He Makes The Sign Of The

This page is always under major construction. :)

Click pic to download and view this small Walt Disney Presents 'Guy Williams as Zorro' promotion!!!

Zorro History & Background

This is my page of the Legend of El Zorro, The Fox, written by Johnston McCulley for All-Story Weekly, a pulp fiction magazine printed earlier this century.

It has never been fully researched and agreed upon as to where McCulley came up with this legend, what interested and inspired him, but several people have put together this collage of real Old Californians who McCulley may have drawn inspiration.

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• The first is an Old California infamous bandito named Joaquin Murieta. A miner who struck against gold-seeking gringos, was attributed with 13 deaths before he was actually killed himself, with a very large bounty on his head.
  

• Secondly, General Andres Pico, a cattle rancher who had 10,000 acres from the early 1800s, & who in his time, led Californios against advancing US troops at the Battle of San Pasqual, and signed the Capitulation of Cahuenga treaty, which closed the Mexican War in California.
  

• And, thirdly, Jose Maria Avila, a man who fought against the Mexican Chief of Military Operations in California, Lieutenant Colonel Don Manuel Victoria. Who, Avila, identified on the battleground, engaged in a 'one on one' fight. Victoria was gravely injured in this fight and Avila rode into legend of Old California.

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Not only has the source of inspiration for McCulley penning the Zorro tales been uncertain, there is also a lot of uncertainty as to exactly when the stories of Zorro take place. There have been small references to the 1820s by McCulley, but within the stories Missions and Grand Haciendas co-exist.

This was not the case. By the time Grand Haciendas were sported around Los Angeles, historians say the year is said to be closer to the 1850s or so. This was the time of the United States of America winning California in The Mexican War 1846-48.

It is also said, that because the main villains at this time, with Great Haciendas and little towns, would be the Americans; McCulley took literary abandonment and placed his characters some 20 to 30 years in the past. That way, his characters would be fighting the Imperial aristocracy rather than the Americans.

The legend of Zorro has been adapted to several movies, TV shows and cartoons, and spawning from the TV show (from what I can see, especially the Walt Disney-Guy Williams version) a large amount of related merchandise.

This page will be a collection of information, pictures, sounds etc., but at this moment I think it will mostly center around the 1957-59 Walt Disney Zorro.

Guy Williams as El Zorro.

Guy Williams as El Zorro again.

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Zorro According to A Man Called Disney

In 1950, Johnston McCulley assigned his rights to Zorro to Mitchell Gertz, a great Hollywood theatrical agent, who then convinced Walt Disney to bring Zorro to the small screen. With such hits as Davy Crockett and other adventure shows presented by Disney, with a solid merchandising backbone, Gertz felt Zorro would fit within Disney plans well. Meetings started in 1952, and concluded 5 years later with tentative deals. Casting directors were sent out looking for the perfect actor to reprise the role, which had been greatly influenced by Douglas Fairbanks Sr. in the early 1920 version of The Mark Of Zorro. (Apparently what Fairbanks influenced upon the story of Zorro was the action of carving the infamous Z into desks, walls etc. not like McCulley's Zorro who branded his victims with the Z upon flesh, permanently marking his victims.) The casting crews then came back with a virtual unknown named Guido Catalano.

Born in 1923, Guido took the stage name of Guy Williams and after a few parts in movies such as Bedtime For Bonzo with Ronald Reagan and I Was A Teenage Werewolf with Michael Landon, Guy was offered an audition for "The Fox". Guy Williams had foreseen the possibility and had taken some fencing courses, which later would help him take on the role of Zorro, due to the fact that this television series was not going to use protected foils, the tips of the swords were to be real and sharp!

With Guy Williams' 6'3? frame, comedic talent which assisted in performing as Zorro, and more importantly, the fact he could fence, made him an ideal candidate.

The Walt Disney Zorro epic dipped back into history to recruit some heavy handed and 'Z'-experienced help:

• Fred Cavens, a fencing master who had taught Douglas Fairbanks and Tyrone Power each for their own roles on The Mark Of Zorro 1920 & 1940 respectively, was brought in to assist.
  

• Dave Sharp, was a stuntman and later became one for Republic Serials of Zorro.
  

• William Lava, who was one of the composers from Zorro's Fighting Legion, wrote incidental and background music for the series.
  

• George J. Lewis who had been in Zorro's Black Whip (where he is REPEATEDLY, and I mean REPEATEDLY folks, knocked on the head and falls unconscious almost every episode..:) ) and Ghost Of Zorro would be set to play Don Alejandro, Diego's father.
  

• And Johnston McCulley was brought in to assist with the series scripts and oversee some details.
  

