MovieChat Forums > Zorro (1957) Discussion > How violent?

How violent?

posted 16 years ago by filmklassik
9 replies | jump to latest

Do people ever die on this show? And do they ever die by Zorro's hand?

See, I know ZORRO was a kid's show. Produced by Walt Disney in the 1950s. So I am very curious to know how violent it actually was.

And finally, I am curious to know if it was really as wonderful as everyone says.

If so, I am DEFINITELY gonna be picking up those DVDs. I think they are being released in the Fall (around the same time as my Uncle Max, the embezzler)

As a matter of fact, I can't wait.

[–] Tikidall 15 years ago

Yes. Yes.

The 'death' scenes are not embelished as they are in the 'average' movies and TV shows.

Yes... IT IS REALLY as wonderful as everyone says!

Hope your Uncle Max enjoys Zorro too!

[–] srb-3 15 years ago

Which episodes does Zorro kill people? I am watching season 1 and seen the 13 story arc. He does *not* kill Monastario. Has not happened yet.

[–] UglyPig 15 years ago

It's been so long since I watched all these episodes that I can't remember if there are more instances of this happening later on, but I am currently going through season one and so far the one instance I have seen of Zorro intentionally killing someone was (spoiler)

in (I think) episode 26, during the climactic fight, he runs some random thug he's fighting through with his sword.

(...end spoiler) And no, he never killed Monastario.

[–] Arbok9782 15 years ago

Zorro also kills the corrupt capitan in season 2 (aid to the governor who is plotting to kill him). This is after several times of fighting him, and sparing him before, in the earlier episodes.

I was kind of surprised as the show makes it seem like the capitan might be redeemed in the first two episodes of the arc, but its clear he has gone too far by the point he threatens Garcia's life.

Still, it was abnormal as Zorro so rarely kills his opponent (usually they kill themselves, ala falling off a cliff or something).

[–] briantravelman 15 years ago

Ya! There is actualy a good amount of violence and death! And yes, Zorro did kill some people! You'd actualy be pretty surprised how many people get stabbed or shot! Disney deffinately wouldnt allow that stuff to show today!

Season 2 got a little lighter with the violence!

You have to remember though, the show was from the 1950s, so standards were a lot different back then! It would deffinately be rated PG 13 by today's satndards, and not appropriate for Disney Channel!

[–] MrEdnablackadder 14 years ago

A lot of people died in the show. As a matter of fact, most villain die at the end of their story arc. In The Eagle's cycle, someone dies in about every ep.

Zorro himself didn't kill too many. Here are those who come to mind:

"Adios, Señor Magistrado: kills one of the Magistrado's henchmen.

"Rendezvous at Sundown" he shoots down a bandit.

"Manhunt" he stabs to death Don Carlos' right hand man, Pedro.

"Long Live the Governor" kills Captain Arellano at the end of their duel.

In "Invitation to Death": he puts one of the Rebatos under the sheets on the governor's bed so that his partners would stab him instead of their target.

Some he killed accidentally: Mordante in "Cross of the Andes" and Vinson in "Señor China Boy".

I wonder if he was going to kill Ortega/Fernandez when he got unmasked by him in "Unmasking of Zorro". By looking at the expression on his face, I'd say yes. Luckily for him, Ortega relieved him of this duty by falling down the roof by himself.

[–] Clintessence 14 years ago

Zorro was nowhere near as violent as other shows of that era. I was a kid at the time, and I remember being inspired by all the Westerns on TV back then, as my friends and I ran around with cap-guns and play swords, pretending to be cowboys amd soldiers. Just check out "The Rifleman"--if Lucas McCain only killed one bad guy in an episode, it was a slow day. But, the violence was clean violence. There was never any blood, and the good guys always received a "flesh wound".

Zorro did kill once in a while, but like Arnold said . . . "they were all bad."

[–] liscarkat-2 10 years ago

Occasional internal trauma and exsanguination from having organs impaled by a meter-long steel blade.

[–] kenburke (2398) 7 years ago

I think Zorro "shishkebobed" a few bad guys over the years (sometimes simply carving a "z" into their clothing simply wasn't enough). As for violence, it was no more violent than any other action show aimed at kids.