The Curse of Capistrano
by Johnston McCulleyliterary work· published 1919
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The rousing adventure that gave birth to one of popular culture's most enduring iconsOriginally titled The Curse of Capistrano in its 1919 debut, this exciting tale achieved immortal fame thanks to Douglas Fairbanks's 1920 blockbuster film, The Mark of Zorro-a cinematic triumph that inspired Johnston McCulley to retitle his novel and dedicate it to Fairbanks. Set in Mexican California during the 1820s, the story follows the career of Don Diego Vega, by all appearances an effete and foppish aristocrat. But Vega's timorous reputation is nothing more than a mask to conceal his alter ego: a California Robin Hood known as Zorro, whose swift blade strikes down those who exploit the poor and oppressed.
Adaptations (5)
The Curse of Capistrano has been adapted 5 times, across film and television film, from 1920 to 2002. The most recent is The Amazing Zorro (2002).
The Sign of Zorro1960 · film · 91 min · dir. Lewis R. Foster, Norman Foster · IMDb ↗IMDb6.9In this film, edited from eight episodes of Disney's hit TV series, Don Diego returns home to find his town under the heel of a cruel dictator, Capitan Monastario. Diego dons the mask of Zorro to fight the evil commandant's tyranny, and, with the help of his mute servant Bernardo, free the pueblo from his oppression.
The Amazing Zorro2002 · film · 72 min · dir. Scott Heming · IMDb ↗IMDb6.0The exciting tale of Don Diego Vega, a lazy young aristocrat in early California living a secret life as Zorro, the mysterious masked avenger and, defender of the oppressed. Zorro appears when least expected by the authorities, always bearing a sure sword, a swift horse, and a wicked sense of humor. Based on "The Curse of Capistrano," the story that established Zorro as an international hero.