Of the 78 episodes which spanned 2 seasons, the cost for Season 1 was reported to be $3.2 million, and Season 2 was $2.7 million (because the Zorro City already had been built on a Disney backlot, and if memory serves me, from a news article I read, I believe the Zorro set was finally destroyed in the early 1980s). The series debuted on October 10, 1957 and season 1 ended July 3, 1958, Season 2 started October 9, 1958 and ended July 2, 1959.

At this point, Disney wanted to move Zorro from the ABC network to NBC, but because Disney had always filmed Zorro in Black & white, they were unable to do so. NBC at that time, was looking for TV shows, fresh, new and IN COLOUR!! Disney decided then to cancel the show instead of staying with ABC.

The adventures of Zorro, the "The Fox" takes place in Old Spanish California, it is said to be I believe 1840. There are those that argue the point, saying that at that time, Spanish California was not as built up as it is in the stories. No glamorous haciendas, just mud huts and such. It is a great story, wrought with mystery, love, romance, adventure, tragedy and lots of other components.

It also, has been rumored and hinted at, through other publications (and if my memory serves right, by Bob Kane himself) that Batman is just a more modern version of Zorro. Remember, young Master Bruce Wayne had just left a theatre with his parents after watching a Zorro movie, when the Joker, killed them. They both wear black, capes and masks. Think about it.

But for now, let's walk down memory lane into Spanish California.

Zorro: Guy Williams Takes On The Role

1. Presenting Senor Zorro

• Don Diego De La Vega (Guy Williams) returns to California where he finds injustices committed by the evil commandant.

  2. Zorro's Secret Passage

• Don Diego and Bernardo (Gene Sheldon) complete plans to ensure the secrecy of Zorro's identity.

  3. Zorro Rides To The Mission

• Zorro frees a band of Indians from the evil Capt. Monastario (Britt Lomond).

  4. The Ghost Of The Mission

• To aid him in his attempt to help Torres escape, Don Diego tells Sgt. Garcia (Henry Calvin) about the Mad Monk who haunts the mission grounds.

  5. Zorro's Romance

• Diego's attempts to hide Torres result in a marriage proposal.

  6. Zorro Saves A Friend

• The captain uses Senora Torres and Elena as bait in an attempt to trap Zorro.

  7. Monastario Sets A Trap

• Monastario sets a trap which threatens the life of Don Diego's father, Don Alejandro (George J. Lewis).

  8. Zorro Rides Into Terror

• Don Alejandro is wounded and hidden in Zorro's cave, where he stumbles off, while being pursued by Monastario and his men.

  9. A Fair Trial

• Monastario tries to keep Don Alejandro and Nacho Torres (Jan Arvan) from getting a fair trial.

  10. Garcia's Sweet Mission

• Capt. Monastario and Sgt. Garcia come up with a secret plan they are sure will catch Zorro.

  11. Double Trouble For Zorro

• Monastario attempts to discredit Zorro by hiring a criminal to impersonate him.

  12. The Luckiest Swordsman Alive

• Diego clumsily fights Martinez, but before being vanquished, Monastario shoots Martinez to prevent his implication.

  13. The Fall Of Monasterio

• Monastario prepares to deliver Zorro to Spain's visiting viceroy.

  14. Shadow Of Doubt

• Zorro must act when the magistrate orders a witness to be killed after the new commandant is murdered.

  15. Garcia Stands Accused

• Sgt. Garcia's life is endangered when he is accused of stealing the King of Spain's gold.

  16. Slaves Of The Eagle

• An impostor tax collector orders that debtors be thrown in jail.

  17. Sweet Face Of Danger

• A new agent of the Eagle, a beautiful young girl Magdalena, is unknowingly marked for death by Diego's changing an eagle feather.

  18. Zorro Fights His Father

• By using a peon as bait, Don Alejandro and a group of rancheros form an army of gentelmen, and try to capture Zorro.

  19. Death Stacks The Deck

• When a man loses his ranch in an unfair card game, Zorro comes to the rescue.

  20. Agent Of The Eagle

• Zorro must rescue a ranch owner who is thrown into jail by an imposter commandant.

  21. Zorro Springs A Trap

• The magistrate and the commandant set a trap for Zorro, but Tornado is caught instead.

  22. The Unmasking Of Zorro

• Zorro is unmasked while trying to save a young lady from being strangled by the impostor commandant.

  23. The Secret Of The Sierra

• One of the magistrate's agents kidnaps a gypsy girl to find the source of the gold she is bringing to town.

  24. The New Commandments

• Magistrate Galindo devises a scheme to dispose of the new commandant.

  25. The Fox And The Coyote

• Magistrate Galino arranges a day of racing to distract the commandant while he steals gunpowder for illegal weapons.

