''Zorro'' (also known as ''Disney's Zorro'') is an American

action-adventure The action-adventure genre is a video game hybrid genre that combines core elements from both the action game and adventure game genres. Typically, pure adventure games have situational problems for the player to solve to complete a storyli ...

western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

series produced by

Walt Disney Productions The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October 1 ...

and starring Guy Williams. Based on the

Zorro Zorro ( Spanish for 'fox') is a fictional character created in 1919 by American pulp writer Johnston McCulley, appearing in works set in the Pueblo of Los Angeles in Alta California. He is typically portrayed as a dashing masked vigilante w ...

character created by

Johnston McCulley John William Johnston McCulley (February 2, 1883 – November 23, 1958) was an American writer of hundreds of stories, fifty novels, numerous screenplays for film and television, and the creator of the character Zorro. Biography Born in O ...

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 Walt is a masculine given name, generally a short form of Walter, and occasionally a surname. Notable people with the name include: People Given name * Walt Arfons (1916-2013), American drag racer and competition land speed record racer * Walt ...

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 The history of California can be divided into the Native American period (about 10,000 years ago until 1542), the European exploration period (1542–1769), the Spanish colonial period (1769–1821), the Mexican period (1821–1848), and Uni ...

and before

Mexican independence The Mexican War of Independence ( es, Guerra de Independencia de México, links=no, 16 September 1810 – 27 September 1821) was an armed conflict and political process resulting in Mexico's independence from Spain. It was not a single, co ...

. 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, ''Zorros episodes were part of continuing

story arc A story arc (also narrative arc) is the chronological construction of plot in a novel or story. It can also mean an extended or continuing storyline in episodic storytelling media such as television, comic books, comic strips, board games, vid ...

s, 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 California is a state in the Western United States, located along the Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the most populous U.S. state and the 3rd largest by area. It is also the m ...

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 The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War ...

, which had its own interests on the West Coast, especially present-day

Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U ...

. Season one concludes with Varga's death. Season two opens with Diego in

Monterey Monterey (; es, Monterrey; Ohlone: ) is a city located in Monterey County on the southern edge of Monterey Bay on the U.S. state of California's Central Coast. Founded on June 3, 1770, it functioned as the capital of Alta California under bot ...

, the colonial capital of

Alta California Alta California ('Upper California'), also known as ('New California') among other names, was a province of New Spain, formally established in 1804. Along with the Baja California peninsula, it had previously comprised the province of , but ...

. 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 Annette Joanne Funicello (October 22, 1942 – April 8, 2013) was an American actress and singer. Funicello began her professional career as a child performer at the age of twelve. She was one of the most popular Mouseketeers on the orig ...

, 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 Cesar Julio Romero Jr. (February 15, 1907 – January 1, 1994) was an American actor and activist. He was active in film, radio, and television for almost sixty years. His wide range of screen roles included Latin lovers, historical figures in c ...

), a plot against the governor of California, an encounter with an American "

mountain man A mountain man is an explorer who lives in the wilderness. Mountain men were most common in the North American Rocky Mountains from about 1810 through to the 1880s (with a peak population in the early 1840s). They were instrumental in opening up ...

" (

Jeff York Jeff York (March 23, 1912 – October 11, 1995) was an American film and television actor who began his career in the late 1930s using his given name, Granville Owen Scofield. He was also sometimes credited as Jeff Yorke. Career York served in ...

, reprising a role from ''The Saga of Andy Burnett''), and outwitting a greedy emissary from Spain.

