Zorro (1957 TV series)

Zorro (also known as Disney's Zorro) is an American action-adventure western series produced by Walt Disney Productions and starring Guy Williams. Based on the Zorro character created by Johnston McCulley in his 1919 novella, the series premiered on October 10, 1957, on ABC. The final network broadcast was July 2, 1959. Seventy-eight episodes were produced, and four hour-long specials were aired on the Walt Disney anthology series between October 30, 1960, and April 2, 1961.
The series is set in Los Angeles of 1820, when it was still part of Spanish California and before Mexican independence. Zorro aids Hispanic settlers and indigenous peoples oppressed by the rulers. A remastering, in which color was added, was released in 1992.
Plot.
For most of its run, "Zorro"'s episodes were part of continuing story arcs, each about thirteen episodes long. It had a structure similar to a serial. The first of these chronicles the emergence of Zorro / Diego to California in 1820, and his battle with the greedy and cruel local Comandante, Captain Enrique Sánchez Monastario. After Monastario's final defeat, in the second storyline, Zorro must uncover and counter Magistrado Carlos Galindo, who is part of a conspiracy to take over rule of California. The third story arc concerns the leader of that conspiracy, José Sebastián de Varga, a shadowy figure known as "The Eagle". It is revealed that Varga intends to make a huge profit by turning California over to another country, implied to be the Russian Empire, which had its own interests on the West Coast, especially present-day Alaska. Season one concludes with Varga's death.
Season two opens with Diego in Monterey, the colonial capital of Alta California. The authorities are worried that privately collected money to bring a supply ship to California is repeatedly diverted to a gang of bandits. Diego stays to investigate, both as a civilian, and as the masked Zorro. He becomes interested in Ana Maria Verdugo, a daughter of the man organizing the effort. Once Zorro defeats the thieves, he enters into a rivalry with his old friend Ricardo del Amo, a practical joker who is also interested in Ana Maria. Ana Maria is in love with Zorro. While in Monterey, Zorro and Sergeant Demetrio López García also get involved in a dispute between the people and a repressive Lieutenant Governor. Diego/Zorro is on the verge of giving up his mask to marry Ana Maria, but Don Alejandro talks him out of it. Zorro (and Diego) says goodbye to Ana Maria and returns to Los Angeles, where he gets involved in a series of shorter adventures.
In one three-episode story arc, guest-starring Annette Funicello, Zorro must solve the mystery of Anita Cabrillo's father, a man who does not seem to exist. Other storylines late in the series involve Diego's ne'er-do-well uncle (played by Cesar Romero), a plot against the governor of California, an encounter with an American "mountain man" (Jeff York, reprising a role from "The Saga of Andy Burnett"), and outwitting a greedy emissary from Spain.
Production.
The main exterior sets (the plaza, the cuartel, the tavern, etc.) were built in the Disney backlot in Burbank, California, while Don Diego's hacienda was built in a soundstage. Some scenes were shot at the Disney Ranch and at Mission San Luis Rey near Oceanside, where an archway was added to an existing structure.
Broadcast.
The show was very popular, especially with children. Its theme song (written by Norman Foster and George Bruns and first recorded by the Mellomen) was a hit recording for The Chordettes, peaking at #17 on the Hit Parade. Children inspired by the series produced "Z" graffiti on school desks and walls across the United States.
Despite good ratings (#30 in Season 1 with a 26.6 rating), the series ended after two seasons due to a financial dispute between Disney and the network over ownership of "Zorro", "Mickey Mouse Club", and the Disney anthology television series (at the time titled "Disneyland"). During the legal battle, Disney produced four new hour-long "Zorro" adventures of the franchise, aired on the anthology series: "Zorro: El Bandido" (October 30, 1960); "Zorro: Adios El Cuchillo" (November 6, 1960); "Zorro: The Postponed Wedding" (January 1, 1961); and "Zorro: Auld Acquaintance" (April 2, 1961). Guy Williams was kept on full salary during this period. But by the time Disney and ABC resolved their differences, Walt Disney decided that public interest in the character had flagged. Disney continued to pay $3,500 per year until 1967 to retain the television rights.
