Director: Luigi Capuano
Year: 1963
Country: Italy
Rating: 5.5
Dubbed
Some enjoyable literary imagining by placing
Zorro and the Musketeers in the same time period. The Musketeers are rightfully
placed in the early 1600s, but Zorro who was set in the 1800s is not. And
why not? They are fictional characters who won't complain nor their long
dead authors. It is a nice fantasy putting the great swordsmen of literature
together. Too bad they didn't throw Robin Hood into the mix. This lighthearted
Italian film is a fun adventure of no weight but good fellowship, drinking,
swordplay and romance. The focus is on Zorro portrayed by American Gordon
Scott who had finished his series of Tarzan films and had moved to Italy
to star in many Peplum films. The four Musketeers are lumped together for
the most part indistinguishable from each other. But it is at least not the
standard Three Musketeer origin story. This appears to take place a few years
later with Cardinal Richelieu still in power and Spain at war with France.
Instead of sending the royal Isabella (José
Greci, in many Peplums and spy films) back to Spain, the sneaky French hold
her as a prisoner in a French castle under heavy guard. The Spanish King
is offended and accepts the offer of the Count of Sevilla to rescue her,
not knowing that he is a traitor. But wait, the effete milk toast Count Terawell
has his own plan. Considered a joke in the palace, he is of course Zorro!
A wanted man. He replaces Count Savilla by force and his trademark Z across
his forehead and meets the Musketeers at an inn where as usual they are drinking
and brawling. They spend much of the film imbibed. But they escort the supposed
Savilla to the castle to give secret military plans to Richelieu. Instead,
Zorro has plans to rescue the Lady. At first friends with the Musketeers,
then enemies, friends, enemies and finally friends. Solid old-fashioned adventure.
