 1919 give founder fairbanks and mary pickford and charlie chaplin and d. w. griffith control over their own project . fairbanks choose this opportunity to risk reinvent his image by star in this film adaptation of the curse of capistrano . the serialized novel write by johnston mcculley have be publish that year in a popular pulp magazine . it introduce the character of zorro to the world . the magic of the movie assure zorro place among fictional super hero . the character live on in several more film version as well a book and comic and cartoon and halloween costume and toy and and in the popular 1950 television series star guy williams . in the mark of zorro and set in early 19th century california and fairbanks come up with an ingenious concept showcasing his likable contemporary stock character into an action or adventure period costume picture . he play don diego vega and the milksop son of an affluent rancher who and like the scarlet pimpernel and don a disguise to defend the impoverished townsfolk from the tyrant in power . his alter ego zorro and ( spanish for fox ) trademark be the black cape and cowl mask he wear and the master swordsmanship he display . he be know to brand his victim with a z make with three fast stroke of his blade . at the end of the film and after zorro great triumph and his identity be reveal . he throw his sword into the air . it lodge into a high spot on the wall and a zorro shout and till i need you again . though it be probably not fairbanks intention at the time and this line be a prime set up for a sequel if there ever be one . after the tremendous financial and critical success of zorro and fairbanks continue to give the public what it want the charismatic fairbanks persona in lavish period epic . the three musketeer and robin hood and the thief of bagdad be all release in the year between the two zorro epic . a one can easily discern by the title of this follow up and doug be back a diego son namely don cesar and aka don q. the screenplay be base on the novel don q love story by hesketh prichard and kate prichard which have no relationship to zorro at all . but by make don q the offspring of the famous hero and it cash in on the audience familiarity with the original and make it possible for doug to play a dual role a both father and son . in the family tradition and don cesar be send to spain to continue his education and learn the tradition of his ancestor . his high spirit way and showmanship with a bullwhip make him a favorite of the queen cousin and archduke paul of austria ( warner oland ) . cesar also make an enemy of surly don sebastian ( donald crisp ) and a member of the queen guard and and both men fall for the beautiful dolores de muro ( mary astor ) . after cesar be frame for murder and he fake suicide and go underground until he can prove the guilt of the real killer . meanwhile and in california and don diego receives word of his son predicament . he retrieve his sword from where it have stick thirty year before and dig out his mask and cape and travel to spain to help rescue his son . father and son take on 15 soldier in a sword fight during the film exuberant finale . audience and critic alike love don q even more than the original . film making technique and technology have improve rapidly since 1920. the sequel have a strong plot and high production value and good pacing . what more and fairbanks have fine tune his swashbuckler persona to perfection . he be never be he more cocksure and flamboyant and amuse than he appear here . though already 41 year old and he easily get away with play a much young character in no small part due to his physical fitness . he be show to great advantage and engage in sword play and jumping on a horse or his specialty in this film crack a whip . well know for perform his own stunt and doug reportedly spend six week learn fancy whipmanship . he use it to light a cigarette and extinguish a candle and slice paper and lasso a bull and swing onto a balcony . he also show himself to be a dandy on the dance floor in a parody of a valentino tango . donald crisp and best know for his chill performance a lillian gish cruel father in broken blossom and do double duty in don q a both co star and director . he play fairbanks dastardly nemesis don sebastian while direct one of his best film . crisp direct more than 70 film and include the buster keaton classic and the navigator . he get his start in the movie in 1908 with the biograph company and appear on screen for the last time 55 year later a grandpa spencer in the 1963 film spencer mountain that star henry fonda . crisp die in 1974. the new york time think so highly of don q and son of zorro and that they name it one the 10 best film of 1925. while enjoyable on tv or home video and the movie be twice the fun when watch with live accompaniment and an audience a i be fortunate to experience at cinevent 2006 .