Sword of Zorro (1963) Poster

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6/10
Passable Spanish/Italian Zorro regularly shot in Paella/Spaghetti style by Ricardo Blasco
ma-cortes21 February 2015
This average though acceptable Zorro with Spaghetti/Chorizo style is a mediocre adaptation inspired from Johnston McCulley character starred by Guy Stockwell as the dashing masked avenger named Don Diego. In 1830, the years of Mexico's independence, a governor (Antonio Prieto) supported by his underlings (Agustin Gonzalez , Alfonso Rojas , Franco Fantasia) decide to impose their brutal rule over the population of recently freed citizens . Many men of honor will rise up to fight this impostor , but one man will stand out among them , the man called Zorro (Guy Stockwell) . There appears Virginia (Gloria Milland) whom her father Marques de Santa Ana (Giuseppe Addobbati as John McDouglas) obligates to marry the despotic as well as eldest governor , but Zorro saves her and both of whom fall in love . When Zorro's friends become targets in this struggle , the full revenge of Zorrow will be unveiled. At the end appears a new governor (Santiago Rivero) replacing the tyrannical one .

This Paella/Spaghetti Zorro is filled with action , thrills , intrigue , spectacular horse pursuits by Zorro and sword-play . This Zorro is decently starred by Guy Stockwell , he took a chance and jumped from modern action and Western genre to costumed Italian/Spanish adventure ; he steals the show as foppish Zorro relishing his secret identity dressed in black ; executing bounds and leaps , twists and climbs and throughly enjoys himself . Guy became a Universal contract player in 1965 and went straight into several standard tales of adventure and intrigue, including Warlord (1965), Tobruk (1967) and Blindfold (1965). He co-starred as the villain, in The King's Pirate (1967) and he also earned the role of Buffalo Bill Cody in a remake of Cooper's The plainsman (1966) . Initially promoted as a dashing Errol Flynn type in swordplay adventures and outdoor epics, the studio had him star in the remake of Gary Cooper's French Foreign Legion classic Beau Geste (1966) . In the movie appears usual support actors as Spanish : Alfonso Rojas , Luis Marin , Antonio Jimenez Escribano , Juan Luis Galiardo , Jose Truchado , Agustin Gonzalez as Italian players as Franco Fantasia , and Giuseppe Addobbati or John McDouglas . Badly photographed by Julio Ortas , an alright remastering being necessary and filmed on location in Colmenar De Oreja , Madrid . The motion picture was middlingly directed in his ordinary style by Ricardo Blasco . This Spanish filmmaker was an assistant director and director, known for Gringo (1963), Suspiros De Triana (1955) and Armas Contra Ley (1961) and TV series as Diego Acevedo .

The motion picture was produced by Sergio Newman who produced all kind of genres as Western : "Sheriff Won't Shoot¨ , ¨Oro Maldito¨ , Drama : ¨"Romeo e Giulietta" , Wartime : "Hell Commandos" , ¨When Heroes Die" and Adventure : ¨Il magnifico Aventuriero" , "Mission in Morocco¨ and two ¨Zorro¨ movies : this one and its sequel titled ¨Oath of the Zorro¨ also by Ricardo Blasco with Tony Russel , Maria Jose Alfonso , Sancho Gracia and again Agustin Gonzalez . The first Spanish/Italian Zorros were ¨Vengeance of Zorro¨ and ¨L'Ombra di Zorro¨ (1962) by Joaquin Marchent with Frank Latimore , Paul Piaget and Robert Hundar . Zorros's producer , Eduardo Manzanos , built a Western town in Hoyo De Manzanares (Madrid) , today disappeared , called ¨Golden City¨ where filmed several Western and various Zorros . Other Zorro filmed by that time are ¨Zorro all Corte di Spaña¨ (1963) by Luigi Capuano , ¨Zorro versus Maciste¨ by Umberto Lenzi with Pierre Brice Alan Steel , Moira Orfei ; ¨El Jiuramento Di Zorro¨ by Ricardo Blasco with Guy Stockwell and Mikaela ; ¨Zorro Il Ribelle¨ by Piero Pirotti with Howard Ross ; ¨Il Figlio Di Zorro¨ (1973) by Gianfranco Baldanello and two directed by Jose Luis Merino with Charles Quiney and Maria Pia Conte as ¨Zorro the rider of vendetta¨ and ¨Zorro of Monterrey ¨ .