Episodes

Characters

Main

* Don Diego de la Vega (portrayed by Guy Williams) is a former university student, newly recalled by his father, Don Alejandro de la Vega, from

Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...

to his home outside El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora Reina de los Angeles sobre El Rio Porciuncula (later shortened to "

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

"). Just before reaching California, Diego learns of the tyranny of Captain Monastario, and realizes that his father, Don Alejandro, summoned him to help fight this injustice. Although he won medals for his

fencing Fencing is a group of three related combat sports. The three disciplines in modern fencing are the foil, the épée, and the sabre (also ''saber''); winning points are made through the weapon's contact with an opponent. A fourth discipline, ...

back in Spain, Diego decides that his best course of action is to conceal his ability with a sword, and to affect the demeanor of a mild-mannered intellectual rather than a decisive man of action. His alter ego, Zorro, operates primarily at night, taking the direct action that Diego cannot. This deception does not always sit well with Diego, especially as it affects his relationship with his disappointed father. Diego relies heavily on his wits, both with and without the mask on. Later in the series, Diego emerges as a respected figure in his own right, a clever thinker and loyal friend who just happens to be hopeless at swordplay. The character's name in Johnston McCulley's writing and previous adaptations was Diego Vega; the Disney version expands the name to Diego de la Vega, an innovation retained in some subsequent versions of the story. Diego's singing voice is supplied by Bill Lee of

The Mellomen The Mellomen were a popular singing quartet active from the late 1940s through the mid-1970s. The group was founded by Thurl Ravenscroft and Max Smith in 1948. They recorded under a variety of names, including Big John and the Buzzards, the Crackerj ...

. * Don Alejandro de la Vega (portrayed by George J. Lewis) is Don Diego's father and a hot-tempered cattle baron (or ''ranchero'') with a strong sense of morality and fair play. His cattle and land holdings are said to be among the richest in

, which helps to make Don Alejandro an influential community leader. His impetuous nature often gets him into trouble, however, as he seeks to do battle himself, sometimes getting fooled and manipulated along the way. Don Alejandro eventually learns of his son's identity, and is strongly in favor of Zorro's work continuing. * Bernardo (portrayed by mime artist

Gene Sheldon Gene Sheldon (born Eugene Hume; February 1, 1908 – May 1, 1982) was an American actor, mime artist, and musician. He is remembered as the mute servant Bernardo in Walt Disney's live-action Spanish Western series ''Zorro'' (1957-1959). Biograp ...

) is Diego's manservant, confidant and co-conspirator, the only person at first to know Diego's secret. Unable to speak, Bernardo uses sign language to communicate. He pretends to be deaf as well as mute, the better to overhear the plans of Zorro's enemies. He also plays the fool, adopting clownish behavior so as to seem harmless. Although Bernardo is sometimes portrayed as a little silly even when no pretense is required, he is also a capable and invaluable disciple for Zorro and Diego, even wearing the mask himself occasionally when the need arises. The character had appeared in the original stories as both deaf and mute; giving him hearing in this iteration helped to make Bernardo more integral to the series as Zorro's secret agent. It also helped to advance the plot by giving Diego a partner with whom he could confide feelings, plans, and intended actions, while also communicating these things to the viewers. This character was originally a Native American, but is a full-blooded Spaniard in this depiction. * Sergeant Demetrio Lopez Garcia (portrayed by

Henry Calvin Henry Calvin (born Wimberly Calvin Goodman; May 25, 1918 – October 6, 1975) was an American actor known for his role as the Spanish soldier Sergeant Demetrio Lopez Garcia on Walt Disney's live-action television series '' Zorro'' (1957–1959 ...

) is fat, superstitious, and overfond of drink, but also kind-hearted, brave and loyal. Sergeant García believes that he must obey orders from his commanding officers, however cruel or unjust they may be. He tries to soften the blow with his friendly manner, often saying "Please?" as he issues an unpalatable order to a civilian. Although García seldom departs from his sworn duty, he develops considerable respect for Zorro and later in the series is openly glad when Zorro escapes capture. Nevertheless, García dreams of catching Zorro himself to collect the reward money, a dream that Diego encourages from time to time. He also has an excellent singing voice, and performs a number of songs over the course of the series, usually with mug in hand. García replaces McCulley's Sergeant Gonzales from the original stories, played by Noah Beery Sr. as a hardcore villain in the 1920 film version starring

Douglas Fairbanks Douglas Elton Fairbanks Sr. (born Douglas Elton Thomas Ullman; May 23, 1883 – December 12, 1939) was an American actor, screenwriter, director, and producer. He was best known for his swashbuckling roles in silent films including '' The Thi ...

