Alain Delon is Don Diego, a man bound for Spain when he meets a friend he hasn’t seen in 10 years.
That friend is Miguel Vega de la Serna, and he’s bound for the province of Nuova Aragona to become governor with the dream of ending tyranny there.
Don Diego is skeptical when he learns Miguel will be taking the place of an uncle who died of malaria. There is no malaria in that region.
His concern proves well founded. Assassins show up to make sure a new governor never reaches the province.
They deal a fatal wound to Miguel before succumbing themselves at the hand of Don Diego, a skilled swordsman.
Don Diego pledges to take Miguel’s place and make his dream a reality in Nuova Aragona.
With his dying breath, Miguel gets his old fiend to pledge not to kill in doing so.
Once he reaches his destination, Don Diego passes himself off as an effeminate young man badly in need of protection.
Col. Joaquin Huerta (Stanley Baker), who had designs on the governorship, will be responsible for providing that protection.
How to fulfill his pledge to end Huerta’s tyranny over the residents? A young boy inspires Don Diego to become Zorro.
A pretty cousin of Miguel’s — Contessina Oretensia Pulido (Ottavia Piccolo), in trouble for speaking out against the government’s harsh treatment of peasants — provides a bit of inspiration as well.
Alain Delon as Zorro, beginning his mission to end tyranny in Nuova Aragona in Zorro (1975)
Ottavia Piccolo as Contessina Ortensia Pulido, speaking out against the unfair punishment of Brother Francisco in Zorro (1975)
Between co-writing the screenplay for “Fistful of Dollars” and directing the films (“Pistol for Ringo” and “Return of Ringo”) that made Giuliano Gemma a star, Duccio Tessari is considered one of the fathers of the Spaghetti Western.
But his comedies could be hit (“Alive Or Preferably Dead”) or miss (“Don’t Turn the Other Cheek”). Yet here he uses a broad dash of humor to provide an entertaining version of the Zorro story.
The script serves up an ensemble of strange characters, from Miguel’s eccentric Aunt Carmen to German officer Capt. Fritz to Assassin, the deceased governor’s dog.
Assassin reveals a secret passage out of the governor’s mansion, dances and barks with delight when Aunt Carmen departs the royal castle and disrupts an attack by a whole troop of cavalrymen to help Zorro escape capture.
The comedy is mixed with well choreographed action scenes — after all, Zorro can’t kill — including a final duel that takes up a full 10 minutes of screen time.
This marked one of the final films for Stanley Baker, who died of cancer and pneumonia the next year at age 48. Delon died in August 2024 at age 88. Piccolo, in her mid 20s when this film was released, was still acting in 2024 and became the Italian voice of Princess Leia in the “Star Wars” trilogy.
Stanley Baker as Col. Joaquin Huerta, revealing his ‘perfect’ plan for capturing Zorro in Zorro (1975)
Moustache as Sgt. Garcia, the overweight and simple-minded officer assigned the duty of protecting the governor in Zorro (1975)
Directed by:
Duccio Tessari
Cast:
Alain Delon … Don Diego / El Zorro
Stanley Baker … Col. Joaquin Huerta
Ottavia Piccolo … Contessina Ortensia Pulido
Moustache … Sgt. Garcia
Adriana Asti … Aunt Carmen
Enzo Cerusico … Joaquin, Don Diego’s servant
Giacomo Rossi Stuart … Capt. Fritz von Merkel
Giampiero Albertini … Brother Francisco de la Trinidad
Marino Mase … Miquel Vega de la Serna
Raika Juri … Senora Vega de la Serna
as Rajka Jurcec
Paulino Rito … Chico
Runtime: 118 min.
Theme Song:
Zorro’s Back
Adriana Asti as Miguel’s eccentric Aunt Carmen, expressing her disinterest in family matters in Zorro (1975)
Giacomo Rossi Stuart as Capt. Fritz von Merkel, reacting to the death of several birds who consumed the governor’s spilled food in Zorro (1975)
Memorable lines:
Don Diego: “Miguel, you are about to become the governor of a colonial province that has always been ruled by greed and hatred.”
Miguel Vega de la Serna: “In the past, yes, but …”
Don Diego: “You can’t change it.”
Miguel: “Perhaps not, but I shall die trying.”
Don Diego as Miguel upon arriving in Nuova Aragona: “Dear Aunt, but you have no idea how poor Uncle Fernando contracted the sickness?”
Aunt Carmen: “Likely, he picked it up from some wicked woman.”
Miguel: “Malaria?”
Don Diego as Miguel, when birds die from eating the spilled food Capt. Fritz von Merkel delivered for his consumption: “Now what’s this, captain? Indigestion? Or malaria?”
Giampiero Albertini as Brother Francisco de la Trinidad, fighting for fairness and justice in Nuova Aragona in Zorro (1975)
Paulino Rito as Chico, watching the unfair punishment of Brother Francisco in Zorro (1975)
Chico: “I believe he (Zorro) will come back on day and free all the poor animals.”
Don Diego: “Only the animals? What about the people?”
Chico: “Oh, people are too wicked and too afraid. They don’t deserve to be freed.”
Zorro, weighing the obese Sgt. Garcia on a rigged government scale: “Only 50 pounds? So you are full of hot air, Sgt. Garcia.”
Contessina Ortensia Pulido: “If only I could help.”
Zorro: “You’ve given me another reason to live and fight. That’s help enough.”
Alain Delon as Don Diego, going undercover to find out what life is like for the peasants living in Nuova Aragona in Zorro (1975)
Alain Delon, posing as Gov. Miguel Vega de la Serna and applauding the pending marriage of his Aunt Carmen in Zorro (1975)
Aunt Carmen, as Assassin barks and dashes about joyously: “Look at him, celebrating my departure. I didn’t expect him to go into mourning, but this is ridiculous.”
Colonel Huerta to Zorro: “I’ll have that mask off you. Even if I have to chase you to hell for it.”
Zorro to Colonel Huerta: “It’s easy to kill saints, colonel. Let’s see how you do against a sinner.”
Ottavia Piccolo as Contessina Ortensia, Stanley Baker as Col. Huerta and Alain Delon as the governor, reacting to the mark Zorro left on the royal chambers in Zorro (1975)
Enzo Cerusico as Joaquin, Don Diego’s mute but faithful servant, watching out for trouble in Zorro (1975)
Marino Mase as Miguel Vega de la Serna, reacting to the sudden appearance of old friend Don Diego in Zorro (1975)
Raika Juri as Senora Maria Vega de la Serna, not liking what she’s hearing about the death of her husband’s gubernatorial predecessor in Zorro (1975)
Ottavia Piccolo as Contessina Ortensia Pulido, reacting to watching the carriage Zorro is driving tumble off a cliff in Zorro (1975)
Alain Delon as Zorro, promising to give Contessina Ortensia a reason to smile again in Zorro (1975)
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