Product Description
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With his , whip and trusty steed Tornado, Zorro continued
to fight the forces of evil in the second season of Walt Disney's
legendary classic. The final 39 swashbuckling episodes saw even
more children dressing up as the sly fox Zorro in Spanish and
making the sign of the Z The second season aired from October 9,
1958, through July 2, 1959, and is presented here -- newly
restored and remastered in its original black-and-white format.
To add even more thrills to this six-disc set, we've included two
rarely seen one-hour specials shown on Walt Disney's anthology
series WALT DISNEY PRESENTS -- ZORRO: THE POSTPONED WEDDING and
ZORRO: AULD AQUAINTANCE. You'll meet Guy Williams in a profile of
the actor who became an overnight star in the role he was born to
play. And you'll meet his stunt double, Buddy Van Horn. Featuring
exclusive introductions by film historian Leonard Maltin, this is
a timeless collection from generations past for generations to
come.
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Time to catch some more Z's! Just how hot was Zorro as it
galloped into its second season? Check out "A Trip to the
Archives," one of the bonus features included on this collectible
set that's a must-own for every TV-loving boomer. Disney
historian Leonard Maltin and Guy Williams Jr. peruse a treasure
trove of licensed Zorro merchandise, including the expected
(lunchboxes, and whip, vinyl wallets) to the unexpected
(neckties and roller skates!). And how hot was Guy Williams, so
dashing as the ed avenger Zorro? The same kids who donned
coonskin caps to play Davy Crockett were carving Z's into their
school desks. Annette Funicello, America's teen sweetheart, had a
crush on him, prompting Walt Disney to cast her in one of season
2's story arcs as a present for her 16th birthday. Funicello
stars as a pueblo visitor searching for her her, whom no one
seems to know, but someone is trying to e her out of town. In
addition to being rescued by Zorro, she gets to sing a song, "The
Lonely Guitar." Several character actors beloved by vintage-TV
buffs appear this season, including Lee Van Cleef, Tige Andrews
(Captain Greer on The Mod Squad), Robert Vaughn, Richard Deacon,
and Ricardo Montalban. Season 2 tinkers a bit with the series'
successful formula. Beginning with the episode "The Gay
Caballero," a new opening composed of scenes for that week's
episode replaced the rousing theme song that helped put Zorro on
the . There were more, and shorter, story arcs. Zorro was
even, briefly, given a love interest (Jolene Brand as Anna Maria
Verdugo). But the accent remains on adventure with spectacularly
staged fights (another bonus feature is an interview with Guy
Williams's stuntman, Buddy Van Horn) and daring rescues. This set
contains two Zorro rarities, near-hour-long adventures that were
originally broadcast in 1961 on Walt Disney Presents and have
never been available on home video: "The Postponed Wedding,"
featuring Funicello, and "Auld Acquaintance," costarring
Montalban and Ross Martin (The Wild Wild West). Zorro has aged
well thanks to its historical setting in 1820s California. There
is nothing like it on television, and now all those former
Zorro-wannabes can introduce their own children (and
grandchildren) to the timeless pleasures of Zorro, which delivers
on its promise of "never-to-be-forgotten thrills." --Donald
Liebenson