Recurring

Don Diamond Donald Alan Diamond (June 4, 1921 – June 19, 2011) was an American radio, film, and television actor who portrayed "Crazy Cat", the sidekick and heir apparent to Chief Wild Eagle on the popular 1960s television sitcom, ''F Troop'' (1965–19 ...

as Corporal Reyes (Magistrado storyline and onward) – The second non-commissioned officer alongside Sergeant García, introduced midway through Season 1, who became Sergeant Garcia's sidekick after the arrest of Monastario. Diamond also appeared uncredited (and with no mustache) as Lancer Yvarro in an earlier episode, "Zorro's Ride Into Terror" *

Britt Lomond Britt Lomond (April 12, 1925 – March 22, 2006) was an American actor and television producer. Also credited as Glase Lohman. Born in Chicago, Illinois, Lomond was raised in New York City. He received three Purple Hearts, a Silver Star, and a ...

as Captain Enrique Sánchez Monastario (season 1) – The evil but dashing Commandante was Zorro's first continuing foe, both on screen and at Disneyland (see below). Lomond initially auditioned for the Zorro role, and, after Williams was chosen, became the ideal candidate for the villain due to his fencing abilities. Monastario replaces McCulley's Captain Ramon from the original stories. * Than Wyenn as Licenciado Piña (season 1) – Monastario's adjutant and lawyer. At the time of Wyenn's death in 2015 he was the last surviving member of the main cast from the first 13 episodes. * Jan Arvan as Don Ignacio Torres (season 1) – A local don who is arrested by Monastario for speaking out. Often known as 'Don Nacho'. * Romney Brent as Padre Felipe (season 1) – A priest at the Mission of San Gabriel and a friend to Diego. He provides Church sanctuary to Torres before he escapes to Monterey. * Henry Rowland as Count Kolinko (season 1) – Varga's conspirator. *

Vinton Hayworth Vinton Hayworth (June 4, 1906 – May 21, 1970), also known as Jack Arnold and Vincent Haworth,Although some sources cite Vinton Hayworth's real surname as Haworthwhich clearly shows the surname as Hayworth. The genealogy site indicates that his ...

as Magistrate Carlos Galindo (season 1) – The local leader of a conspiracy to take over California. * Jay Novello as Juan Greco (season 1) – Varga's conspirator. *

Charles Korvin Charles Korvin (born Géza Kárpáthi, November 21, 1907 – June 18, 1998) was a Hungarian-American film, television and stage actor. He was also a professional still and motion picture photographer and a master chef. Korvin was born in P� ...

as José Sebastián de Varga (season 1) – The man Galindo was working for, self-styled "the Eagle". * Steve Stevens as Don Rodolfo (season 1) – One of the local dons, who vacillates on his commitment to help defend Los Angeles from the conspirators. *

Jolene Brand Jolene Brand (born Jolene Marie Bufkin; July 31, 1934) is an American actress. She acted most in the 1950s and 1960s, and appeared in seven episodes of the Ernie Kovacs television shows. Career In 1958, she acted in the B-film '' Giant from the ...

as Ana María Verdugo (season 2) – The first love interest for Diego and Zorro, based in Monterey. *

Gloria Talbott Gloria Talbott (February 7, 1931 – September 19, 2000) was an American film and television actress. Early life and career Gloria Maude Talbott was born in Glendale, California. Her great-grandfather Benjamin F. Patterson arrived from Oh ...

