| Zorro, The Gay Blade | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Peter Medak |
| Written by |
|
| Produced by | |
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | John A. Alonzo |
| Edited by | Lori Jane Coleman |
| Music by | Ian Fraser |
Production companies | Melvin Simon Productions Estudios Churubusco Azteca S.A. |
| Distributed by | 20th Century Fox |
Release date |
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Running time | 93 minutes |
| Countries | United States Mexico |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $12.6 million[1] |
| Box office | $5.1 million (US/Canada)[2] |
Zorro, The Gay Blade is a 1981 Americanswashbucklingcomedy film from20th Century Fox, produced by C.O. Erickson andGeorge Hamilton, directed byPeter Medak, that stars Hamilton,Lauren Hutton,Ron Leibman, andBrenda Vaccaro.
The film's opening prologue states: "This film is dedicated toRouben Mamoulian and the other great filmmakers whose past gives us our future".
The prologue quickly establishes thatZorro, The Gay Blade is a tongue-in-cheek sequel to 20th Century Fox's swashbucklingadventure filmThe Mark of Zorro (1940), directed by Mamoulian.
Hamilton was nominated for aGolden Globe award for playing thedual role of Don Diego de la Vega (Zorro) and his gay twin brother Bunny Wigglesworth, aka Ramón de la Vega.
In 1840sMadrid,Spain, Don Diego de la Vega is in bed with a married woman. They are caught by her husband, Garcia, and Diego must sword fight with him and his five brothers. During the altercation, Diego'smute servant Paco reads (via gestures) a letter from Diego's father ordering Diego's return toCalifornia. Diego and Paco jump from a high wall into a waiting carriage.
When the two arrive inLos Angeles months later, they are met by Diego's childhood friend Esteban, who is nowcapitán of the guard. He has married Florinda, for whom the men competed when they were boys. Diego learns that his father was killed in a riding accident, his horse "frightened by a turtle". Esteban is the actingalcalde until theDons elect a replacement.
Esteban is elected by acclamation and then gives a speech to the assembled peasants. He is interrupted by Charlotte Taylor-Wilson, a wealthypolitical activist fromBoston. She and Diego meet, and despite their political differences, Diego is smitten.
Diego is invited to amasked ball celebrating Esteban's elevation. He also receives his inheritance: Zorro's black cape, hat, and sword, along with a letter from his late father revealing that he was Zorro. That legacy now falls to Diego. He decides the masked ball is the perfect place to announce Zorro's return. On his way there, Zorro witnesses a peasant being extorted. He confronts and defeats Esteban's tax collector, then instructs the peasant to spread the word that El Zorro has returned.
Diego, in Zorro costume, dances with Florinda at the ball. Velasquez, the tax collector, reports the theft to Esteban, pointing to Diego as Zorro. A duel ensues with Esteban, and Zorro escapes by again jumping from a high wall, but this time injuring his foot and hobbling away.
Later that night, a drunken Florinda attempts to seduce Diego at hishacienda, but Esteban arrives to speak about the evening's events. He suspects that Diego might be Zorro, but Diego convinces him that his foot is uninjured.
A reign of terror begins, includingtorture and increasedtaxation. Diego is frustrated because, being injured, he cannot fight Esteban's tyranny. Fate intervenes when Diego's gay,foppish, and British-educated twin brother Ramón de la Vega, aRoyal Navy officer having adopted the name "Bunny Wigglesworth", comes home for a visit. Diego brings him up to date, and Bunny assumes the guise of Zorro, using a whip instead of a sword, while wearing flamboyant Zorro attire in a variety of coordinated colors.
The colorful Zorro always eludes capture. Esteban hatches a plan to lure Zorro to the alcalde's residence with another ball to show off Florinda's expensive new necklace. Seeing through the plan, Diego arrives dressed as Zorro. So do the rest of the Dons and male party guests, saying that a message from Esteban instructed them all to dress that way. Adding to the confusion, Bunny appears indrag, masquerading as "Margarita" Wigglesworth, Diego's cousin fromSanta Barbara. Esteban is smitten upon meeting her. Bunny spills a drink on Florinda, and in the resulting chaos attempts to clean her dress, and makes off with the necklace. As Bunny leaves to return to the Royal Navy, he tells Diego that Charlotte Taylor-Wilson has confessed her love for Zorro.
At the plaza, Diego (as Zorro) and Charlotte meet again, falling into each other's arms, but they are observed and Esteban is informed. As a ruse to lure Zorro, he has Charlotte arrested, and she is sentenced to be executed. Don Diego as Zorro surrenders to Esteban to save her, and he is sentenced to death.
Seconds before the firing squad opens fire, Bunny, this time wearing a bright metallic gold costume, announces the return of Zorro with a rhyme, "Two bits, four bits, six bits, a peso. All for Zorro, stand up and say so!" With Charlotte's and Diego's aid, Zorro incites the assembled peasants to rebellion. Esteban's guards also rebel, joined by Florinda, and Esteban stands alone, defeated. Later, Bunny finally rides off to catch his ship back to Britain, waving goodbye, after which Diego and Charlotte ride off to plan their wedding. As her wedding gift, Charlotte suggests that Diego donate all his family lands to the people, so they can settle down and raise a family in Boston.
The film began life as a screenplay by future screenwriter and teacherDavid Trottier, titledZorro, the Comedy Adventure. Trottier had little involvement with the finished film, barring some minor additions, so was not credited.[4]
The opening credits read: ”Music conducted and adapted by Ian Fraser” and the end credits: “Music adapted fromAdventures of Don Juan (1948) byMax Steiner [and]Danzes Fantastica byJoaquín Turina”.
Vincent Canby gave a mostly positive review inThe New York Times, praising many of the performances in particular. "[George Hamilton] has energy and extreme good will. He also has surrounded himself with some very attractive and funny actors, particularly Mr. Leibman, Brenda Vaccaro, as the alcalde's sex-hungry wife, and beautiful Lauren Hutton".[5]
The film holds a rating of 50% onRotten Tomatoes from 16 reviews.[6]
