Am a day late but wanted to thank Robert in New York for reminding me about October 10th being the 50th Anniversary of Zorro! Thanks Robert!Zorro, a half-hour Walt Disney Productions TV series based on the well-known Zorro character, premiered October 10, 1957 on ABC. The final network broadcast was June 02, 1959. Seventy-eight episodes were produced, and 4 hour-long specials were aired on the Walt Disney anthology series between October 30, 1960 and April 02, 1961.
The show was very popular, especially with children, and its theme song (written by Norman Foster and George Bruns and first recorded by The Mellomen) was a hit recording for The Chordettes, peaking at #17 on the Hit Parade. It also created a problem with "Z" graffitiing on school desks across the United States. The series ended after two seasons due to a financial dispute between Disney and the network, but the franchise continued for a few years in the form of occasional new Zorro adventures aired in color on the Disney anthology television series, newly transplanted to NBC as part of the same dispute, and renamed Walt Disney's The Wonderful World of Color.
The series starred Guy Williams (nee Armando Catalano) as Zorro (Don Diego de la Vega), Gene Sheldon as Bernardo (Diego's faithful manservant), Henry Calvin as Sgt. Demetrio Lopez Garcia (second in command of the pueblo) and George J. Lewis as Don Alejandro de la Vega (Don Diego's father).
This became the third Disney produced series to be running in the same season, joining Disneyland (1954) and The Mickey Mouse Club (1955).
A great website I found to read more about Zorro and the TV Series is Walt Disney's Zorro by Bill Cotter.
I would so love for the Walt Disney Classics Collection to do a sculpture of Zorro. Ruben Procopio did an awesome sculpture of Zorro and think he would be perfect to sculpt one for the WDCC! Any other Zorro fans out there?
Don,
ReplyDeleteI loved Zorro as a kid! Thanks for a link to Ruben's Zorro sculpture. I think Zorro would make a great addition to the other TV inspired pieces such as Davy Crockett and the Mickey Mouse Club.
Bob
You're welcome Bob! I recall Zorro being suggested quite a bit back on the old Inside the Web days.
ReplyDeleteWith WDCC doing such characters lately as the upcoming Captain Barbossa and Captain Jack Sparrow and in lieu of his anniversary, would be awesome to see them do Zorro.
I personally would like to see Zorro on his Horse, rearing up on his hind legs. I tend to lean more towards sculptures that show that sense of movement vs. being in a static pose. JTDO.