Fairbanks, a jack of all trades (having co-written the script as well as starring and doing his own stunts) is at his best here as Zorro, the Spanish defender of the weak, which spawned at least a dozen more movies based on this (and a TV series, too.) The plot deals with Don Diego Vega, a playful young man who, when not making finger puppets on the wall or doing tricks with handkerchiefs, is prone to fatigue. But his father disapproves of such madness, suggesting that he marry the daughter Lolita, (Marguerite Del La Motte) of a family out of favor with the Governor of California. Unimpressed with Don Diego, the girl is instead in love with Zorro (also Fairbanks, which obviously means Don Diego IS Zorro.) But she has another suitor - in the form of Zorro's mortal enemy, Captain Ramon. And he and his men (including Noah Beery, who's part was an inspiration for the rotund captain in the TV series) will stop at nothing to capture him. Will Zorro save California? Will Don Diego and Lolita fall in love? Can Zorro finish his breakfast without being interrupted? Just sit back and enjoy Fairbanks's amazing stunts (which remind one of Buster Keaton) and remember: "Never do anything on an empty stomach - except eat!"
Review of The Mark of Zorro