  26. Adios Senor Magistrado

• After finding two prisoners dead, Zorro must protect Capt. Toledano from the Eagle.

  27. The Eagles Brood

• The Eagle orders two of his agents to transport a large supply of gunpowder to Los Angeles.

  28. Zorro By Proxy

• The commandant's wife orders Diego jailed as a trap to lure in Zorro.

  29. Quintana Makes A Choice

• The commandant's wife plans to stop Garcia's investigation into why charcoal has been substituted for gunpowder.

  30. Conspiracy

• Zorro must save the commandant's wife from a kidnapper and former c-conspirator.

  31. The Man With The Whip

• When an Argentine stranger becomes too aggressive with the tavern waitress, Zorro arrives to discipline him.

  32. The Cross Of The Andes

• 33. The Missing Jewels

• While searching the tannery for stolen jewels, Bernardo, disguised as Zorro, is attacked by an Argentine stranger.

  34. The Well Of Death

• When a young boy accidentally comes across a criminal hideout, his and Sgt. Garcia's lives are endangered.

  35. The Tightening Noose

• The Eagle (Charles Korvin) disguises himself as the newly appointed administrator in an attempt to take over the de la Vega house.

  36. The Sergeant Regrets

• The Eagle threatens to torture Don Alfredo to obtain the names of those sworn to fight the king's enemies.

  37. The Eagle Leaves The Nest

• Diego and Bernardo must prevent the Eagle from becoming a permanent resident in the de la Vega house.

  38. Bernardo Faces Death

• When Diego and Bernardo discover that the Eagle is smuggling cannonballs inside art treasures, they attempt to destroy his cannon.

  39. Day Of Decision

• Imprisoned with his friends in the Eagle's cellar, Diego makes false promises to convince the Eagle's men to set him free.

  40. Welcome To Monterey

• 41. Zorro Rides Alone

• Diego's plan to trap bandits is foiled when Sgt. Garcia and Cpl. Reyes are captured.

  42. Horse Of Another Colour

• Diego follows a riderless white horse to its wounded owner.

  43. The Senorita Makes A Choice

• Anna Maria asks Sgt. Garcia to deliver ransom money to her father's kidnapper.

  44. Rendezvous At Sundown

• Zorro must rescue Anna Maria, who has been taken prisoner in place of her father.

  45. The New Order

• 46. An Eye For An Eye

• 47. The Flag Of Truce

• 48. Ambush

• 49. Practical Joker

• 50. The Flaming Arrow

• 51. The Runaways

• 52. The Iron Box

• 53. Zorro Fights A Duel

• 54. Amnesty For Zorro

• 55. The Gay Caballero

• 56. Tornado Is Missing

• 57. Zorro Versus Cupid

• 58. The Legend Of Zorro

• 59. Spark Of Revenge

• 60. The Missing Father

• 61. Please Believe Me

• 62. The Brooch

• 63. The Mountain Man

• 64. The Hound Of The Sierra

• 65. Manhunt

• 66. The Man From Spain

• 67. Treasure For The King

• 68. Exposing The Tyrant

• 69. Zorro Takes A Dare

• 70. An Affair Of Honor

• 71. The Sergeant Sees Red

• 72. Invitation To Death

• 73. The Captain Regrets

• 74. Masquerade For Murder

• 75. Long Live The Governor

• 76. The Fortune Teller

• 77. Senor China Boy

• 78. Finders Keepers

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After this series was cancelled by Disney, in 1959, Guy Williams and alot of the production staff were kept on within the payroll through 1961 for public appearances in and around Walt Disney World. There also have been 4 one hour long episodes:

1. El Bandido (October 30, 1960)

2. Adios El Cuchillo (November 6, 1960)

3. The Postponed Wedding (January 1, 1961)

4. Auld Acquaintance (April 2, 1961)

The art of Disney Zorro did not end there as well. Two episode compilations were created from the earlier half hour episodes to create two movies:

Zorro, The Avenger (took main plot from Season 1)
The Sign Of Zorro (took main plot from Season 2).
Alas, for the most part, besides the Guy Williams - Britt Lomond appearances at Walt Disney World, the Legend Of Zorro stopped at this point for the Disney studios.

Zorro & Disney Part

• Johnston McCulley died November 23, 1958 at age 79.

• Mitchell Gertz died in 1961, and in 1967 Disney reassigned all rights back to the Gertz estate, which is now run by his son John Gertz (who was a producer of the New World Television series from 1987 and is of the current Warner Brothers cartoon).

• Guy Williams, who they say never reached the same star status he did with El Zorro, died in Buenes Aires, May 1989.

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