Son of Zorro

Son of Zorro (1947) is a Republic film serial. It was the 43rd of the 66 serials produced by that studio. The serial was directed by Spencer Gordon Bennet and Fred C. Brannon. George Turner starred as a descendant of the original Zorro in 1860s United States.

Son of Zorro
Directed bySpencer Gordon Bennet
Fred C. Brannon
Produced byRonald Davidson
Written byFranklin Adreon
Basil Dickey
Jesse Duffy
Sol Shor
StarringGeorge Turner
Peggy Stewart
Roy Barcroft
Edward Cassidy
Ernie Adams
Stanley Price
Edmund Cobb
Ken Terrell
CinematographyBud Thackery
Distributed byRepublic Pictures
Release date
  • January 18, 1947 (1947-01-18) (U.S. serial)[1]
  • December 23, 1957 (1957-12-23) (re-release)[1]
Running time
13 chapters (180 minutes (serial)[1]
6 26½-minute episodes (TV)[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$146,723 (negative cost: $156,745)[1]

Premise

A man returning home after having fought in the Civil War discovers that corrupt politicians have taken over the county and are terrorizing and shaking down the citizens. He dons the costume of his ancestor, the famous Zorro, and sets out to bring them to justice.

Cast

Production

Son of Zorro was budgeted at $156,745 although the final negative cost was $119,343 (a $10,022, or 6.8%, overspend). It was the cheapest Republic serial of 1947.[2] It was filmed between 21 June and 20 July 1946 under the working title Zorro Strikes Again.[2] The serial's production number was 1695.[1]

This was one of only four 13-chapter serials to be released by Republic. Three of the four were released in 1947, the only original serials released in that year. The fourth serial of the year was a re-release of the 15-chapter, 1941 serial Jungle Girl. This marked the first time Republic had re-released a serial to add to their first run serial releases.[1]

Stunts

Special effects

The special effects were created by the Lydecker brothers.

Release

Theatrical

Son of Zorro's official release date is 18 January 1947, although this is actually the date the sixth chapter was made available to film exchanges.[1] The release of Son of Zorro was followed by a re-release of Jungle Girl instead of a new serial. This was the first time Republic had re-released a serial. This was followed by the next new serial, Jesse James Rides Again.[1] The serial was re-released on 23 December 1957 between the similar re-releases of Radar Men from the Moon and Zorro's Fighting Legion. The last original Republic serial release had been King of the Carnival in 1955.[1]

Television

In the early 1950s, Son of Zorro was one of fourteen Republic serials edited into a television series. It was broadcast in six 26½-minute episodes.[1]

Chapter titles

  1. Outlaw Country (20 min)
  2. The Deadly Millstone (13min 20s)
  3. Fugitive from Injustice (13min 20s)
  4. Buried Alive (13min 20s)
  5. Water Trap (13min 20s)
  6. Volley of Death (13min 20s)
  7. The Fatal Records (13min 20s)
  8. Third Degree (13min 20s)
  9. Shoot to Kill (13min 20s) - a re-cap chapter
  10. Den of the Beast (13min 20s)
  11. The Devil's Trap (13min 20s)
  12. Blazing Walls (13min 20s)
  13. Check Mate (13min 20s)

Source:[1][3]

See also

References

  1. Mathis, Jack (1995). Valley of the Cliffhangers Supplement. Jack Mathis Advertising. pp. 3, 10, 96–97. ISBN 0-9632878-1-8.
  2. Foguel, Israel, ed. (2016). Zorro: Astuto Como A Raposa (1st ed.). p. 29. ISBN 978-85-920512-4-2.
  3. Cline, William C. (1984). "Filmography". In the Nick of Time. McFarland & Company, Inc. pp. 245. ISBN 0-7864-0471-X.
Preceded by
The Crimson Ghost (1946)
Republic Serial
Son of Zorro (1947)
Succeeded by
Jesse James Rides Again (1947)
Preceded by
Zorro's Black Whip (1944)
Zorro Serial
Son of Zorro (1947)
Succeeded by
Ghost of Zorro (1949)
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