Catch the film that was the first to put ยswashย and ยbucklingย together ย The Mark of Zorro! This is the 1920 silent-film version of the classic Latin-lover/undercover-hero-to-the-poor/audacious-enemy-to-the-rich action story. Back then, the character was still a newcomer ย he was based on a 1919 story by Johnston McCulley, ยThe Curse of Capistrano.ย Douglas Fairbanks, the star of Zorro, played him with equal parts daring, humor and captivating charm. Actually, we should say Fairbanks played ยthem,ย acting as both the rambunctious Zorro and his mild-mannered alter ego, Don Diego.
With bad guys around every corner, Zorro has his hands full. On top of that, his sweetheart, Lolita, loves Zorro but dislikes Don Diego, so you can see why the poor guy had to wear a mask. There are plenty of plot twists and sword fighting (remember all that ยswashย and ยbuckling?ย), and, of course, a big juicy kiss or two. Todayยs screening will have live accompaniment from Rick Benjamin and his Paragon Ragtime Orchestra, which will perform the Mexican-tinged original score. 7:30 p.m. Miller Outdoor Theatre, 100 Concert Drive in Hermann Park. For information, call 281-FREE-FUN or visit www.milleroutdoortheatre.com. Free.
Sat., Nov. 10, 7:30 p.m., 2007
This article appears in Nov 8-14, 2007.