IN THE WAY OF ZORRO

 

1926, Belgum

Aka… À la Manière de Zorro / ‘In the Manner of Zorro’ (Bel-Fr), Op Zorro's Wijze / ‘In Zorro's Manner’ (Bel-Flem),

Ex… L'Emule de Zorro / ‘The Emulator of Zorro’ (Fr), In the Way of Zorro (US), Al Estilo del Zorro / ‘In the Style of Zorro’ (Vz)

Pc: Associated Actors Corporation (Bru)

Dist: Associated Actors Corporation (Bel), (09/20/27, Fr), (US [?])

D, P: Paul Flon; Sc: Paul Flon (Bel), Paul Lores (Fr); Ch: Zorro from “The Curse of Capistrano” (1919), by Johnson McCaully; Ph: Freddy Smekens & Deviller

C: William Elie (Zorro), Suzanne Christy [Lucie De Waersegger] (Susanne), Georges Gersan (Serge) & Jacques Manuel [Jean Manuel]

Syn: Comedy. Man imitates Zorro.

    Comm: [Filmed at both the Cambre woods and the Soignes Forest, Belgium, south of the Brussels] To put IN THE WAY OF ZORRO into a historical context the first two ‘Zorro’ movies had been a pair of Douglas Fairbanks swashbucklers “The Mark of Zorro” (1920, US) and “Don Q Son of Zorro” (1925, US). The third official “Zorro” would be Republic Pictures’ “The Bold Caballero” (1936, US).

      IN THE WAY OF ZORRO was jack-of-all-trades Paul Flon eighth film of eleven films. Some of his others starred Miss. Suzanne Christy. This was the final film for William Elie. Perhaps sound got the better of him.

     A photo from IN THE WAY OF ZORRO, under the title “L'Emule de Zorro” appeared on the cover of the French bi-weekly magazine “Le Film Complet du Mardi”, issue 402 (September 20, 1927). The entire film was presented in photo comic book form with dialogue balloon added.

     The companion magazine, “Le Film Complet du Dimanche”, also covered such US western films as First National Pictures (later WB) “The Unknown Cavalier” in issue 428 (11/20/27).  If IN THE WAY OF ZORRO is not a western it is at least an early attempt at a European ‘Zorro’.

    French writer Paul Lores of ‘L'Emule de Zorro’ wrote several non-westerns for “Le Film Complet’’, such as “La Vénus de Montmartre” (n233, 04/15/26, Fr), the French version of “Die Venus von Montmartre” (1925, Ger), that starred Hans Alber and “Du Nom du Roi” (n276, 09/12/26, Fr), of “Im Namen des Kaisers” (1926, Ger), amongst others.

 

 

 

By Michael Ferguson