In the summer of 1940, Darnell began working on "The Mark of Zorro" (1940), in which she again co-starred as Power's sweetheart in a role for which Anne Baxter was previously considered. A big-budget adventure film that was raved over by the critics, "The Mark of Zorro" was a box office sensation and did much to enhance Darnell's star status. Afterwards, she was paired with Henry Fonda for the first time in the western "Chad Hanna" (1940), her first Technicolor film. The film received only moderate attention, unlike Darnell's next film, "Blood and Sand" (1941), which was shot on location in Mexico and in which she was reunited with Power. It was the first film for which she was widely critically acclaimed. Nevertheless, Darnell later claimed that her downfall began after "Blood and Sand". In an interview she said: