Californians are tired of the injustices committed by Anglos and tolerated by Col. Clarence (Howard Vernon), military commander in the region.
They’re hoping, though not very hopeful, that fairer treatment will arrive along with the new governor named Hayes (Jose Marco Davo).
Unknownst to Gov. Hayes, he’s arriving at a time of heightened tensions. Someone has stolen gold from the local mission and killed Father Franciso.
Juan Aguilar is found hovering over the body and promptly arrested by three of the colonel’s soldiers, the very men who stole the gold and killed the priest.
None of the Californians believe Juan is guilty. That’s especially true of his sister Maria (Maria Luz Galicia) and her wannabe beau Don Jose (Frank Latimore).
Most Californians look down upon Don Jose. He’s simply too friendly with the colonel and the other Americans. In fact, they suspect he slips them information.
In truth, he’s the masked avenger they all know as Zorro. Though only one aging assistant knows Don Jose and Zorro are the same person.
Zorro is determined to win Juan Aguilar’s freedom. And while he trusts the new governor pledge to bring peace to California, he just might have to use Hayes’ lovely young daughter (Maria Silva as Irene) as a bargaining chip.
Frank Latimore as Don Jose, trying to console Maria Aguilar after her brother is jailed on a murder charge in Zorro the Avenger (1962)
Maria Luz Galicia as Maria Aguilar, worried about an imprisoned brother in Zorro the Avenger (1962)
Review:
One of the more entertaining of the early European versions of the Zorro story. The inevitable climatic sword fight is even preceded by a full scale battle between U.S. troops and the Californians.
Frank Latimore brings a bit more zest to the Zorro role than many of his counterparts, though he doesn’t don his black mask until 30 minutes into the film.
And it doesn’t hurt that the screen is filled with lovely lasses. In addition to Maria Luz Galicia as Maria Aguilar and Maria Silva as Irene, Diana Loyrs plays a key role.
She’s the half-breed girlfriend of one of the soldiers who kills the priest, then frames Juan Aguilar for the murder. In fact, she’s the person responsible for luring Juan into that trap.
Howard Vernon as Col. Clarence, welcoming Don Jose to his fencing lesson in Zorro the Avenger (1962)
Jose Marco Davo as Gov. Hayes and Maria Silva as Irene, his pretty daughter, meet Zorro for the first time in Zorro The Avenger (1962)
Directed by:
Joaquin Luis Romero Marchent
as J.R. Marchent
Cast:
Frank Latimore … Don Jose / Zorro
Maria Luz Galicia … Maria Aguilar
as Maria Luz
Jose Marco Davo … Gov. Hayes
Howard Vernon … Col. Clarence
Jesus Tordesillas … Raimondo
Paul Piaget … John
Emilio Rodriguez … Charlie
Fernando Sancho … Sergeant
Maria Silva … Irene
as Mary Silvers
Rafael Romero Marchent … Juan Aguilar
as Ralph March
Antonio Molino Rojo …. Rolfe / Red Rock
Diana Loyrs … Rolfe’ bride
J. Antonio Arevalo … Irene’s boyfriend
Runtime: 90 min.
Music: Manuel Parada
aka:
La venganza del Zorro
Zorro il vendicatore
The Sword of Zorro
Diana Loyrs as Juana, doing her part to lure Juan into a trap in Zorro the Avenger (1962)
Paul Piaget as John, one of the three soldiers who frame Juan Aguilar for murder in Zorro the Avenger (1962)
Memorable lines:
Yankee guard: “Who cares about Zorro? He’s just lucky, that’s all. One of these days, we’ll catch him for sure. And he’ll beg for mercy like all the others.”
Don Jose, pointing a sword at Col. Clarence: “I wanted to demonstrate that killing accomplishes nothing. They’d hang me and merely replace you.”
Professor of Don Jose: “Be careful of that man, colonel. He is not what he seems to be.”
Col. Clarence: “Why do you say that? He’s just a useful idiot who I use.”
Jose Marco Davo as Gov. Hayes, expressing hope that native Californians and newcomers to the area will live together peacefully in Zorro the Avenger (1962)
Maria Silva as Irene, her attention drawn to a handsome young man who brings her a refreshing drink of water in Zorro the Avenger (1962)
Don Jose: “You’re the same as the others. They still haven’t realized the soldiers will remain here whether we’re gloomy or smiling. I prefer to smile.”
Maria Aguilar: “How do you like our new attraction?”
Juan: “Well, she is a Yankee. But with a shape like that, I’ll forgive a woman anything.”
Zorro to Col. Clarence: “Never forget this, colonel. I warn my enemies. But I only warn them once.”
Zorro to Juan, who prefers to die honorably: “Dead men never help anything. Not even California.”
Rafael Romero Marchent as Juan Aguilar and Frank Latimore as Don Jose discuss the former’s prospects in Zorro the Avenger (1962)
Frank Latimore as Zorro, questing Juana (Diana Loyrs) on the whereabouts of her boyfriend in Zorro the Avenger (1962)
Trivia:
Director Joaquin Luis Romero Marchent quickly followed this up with another Zorro film, “The Shadow of Zorro,” released later the same year and using much of the same cast, including Frank Latimore, Maria Luz Galacia, Maria Silva, Diana Loyrs and Paul Piaget.
This marked the first of more than a dozen Euro Westerns for Diana Loyrs. She was the top-billed actress in “The Texican” (1966), Audie Murphy’s only Spaghetti Western, and also had roles in “Bad Man’s River” (1971) and played the princess in “Get Mean” (1975).
Howard Vernon as Col. Clarence, finding himself at the point of Zorro’s sword as a warning in Zorro the Avenger (1962)
Maria Luz Galicia as Maria Aguilar, pushing John (Paul Piaget) for information regarding her brother in Zorro the Avenger (1962)
Rafael Romero Marchent (aka Ralph March) as Juan, about to fail victim to a lovely lady in Zorro the Avenger (1962)
Frank Latimore as Zorro, revealing his true identity to Col. Clarence as they prepare for a duel in Zorro the Avenger (1962)
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