The best Zorro are the followings : The mute classic adaptation ¨Mark of Zorro¨ 1920, Fred Niblo, with Douglas Fairbanks, the classic ¨Mark of Zorro¨, 1940, Robert Mamoulian with Tyrone Power, Basil Rathbone and Linda Darnell), and followed by ¨The legend of Zorro¨ 2005, Martin Campbell again with Banderas and Catherine Zeta Jones, Tony Amendola,Pedro Armendariz and Rufus Sewell . European version in similar style as ¨Le Tulipe Noie¨ (1964) with Alain Delon and Virna Lisi and ¨Zorro¨(1975, Duccio Tessari with Alain Delon, Octavia Piccolo and Stanley Baker .
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5/10
A Tolerable, Swashbuckling Entry in the "Zorro" series
zardoz-1330 December 2007
Warning: Spoilers
Director Richard Blasco's Spanish lensed swashbuckler "The Three Swords of Zorro" isn't as execrable as some people argue. Indeed, the glossy Anthony Hopkins & Antonio Banderas "Mask of Zorro" looks like it might have drawn some of its ideas and gags from Blasco's "Zorro." For example, the Mexican governor imprisons Zorro, an older man earlier on in the film, and later a younger man, Diego (Guy Stockwell of "Tobruk"), masquerades as Zorro and makes the soldiers look like fools. In "The Mask of Zorro," Zorro attacks a squadron of Mexican troops escorting a carriage from behind. Stockwell's Zorro does the same thing here. The daughter of an indebted landowner consents to letting the Governor marry his daughter who has just returned from Spain. In the final showdown scene, at the Governor's residence, three Zorros—thus the significance of the title—take on the Mexican military authorities. Remember, in "The Legend of Zorro" that everybody wanted to be Zorro! Sure, "The Three Swords of Zorro" doesn't have the budget of either "The Mask of Zorro" or "The Legend of Zorro," but it has just as much spirit.

"The Three Swords of Zorro" takes place in the 1830s and the Mexican soldiers carry black powder weapons, while Zorro relies on his sword and his bullwhip. A corrupt governor (Antonio Prieto of "A Fistful of Dollars") wants to wed the daughter of a landowner, but Zorro intercedes on the behalf of both the downtrodden peasants but also the landowner's daughter.

"One of the best scenes has Diego donning his Zorro disguise at the cantina when the soldiers intimidate a peasant. Diego appears as Zorro and defeats all the soldiers and lets the insulted peasant make them look like imbeciles. Later, in another scene, the soldiers try to collect tribute for the peasants late at night in the belief that Zorro will not intervene. Boy, are they wrong! He forces the defeated captain to give the peasants twenty pesos. When the disgruntled governor learns of this incident, he tells the captain that the twenty pesos are coming out of his pocket. The scene where Zorro charges the Mexican troops from the rear and keeps knocking one after another off their horses as he works his way to the front to confront the governor is good.

Guy Stockwell makes a passable Zorro.

"The Three Swords of Zorro" qualifies as a decent swashbuckler.
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5/10
Lower rung Zorro!
sanzar8 April 2000
"The Three Swords of Zorro" has resurfaced recently from well deserved obscurity, thanks to a public domain DVD release. The DVD itself sets new standards for "Low-tech" as it looks as though it was recorded from an EP VHS playback, with pathetic sound recording.

Guy Stockwell (brother of Dean) portrays the title character, orphaned son of the original Zorro (Dad's been rotting in jail for the last 15 years, and doesn't know that his abandoned son has taken up the mantle of "Defender of the oppressed"). Zorro defends the local peasantry from the evil governor's oppression, re-discovers his real father is jail and frees him and sends the corrupt Governor and his cronies to the hoosegow in the film's brief running time. He get's the girl, too!

One of the many European action flicks to flood theatres and American TV in the early 60's, "The Three Swords of Zorro" pales in comparison to more the more mainstream Zorro outings produced before and after. Tyrone Power, Antonio Banderas (and even Guy Williams) fared much better than poor Stockwell in establishing the legendary status of this famed fictional hero of Old California.

Good for a few laughs!
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