The Mark Of Zorro (1940)

Don Diego (Tyrone Power) returns home from Spain to California, circa 1820, to find that the town he grew up in has been taken over by a dictator (J. Edward Bromberg) named Don Luis Quintero who is married to a social climber named Inez (Gale Sondergaard). The caballeros of the town, including Diego's dad (Montagu Love) are upset, but they are powerless against Quintero's army, which is run by Captain Pasquale (Basil Rathbone). Diego, who had been a soldier in Spain, decides to go undercover as Zorro, a champion of the poor and downtroddenl. While hiding from Quintero's army one night, Diego/Zorro meets Lolita (Linda Darnell), Quintero's niece. He is smitten, but cannot reveal his true identity. Eventually, he does let Fray Fellipe (Eugene Pallette), a monk, in on his secret.

Zorro vexes Quintero and Pasquale when darkness falls. During the day, Diego pretends that he is wimpy guy for whom Zorro "chills" his blood to think about. Quintero doesn't worry about Diego, but Pasquale suspects there is more to the young man than he presents. Diego is introduced to Lolita, who makes it clear that she thinks Zorro is more dashing. Inez, who has taken a liking to Diego, views her niece as a threat to auntie having a future affair with him. When Fray Fellipe is arrested because he will not give the church's gold to Pasquale, Diego realizes he has to step up his campaign to end the tyranny that has gripped the town.

This adventure film is a whole lot of fun, and boasts the best swordfighting scene ever placed on celluoid. Tyrone Power was an absolutely gorgeous man, and he and Linda Darnell have great chemistry. Eugene Pallette has a lot of good moments as the feisty monk. Basil Rathbone, who played detective Sherlock Holmes in a series of films, plays a good snobbish villian here.