Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Overlooked Films: ZORRO is "The Bold Caballero" (1936)


Thanks to the new Classic Heroes project that will collect all five Zorro novels and 59 shorter adventures for the first time ever (details HERE), I have Zorro on the brain.

This 1936 Republic film is surely the most overlooked of all American Zorro movies, because it does not have Zorro in the title.

The Bold Caballero pales in comparison to The Mark of Zorro (1920 or 1940), I’ll admit, but those are truly great films. This one is merely pretty good, but the fact that it’s a Zorro film makes up for much of what it lacks.

And it notches up a few firsts. The first Zorro with sound, the first in color (albeit a defunct two-strip process) and the first from Republic. And in still another first, our hero - in his Don Diego duds - sings. It may also be the only film in which Zorro wears a full-face mask.

In this one, our man Zorro is framed for the murder of the governor and is in danger of being hanged. Robert Livingston (best known as Stoney Brooke of the Three Mesquiteers) is supported by a bunch of no-names, but if you look quick you might see such notable bit players as Yakima Canutt, Iron Eyes Cody and Slim Whitaker.

And to my great surprise, the whole film is available - in one piece - on YouTube, and the quality is pretty dang good. Take a look!






More Overlooked Films at SWEET FREEDOM.
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8 comments:

  1. Todd MasonJuly 24, 2012 at 5:53 AM

    Cool, muy fresca...pero, mi amigo, for some reason you consistently typo "Caballero" in your post...es la vida, ?no?

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  2. Oscar CaseJuly 24, 2012 at 10:18 AM

    Those outtake photos crack me up.

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  3. Deka BlackJuly 24, 2012 at 10:30 AM

    The bull scene is just priceless. Old good chases of this kind never get old ;)

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  4. Evan LewisJuly 24, 2012 at 10:43 AM

    Ding dang spellcheck don't seem to work on Spanish. Someone oughta be horsewhipped.

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  5. Cap'n BobJuly 26, 2012 at 4:48 PM

    I thought I saw Sig Rhuman (sp?) in two of those posters. He's not unknown to Three Stooges fans.

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  6. Cap'n BobJuly 26, 2012 at 4:49 PM

    The Net says it's Ruman.

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  7. Mike TaylorJuly 28, 2012 at 2:24 PM

    So Bob Livingston got to play BOTH Zorro and The Long Ranger...not a bad claim to fame...

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  8. AnonymousAugust 3, 2012 at 8:42 PM

    Clayton Moore starred in the serial "Ghost of Zorro" and played the Lone Ranger on TV. But, strictly speaking, he played a descendant of Zorro. Then again, the Lone Ranger serial with Bob Livingston made so many changes from the radio show that some fans might say Livingston never played the "real" Lone Ranger.

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