The Bold Caballero

Enjoyable. Creaks, shows it age. Primitive in many ways, but nice bantering and humor between Livingston, the girl and the evil commandant. Sometimes I found the dialogue and acting stilted and silly, other times quite amusing................This film should interest Zorro fans for comparisons with other versions of the story -- here the girl plays a major role (her father is killed early in the story, and she inherits his position as governor of the province), Zorro's father/family are not even mentioned, and it is the Indians who are oppressed (in other versions I think it was the Hispanic peasants and others being oppressed).

Quite the Curiosity of this Mid-Thirties "Zorro" Movie, the 1st with Sound and the 1st in Color. That's Right COLOR in 1936 from B-Studio "Republic".

The Two Leads are Attractive with Bob Livingston and Heather Angel and Sig Ruman the Oafish Comedy-Relief.

There is some Surprising Violence with Whips and the Bloody "Z".

Yakama Cannut get some Ink doing the Stunt Work and the Action Scenes that are Minimal but Busy and Exciting.

The "Peons" Moan and Cry Alot and take some Brutal Beatings and Whippings. The Movie Surely has a Dark Side.

Overall, Despite some Heavy-Handed Melodramatics and Maybe a Tune Too Many, the Film is a Watchable and Enjoyable Artifact.

Note...Zorro's mask is full-hooded like the original Pulp Character. But one can see why this was abandoned quickly in other versions as a partially seen Zorro face does bring the Character out of the shadows.

The military commandante of Santa Cruz, Sig Ruman, kills the new governor and frames Zorro. The dying governor gives the place to his daughter, Heather Angel, and tells her to seek vengeance on his murderer. This leaves Zorro/Don Diego Vega in a pickle, as he loves Miss Angel. So he offers to help Ruman woo Miss Angel, while fopping it up for her.

Republic Pictures' first color production (Magnacolor, an offshoot of Prizma) is a pretty good effort, with Yakima Canutt and Joe Yrigoyen among the stunt doubles. Bob Livingston as Zorro is pretty good in the conedy parts, and a full-face mask allows his doubles to do the stunts convincing; when Livingston has to handle a sword, the cameramen are obviously covering for him.

It's all good fun, and if it doesn't average as good as Fairbanks or Power, it's good, clean fun.

Well received in it's time and holds up well today. Plot and dialog are notable, and the Heather Angel character is powerful decades before feminism. Skip Banderas. Watch this one.