PROFILBARU.COM

Son of Zorro
Son of Zorro
Directed by	Spencer Gordon Bennet; Fred C. Brannon
Written by	Franklin Adreon; Basil Dickey; Jesse Duffy; Sol Shor
Produced by	Ronald Davidson
Starring	George Turner; Peggy Stewart; Roy Barcroft; Ed Cassidy; Ernie Adams; Stanley Price; Edmund Cobb; Ken Terrell
Cinematography	Bud Thackery
Distributed by	Republic Pictures
Release dates	January 18, 1947 (U.S. serial); December 23, 1957 (re-release);
Running time	13 chapters (180 minutes (serial); 6 26½-minute episodes (TV)
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$146,723 (negative cost: $156,745)

Son of Zorro is a 1947 American Western film serial from Republic Pictures. 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.

Plot

A man returning home after having fought in the American 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

George Turner as Jeffrey "Jeff" Stewart/Zorro
Peggy Stewart as Kate Wells
Roy Barcroft as Boyd
Ed Cassidy as Sheriff Moody
Ernie Adams as Judge Hyde
Stanley Price as Pancho
Edmund Cobb as Stockton
Ken Terrell as George Thomas
Si Jenks as Fred
Tom London as Mark Daniels (uncredited)

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

Dale Van Sickel as Boyd, doubling Roy Barcroft
Fred Graham as Boyd, doubling Roy Barcroft
Ken Terrell as Pancho, doubling Stanley Price
Tom Steele
Tommy Coats
John Daheim
Ted Mapes
Eddie Parker
Post Park
Gil Perkins
Rocky Shahan
Duke Taylor
Bud Wolfe

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 TV series. It was broadcast in six 26½-minute episodes.^[1]

Chapter titles

181 minutes =3h, 0m, 55s

Outlaw Country (19 min 59s)
The Deadly Millstone (13min 24s)
Fugitive from Injustice (13min 24s)
Buried Alive (13min 22s)
Water Trap (13min 25s)
Volley of Death (13min 24s)
The Fatal Records (13min 27s)
Third Degree (13min 25s)
Shoot to Kill (13min 22s) - a re-cap chapter
Den of the Beast (13min 24s)
The Devil's Trap (13min 25s)
Blazing Walls (13min 23s)
Check Mate (13min 25s)

_Source:^[1]^[3]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l Mathis, Jack (1995). Valley of the Cliffhangers Supplement. Jack Mathis Advertising. pp. 3, 10, 96–97. ISBN 0-9632878-1-8.
^ ^a ^b Foguel, Israel, ed. (2016). Zorro: Astuto Como A Raposa (1st ed.). p. 29. ISBN 978-85-920512-4-2.
^ Cline, William C. (1984). "Filmography". In the Nick of Time. McFarland & Company, Inc. pp. 245. ISBN 0-7864-0471-X.

External links

Son of Zorro at IMDb

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)