La legión del Zorro

This is exactly the sort of Saturday matinee serial I loved during World War II. I was under ten years of age. And that's the audience this serial is designed for. Looking at it now, one must roar at its ineptitude and stupidity. The budget must have been next to nothing, given the shortcuts and repeats. The acting? Well, this is Republic pictures, 1944. They read the lines....and no doubt had one take to make them convincing.

One and half stars.

This serial from Republic is one of a long line of Zorro epics. This one is different in that the the Zorro character is played by the lovely Linda Stirling and the hero by veteran character actor/villain George J Lewis. The chief baddies are played competently by Francis MacDonald and Hal Taliaferro (aka Wally Wales). Roy Barcroft must have been busy.

The second unit direction is handled by Yakima Canutt so you know that

you will be treated to the best stunt work the industry had to offer.

With the usual narrow escapes, rides to the rescue, fisticuffs and explosions, this serial is one of the better efforts from the Republic thrill factory.

Why Republic titled this "Zorro's Black Whip" is a mystery except perhaps for name recognition. The studio did produce several Zorro serials. There is nothing Zorro here. Name is never mentioned and setting is Idaho not California. The black garbed hero is known as "The Black Whip." There is a gender bender as Linda Stirling is quickly revealed the Black Whip. The heavy lifting (meaning fisticuffs and shooting) is performed by top billed George J. Lewis as an undercover federal agent.

Cast is packed with familiar faces from Republic's stock company of character actors and stuntmen. Locations are those same distinct rock formations at the Simi Valley movie ranch that Republic used over and over. Western fans will recognize those well worn trails and even the cave. Solidly made entertaining serial as you would expect from Republic.

I have no idea how Zorro got to Idaho. Every Zorro fan knows that he never left California. That's not the only thing different about this film - Zorro is a woman! ¡Ay, caramba! Before television, you went to the theater to see "episodes" There were many serials during the 30's and 40's, with a brief revival in the 50's. Zorro was among them. Zorro Rides Again (1937) with John Carroll as the disguised, legendary 19th century title character, the 12-chapter Zorro's Fighting Legion (1939), this series, Zorro's Black Whip (1944), Son of Zorro (1947), and Ghost of Zorro (1949) with Clayton Moore in his first masked-western-hero role.

Linda Stirling, who plays The Black Whip, was a leading lady of the era and does a great job here in keeping alive the legend of Zorro, even if the setting is far from home.

Bad guy, Hammond, (Francis McDonald) doesn't want Idaho to join the Union - there's a public vote coming up - because that might mean more law and order, perish the thought.

Standing in the way of the boss crook (and his familiar crew of B western heavies) are brave young government agent Vic Gordon (George J. Lewis) and a mysterious masked avenger, the Black Whip, in reality newspaper owner Barbara Meredith (Linda Sterling).

That's about the entire plot actually. Hammond spends much of his time on screen issuing generalised instructions to his snarling henchmen.

"So, there's a wagon train of settlers coming in, eh? Take some of the boys and make sure it never gets here!" "So, the newspaper office is expecting a new printing press to replace the one we smashed, eh? Take some of the boys and make sure it never gets here!" Etc. Etc.

These are not actual quotes but you get the picture, I'm sure.

So, no prizes for script, plot or acting but a big star rating nevertheless because Zorro's Black Whip is so brilliant in every other way. As soon as you see Yakima Canutt's name in the opening credits, you know you're in for a treat.

Tremendous, brilliantly choreographed fights in every episode with whole rooms full of furniture reduced to rubble and dust; chases on horseback with the horses galloping at around 200 miles per hour - the film may have been speeded up a little at times - shoot outs by the dozen with no time wasted in bothering to re-load and all the usual "impossible" episode endings. Our heroes are blown up, tipped over cliffs, set on fire and subjected to various other indignities, often escaping death only by the insertion of an added sequence in the next chapter. Republic were just so good at this kind of thing! Another reviewer suggested that this was aimed at an audience of 10 year olds. I agree, but that doesn't mean that it can't be hugely enjoyed by those of us who are just big kids at heart.

Two final thoughts: I love that recurring shot of the waterfall hiding the Black Whip's secret cave and, er, where did Zorro get to?