as Moneta Esperon (season 2) – As the second love interest for Diego and Zorro. * Joan Evans as Leonar (season 2) – As the daughter of the governor and the third love interest for Diego and Zorro. * Eduard Franz as Señor Gregorio Verdugo (season 2) – Ana Maria's father, leader of a group trying to finance bringing a supply ship to California. *

Richard Anderson Richard Norman Anderson (August 8, 1926 – August 31, 2017) was an American film and television actor. Among his best-known roles was his portrayal of Oscar Goldman, the boss of Steve Austin ( Lee Majors) and Jaime Sommers ( Lindsay Wagner) i ...

as Ricardo del Amo (season 2) – Diego's old friend and rival who is also courting Ana Maria. *

as Esteban de la Cruz (season 2) – Diego's uncle, an aging gigolo with a dishonest streak and a propensity for trouble. * Rodolfo Hoyos Jr., as Vivera in "El Bandido" and "Adios, El Cuchillo" (both 1 hour episodes), and as Montez in "Finders Keepers" (season 2) *

as Anita Cabrillo (season 2) – A young woman who comes to Los Angeles to see her father, except that nobody has ever heard of him; Funicello was given the role as a birthday present from

Walt Disney Walter Elias Disney (; December 5, 1901December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film p ...

himself since he was the only one who knew about her big crush on Guy Williams (who was in fact married to Janice Cooper). Funicello also appeared in the 1-hour episode ''The Postponed Wedding'' , where she played Constancia de la Torre, a girl who is scheduled to be married. *

Everett Sloane Everett H. Sloane (October 1, 1909 – August 6, 1965) was an American character actor who worked in radio, theatre, films, and television. Early life Sloane was born in Manhattan on October 1, 1909, to Nathaniel I. Sloane and Rose (Gerst ...

as Andrés Felipe Basilio (season 2) – Another of Zorro's foes, a greedy official who gathers treasure for Spain but seeks to keep it for himself. *

John Litel John Beach Litel (December 30, 1892 – February 3, 1972) was an American film and television actor. Early life Litel was born in Albany, Wisconsin. During World War I, he enlisted in the French Army and was twice decorated for bravery. Ba ...

as Governor of California (season 2) – Honest but petulant, the governor is the subject of two conspiracies against him, and Diego's house guest at the time. *

Rodolfo Acosta Rodolfo Pérez Acosta (July 29, 1920 – November 7, 1974) was a Mexican-American character actor who became known for his roles as Mexican outlaws or American Indians in Hollywood western films. He was sometimes credited as Rudolfo Acosta ...

as Perico Verdugo (season 1) – A prospector confederate with the Magistrate to investigate if indeed there is gold in California. *

Eugenia Paul Eugenia Paul (born Eugenia Popoff, March 3, 1935 – May 24, 2010) was an American actress and dancer best known for her role as Elena Torres in the television series '' Zorro'', which aired on the American television network ABC. Biography Pa ...

as Elena Torres * Suzanne Lloyd as Raquel Toledano, the wife of Captain Arturo Toledano (played by Peter Adams) a Commandante who is unaware of her collaboration with "the Eagle". Lloyd also appears in an unrelated role in ''Zorro: Auld Acquaintance'' as Isabella Linares, a guest at the de la Vega's hacienda. *

Jonathan Harris Jonathan Harris (born Jonathan Daniel Charasuchin, November 6, 1914 – November 3, 2002) was an American character actor whose career included more than 500 television and film appearances, as well as voiceovers. Two of his best-known roles w ...

as Carlos Fernandez (season 2) - Harris later co-starred with Williams on ''

Lost in Space ''Lost in Space'' is an American science fiction television series, created and produced by Irwin Allen, which originally aired between 1965 and 1968 on CBS. The series was inspired by the 1812 novel ''The Swiss Family Robinson.'' The series fo ...

''. *

Tony Russel Tony Russel (born Antonio Pietro Russo, and sometimes credited as Tony Russo or Tony Russell; November 23, 1925 – March 18, 2017) was an American film, stage, and television actor. He was noted for having worked extensively in the Italian fil ...

