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Post by Hiram on Mar 10, 2011 21:20:39 GMT -5
Written in 1919 by Johnston McCulley, this five-part serial was published in All-Story Weekly, and was filmed as The Mark of Zorro, produced by and starring Douglas Fairbanks in 1920.
After the success of the film, McCulley published the original story in novella form under the new title, The Mark of Zorro. Additional stories were written by McCulley and patterned more closely to Fairbanks' interpretation than the original character introduced in Capistrano. Those interested in reading the novella can do so here. goo.gl/0NjZXI watched The Mark of Zorro the other evening and began to wonder if there was a masked hero with an alter ego that was created prior to McCulley's story. If not, there are a lot of writers that are indebted to Johnston McCulley for creating a genre that began in magazines and pulp novels, then moved to film, comic books, and later on, graphic novels.
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Post by sloanrodgers on Mar 15, 2011 21:33:46 GMT -5
I watched The Mark of Zorro the other evening and began to wonder if there was a masked hero with an alter ego that was created prior to McCulley's story. If not, there are a lot of writers that are indebted to Johnston McCulley for creating a genre that began in magazines and pulp novels, then moved to film, comic books, and later on, graphic novels.
Interesting post on Zorro. Coincidentally, this month's History Magazine ponders and answers some of these questions in a nice article on Zorro. The writer and others have posited that McCulley borrowed from two older literary characters (Robin Hood & The Scarlet Pimpernel) and noted Mexican hero/ bandits that roamed California after annexation. The alter- ego is a rather old literary device, but Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde is the earliest example that I can think of right now. Zorro is probably the first masked American hero with a cape and thus the likely inspiration for all the masked/ caped crusaders that followed. 8 ) Who Was That Masked Man? The Legend of Zorro. www.history-magazine.com/
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Post by loucapitano on Mar 16, 2011 16:05:12 GMT -5
I've been a Zorro fan too, ever since seeing the Tyrone Power "Mark of Zorro" and hundreds of Saturday matinee serials that often featured Zorro (along with Flash Gordon, Commando Cody, Superman and many more.) There's a great book titled "Zorro Unmasked - The Official History by Sandra Curtis, 1998 HYPERION Books. It follows the History of Zorro through the weekly story by Johnston McCulley in 1919, through the Republic Serials, the Disney Classics, Banderas/Hopkins epic and even "Zorro - The Gay Blade." I would add the "Count of Monte Cristo" to the duel identity heros of liturature. Zorro put them all together and launched the most creative period of fictional heros ever seen.
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Post by sloanrodgers on Mar 27, 2011 18:34:10 GMT -5
I certainly agree Lou. Zorro was no zero in the super hero creation process.
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