Review of Zorro's Fighting Legion (1939) by Paul S — 13 May 2005

This serial has restored my faith in Don Diego Vega, and I now choose to pretend that the debacle known as The Bold Caballero never happened, and I personally banish that movie into the lost film hell that it came from.

Zorro's Fighting Legion was an unbelievably fun serial that begins each episode with a rousing musical number. Reed Hadley plays Don Diego, and I now consider him to be the first actor to do so competently in a talking film.

As the first episode opens, Mexico has just recently won it's independence from Spain, and needs gold from the mine in San Mendalito to establish itself properly. The greedy council of San Mendalito has something else in mind. They answer to a criminal mastermind masquerading as Don Del Oro, a god of the native yaqui indians. Through this guise he manipulates the indians to attack the army and hijack gold shipments. He promises that he will help rid their home of white men, but actually he plans to assert himself as emperor of Mexico. Don Francisco, apparently the only honest council member, has assembled a group of valiant fighting men, and summoned his nephew Don Diego, who he knows to be Zorro, from California to lead them. Don Francisco is murdered shortly before Zorro arrives, but Don Francisco's protege Ramon fills him in. Zorro takes charge of Francisco's legion, and Diego takes Francisco's chair at the council, making sure to fop it up good and proper so that they won't feel threatened by him. At this point, the stage is set, and the game is on.

I really enjoyed this format, and will be looking for other movie serials on dvd. Recommended to those who find movies too short, but an entire season of tv too long.