(billed as Tony Russo) as Carlos Martinez, a man Monastario employs to disguise as Zorro and commit a robbery in order to give Zorro a bad name. Russel also played Pedro Avila, a character who challenges Diego and Don Alejandro to duel in "An Affair Of Honor", an episode of Season 2. Russel initially auditioned for the Zorro role, as did Britt Lomond. * Fred Cavens was the Fencing Consultant of the series and appeared uncredited in various episodes, as did his son Albert Cavens, who also stunt-doubled for some of the guest actors in the fencing scenes.

Production

The main exterior sets (the governor’s fortress, the inner courtyard, Don Diego’s hacienda, etc.) were built in the Disney backlot in Burbank, California. 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 Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 10th and 11th centuries ** People or things connected with the Nor ...

and

George Bruns George Edward Bruns (July 3, 1914 – May 23, 1983) was an American composer of music for film and television. His accolades include four Academy Award nominations, and three Grammy Award nominations. He is mainly known for his compositions for ...

and first recorded by

the Mellomen The Mellomen were a popular singing quartet active from the late 1940s through the mid-1970s. The group was founded by Thurl Ravenscroft and Max Smith in 1948. They recorded under a variety of names, including Big John and the Buzzards, the Crackerj ...

) was a hit recording for

The Chordettes The Chordettes were an American female vocal quartet, specializing in traditional pop music. They are best known for their 1950s hit songs " Mr. Sandman" and "Lollipop". Career The group organized in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, in 1946. The origin ...

, peaking at #17 on the Hit Parade. Children inspired by the series produced "Z"

graffiti Graffiti (plural; singular ''graffiti'' or ''graffito'', the latter rarely used except in archeology) is art that is written, painted or drawn on a wall or other surface, usually without permission and within public view. Graffiti ranges from s ...

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 The Walt Disney Company has produced an anthology television series since 1954 under several titles and formats. The program's current title, ''The Wonderful World of Disney'', was used from 1969 to 1979 and again from 1991 to the present. The pr ...

(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,

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 Disney Channel, sometimes known as simply Disney, is an American pay television channel that serves as the flagship property of Disney Branded Television, a unit of the Disney General Entertainment Content division of The Walt Disney Comp ...

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 Cozi TV (stylized on-air as COZI TV) is an American free-to-air television network owned by the NBC Owned Television Stations division of NBCUniversal. The network airs classic television series from the 1960s to the 2000s. The network ori ...

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 * Volume 1 – ''The Secret of El Zorro'' (four episodes) * Volume 2 – ''Zorro and the Mountain Man'' (three episodes) * Volume 3 – ''The Mystery of Don Cabrillo'' (three episodes) * Volume 4 – ''Invitation to Death'' (four episodes) * Volume 5 – ''The Gay Caballero'' (four episodes) * Volume 6 – ''The Man from Spain'' (four 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. * ''Walt Disney's Zorro, Season 1, Volume 1'' * ''Walt Disney's Zorro, Season 1, Volume 2'' * ''Walt Disney's Zorro, Season 1, Volume 3'' * ''Walt Disney's Zorro, Season 1, Volume 4'' * ''Walt Disney's Zorro, Season 1, Volume 5'' 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 Buena Vista Home Entertainment, Inc., doing business as Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, is the home entertainment distribution arm of The Walt Disney Company. The division handles the distribution of Disney's films, television series, a ...

released the entire series on DVD in Region 1 on November 3, 2009, under their ''

Walt Disney Treasures Walt Disney Treasures is a series of two-disc DVD collections of Disney cartoons, television episodes and other material. They cover material from the studio's earliest days to its more recent work. There were nine waves, each containing two ...