Reruns of the series aired on The Disney Channel starting the day the channel launched on April 18, 1983. These continued until September 9, 2002.
The 1957–1959 episodes were colorized in 1992. For a time they appeared in that format on The Disney Channel and elsewhere, often alternating with the original black-and-white versions. The series aired for ten years.
Cozi TV aired reruns of the series from January 5, 2015, to December 31, 2016.
Home media.
VHS.
Several compilations from the series were issued on VHS over the years, but are now out of print. It released on video in 1985, and 1993. They are as follows:
VHS television episodes
DVD releases.
Two volumes from season one of "Zorro" were released on DVD in the United States in 2006, representing the entire Monastario storyline and the beginning of Magistrado Galindo storyline. Three more volumes soon followed, completing the season, which was then reissued as a boxed set entitled "Zorro, the Complete First Season". All of the DVDs were only available from the Disney Movie Club. Each volume contains the 1992 colorized version of about eight episodes. No special features are included.
The Disney Movie Club released the second season in a boxed set, also consisting of five volumes and also colorized.
Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment released the entire series on DVD in Region 1 on November 3, 2009, under their "" banner featuring several bonus features. however like many other Disney releases it was available for a limited time, before entering moratorium and put back in the Disney Vault along with the other "Walt Disney Treasures" DVD sets.
International releases.
The following international regions are available:
Streaming.
Disney+ released the series on October 5, 2022. It does have the movie "The Sign of Zorro" made from some of its episodes on November 12.
Other appearances.
Guy Williams was introduced to the Disney audience as Zorro in a segment of the Disney anthology television series, "The Fourth Anniversary Show". During this episode, which starred the Mouseketeers and featured upcoming shows, Moochie (Kevin Corcoran) repeatedly asks Walt Disney, "What about Zorro?" Finally, Zorro appears, but not in the same shot with the Mouseketeers. Zorro explains who he is, and coyly answers the question of whether he is "real".
Williams and other key cast members also made a number of live appearances at Disneyland in 1958. Some of their shows involved Zorro and Monastario battling each other on the rooftops of Frontierland.
Robert L. Crawford Jr., brother of Mouseketeer Johnny Crawford, prior to being cast on NBC's "Laramie" in the role of Andy Sherman, appeared on "Zorro" in the role of Pogo Bastinado in the episodes "The Well of Death" and "The Cross of the Andes" in May 1958.
George J. Lewis, who portrayed Diego's father Don Alejandro, had previously appeared in the 1944 serial "Zorro's Black Whip" as Vic Gordon, an ally of the Black Whip.
Revivals.
In 1983 a comedy follow-up, "Zorro and Son", aired on CBS. The series was shot in color on many of the same studio lots where the original was filmed. Featuring none of the original cast (Gene Sheldon and Henry Calvin had passed away by then, while Guy Williams walked out after a script dispute), the show performed poorly in the ratings.
In other media.
Comics.
Comics based on the "Zorro" character had already appeared before the Disney TV series. But when the Disney TV show became popular new comics were published under the banner "Walt Disney Presents: Zorro" and the artwork reflected the way the characters looked in the TV version. The "Disney: Zorro" comics were drawn by Alex Toth. In the Netherlands Hans G. Kresse also drew a comic strip version based on this particular TV series.
Theatrical.
Two film compilations from the series were released theatrically:
In this film, edited from eight episodes of Disney's hit TV series, Don Diego returns home to find his town under the heel of a cruel dictator, Capitan Monastario. Diego dons the mask of Zorro to fight the evil commandant's tyranny, and, with the help of his mute servant Bernardo, free the pueblo from his oppression.
Compiled from six episodes of the original Disney Zorro series, this film has El Zorro, "The Fox", battling Jose Sebastian Varga, "The Eagle", a corrupt dictator set on taking control of all of Spanish California.