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The Bold Caballero - 1936 |
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Robert Livingston is Don Diego Vega and Zorro |
Heather Angel is Lady Isabella Palma |
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Sig Ruman is the Commandante |
Ian Wolfe is the priest |
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Rober Warwick is Governor Palma |
Emily Fitzroy is Isabella's dueña |
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Zorro has been captured and is to be executed. The natives beg for Zorro to be freed, but the commandante will not listen. Just as Zorro is to be executed, the commandante receives word that there is a new governor over the territory. The commandante is furious because the governor has been granted ownership of all of the land. In the resulting confusion, Zorro is able to escape with the help of a native. Governor Palma arrives at an inn near Santa Cruz and promises to hang Zorro within one month. He meets Don Diego Vega but has no use for him due to Don Diego smelling of perfume. The governor's daughter, Isabella does like Don Diego and agrees to have dinner with him. However, Governor Palma demands that Don Diego leave the inn immediately. The governor has his men escort Don Diego out and orders one of them to follow Don Diego at a discreet distance. The governor believes that Zorro will attack Don Diego which will enable his soldiers to capture Zorro. As Don Diego leaves the inn, he is able to slip a gun to a native and asks him to shoot it. The native runs into the woods, shoots the gun, and runs back claiming that it was Zorro. The governor runs into the woods; a man dressed as Zorro throws a dagger at the governor. The governor is brought back to the inn and just before he dies, he tells Isabella to hang Zorro. A "Z" is cut into the governor's forehead. |
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In Santa Cruz, Isabella prepares to bury her father. Don Diego speaks to the commandante who seems shocked that the governor is alive. Don Diego questions him on how he happens to know about the attack on the governor. Don Diego tells the commandante that the governor's daughter, Isabella, is now the new governor. Don Diego tells the commandante that he came to Santa Cruz to be of aid to the governor, but since the governor is now dead, Don Diego will help the commandante. Don Diego suggests a marriage between the commandante and Isabella; such a marriage would give the commandante control of the territory. Don Diego tells the commandante that he will help him win Isabella's love. Don Diego tells the priest to go into the hills and gather the natives. Don Diego says that if they can show Isabella how the commandante collects taxes, she will lead the people in revolt against the commandante. Don Diego plans to toy with both the commandante and Isabella until the plan is executed. | ||||
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The commandante serenades Isabella from beneath her balcony, but unseen by Isabella is Diego, who is doing the singing. Isabella is entranced by the commandante's courting. After his serenade, a soldier informs the commandante that the natives who refuse to pay their taxes have been brought to the plaza for punishment. The commandante tells Diego to ride with Isabella and to not let her anywhere near the plaza; the commandante does not wish for Isabella to see how he punishes the peons. Don Diego makes certain that Isabella does enter the plaza. She is enraged when she discovers that the commandante whips men for tax evasion. However, when the commandante explains that Zorro is the one who told them not to pay their taxes, she calms down. Isabella uses 200 pesos of her own money to offer as a bounty for Zorro. If Zorro is captured, then all taxes will be abolished for one year. The commandante ties up six natives who are dressed as Zorro and releases a bull to charge them. The commandante claims that Zorro will show up to save them. Isabella is horrified and pleads for Don Diego to do something. Don Diego jumps into the ring and keeps the bull at bay long enough for the natives to be released and escape to safety. Isabella is very impressed with Diego's bravery. Later, Isabella asks Don Diego why he pretends to be a fop. His answer is that he is madly in love with her. The commandante sees them kiss and fights Don Diego. Don Diego tells Isabella to flee into the hills and go to the padre who knows his secret. Instead, Isabella summons the soldiers. When she returns, she finds the commandante with a "Z" cut into his chest. She now knows Don Diego's secret and is determined to bring Zorro to justice. She and the soldiers ride into the hills after him so that he can be arrested. |
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As Don Diego is led to the jail, the commandante tries to get Isabella to marry him so that he will control the territory. When she refuses, he imprisons her and her dueña along with Don Diego. Isabella's dueña attacks a soldier as she is being led into the cell. The soldiers whip Isabella's dueña, and the commandante cuts a Z on her shoulder. The commandante quickly leaves when a soldier reports that a flaming "Z" is burning up on a distant hill. Don Diego tries to get Isabella to understand that he did not kill her father. He shows her that the mark on her dueña's shoulder is a backwards Z and reminds her that the mark on her father's body was also a backwards Z. Isabella realizes that an uneducated man cut the Z and that it was the commandante rather than Don Diego who killed her father. Isabella wishes to do something to help Don Diego. Isabella's dueña and Don Diego switch clothes; the soldiers take Isabella's dueña out to kill her, not realizing that she is really Don Diego. When the commandante tries to hang Zorro, Don Diego arrives dressed as Zorro; he and the natives fight the soldiers and subdue them. The commandante is killed in the battle, and Don Diego is a free man. Isabella and Don Diego kiss. |
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Trivia: John Merton appears uncredited in this film as a 1st Sergeant. Merton also appears in Zorro's Fighting Legion as Manuel and Zorro's Black Whip as Harris. |
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