'' 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: * ''Zorro, Saison 1'' (French box set, original English language available) ASIN B0000VKLP8 * ''Zorro, Seizoen 1'' (Dutch box set) EAN 8717418063412 * ''Zorro, Saison 2'' (French box set, original English language available) ASIN B001927NGW * ''Zorro, La Prima Serie Completa'' (Italian box set, English language available) ASIN B0047RUSM2

Streaming

Disney+ released the series on October 5th, 2022. It does have the movie ''The Sign of Zorro'' made from some of its episodes on November 12th.

Other appearances

Guy Williams was introduced to the Disney audience as Zorro in a segment of the

, ''The Fourth Anniversary Show''. During this episode, which starred the Mouseketeers and featured upcoming shows, Moochie (

Kevin Corcoran Kevin Anthony "Moochie" Corcoran (June 10, 1949 – October 6, 2015) was an American child actor, director and producer. He appeared in numerous Disney projects between 1957 and 1963, leading him to be honored as a Disney Legend in 2006. ...

) repeatedly asks

, "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 Disneyland is a theme park in Anaheim, California. Opened in 1955, it was the first theme park opened by The Walt Disney Company and the only one designed and constructed under the direct supervision of Walt Disney. Disney initially envisio ...

in 1958. Some of their shows involved Zorro and Monastario battling each other on the rooftops of

Frontierland Frontierland is one of the "themed lands" at the many Disneyland-style parks run by Disney around the world. Themed to the American Frontier of the 19th century, Frontierlands are home to cowboys and pioneers, saloons, red rock buttes and gol ...

Robert L. Crawford Jr. Robert Lawrence Crawford Jr. (born May 13, 1944) is an American actor who portrayed the character Andy Sherman on the NBC television series '' Laramie'' in 1959 and 1960. He was cast as the younger brother of Slim Sherman, portrayed by John Sm ...

, brother of Mouseketeer Johnny Crawford, prior to being cast on

NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...

'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 ''Zorro's Black Whip'' is a 1944 12-chapter film serial by Republic Pictures starring Linda Stirling. The film was made after the 1940 20th Century-Fox remake of '' The Mark of Zorro'' in order to capitalize on it. Republic was not able to u ...

'' as Vic Gordon, an ally of the Black Whip.

Revivals

In 1983 a comedy follow-up, ''

Zorro and Son ''Zorro and Son'' is an American television Western based on the character Zorro that aired on CBS. Created by Walt Disney Television, the series stars Henry Darrow as Zorro (Don Diego) and Paul Regina as his son Zorro Jr. (Don Carlos). The li ...

'', aired on

CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...

. 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 Alexander Toth (June 25, 1928 – May 27, 2006) was an American cartoonist active from the 1940s through the 1980s. Toth's work began in the American comic book industry, but he is also known for his animation designs for Hanna-Barbera throughout ...

. In the Netherlands

Hans G. Kresse Hans G. Kresse ( Amsterdam, 3 December 1921–Doorwerth, 12 March 1992) was a Dutch cartoonist. He was the winner of the 1976 Stripschapprijs. Biography Hans G. Kresse, born in the Netherlands in 1921, started his career as a comics artist in 19 ...

also drew a comic strip version based on this particular TV series.

Theatrical

Two film compilations from the series were released theatrically: * ''The Sign of Zorro'' (overseas, 1958, U.S. 1960; Based on the Monastario storyline) 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. * ''Zorro the Avenger'' (overseas, 1959; based on the end of the Eagle storyline) 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.

References

External links

*
A web site devoted to the series

Floyd Norman shares his memories of the filming of ''Zorro''

Zorro Productions, Inc.
{{Authority control 1957 American television series debuts 1959 American television series endings American action adventure television series American Broadcasting Company original programming American superhero television series Black-and-white American television shows English-language television shows Television series by Disney Fiction set in 1820 Television series set in the 1820s Television shows set in Los Angeles 1950s Western (genre) television series Zorro television series Television shows adapted into films Television shows adapted into comics