Those of you who know the name Guy Williams and only remember him as the stalwart Professor Robinson from “Lost in Space” may find yourselves in for a treat. Years before streaking to the heavens Williams stepped into the costume of a very famous double identity crime fighter. By day he was the suave son of a rancher, Don Diego de la Vega… but by night he would arm himself with a whip and a sword to terrorize evildoers as ZORRO!! My hope here is that you have at least heard of Zorro thanks to the relatively new films starring Antonio Banderas. But if you read at all, you know that the character has been around since 1919 and is the creation of writer Johnston McCulley. Some feel he was inspired by The Scarlet Pimpernel, written by Baroness Orczy in 1903… and that may well be but there is little doubt that Zorro was himself the inspiration for Batman, even as far as Bruce Wayne having been watched a Zorro movie on the night his parents were gunned down. But no matter, in all three cases we are faced with ne’er do well ladies men who don masks at night to fight evil.

In the case of Guy Williams, he was chosen to portray the title character back in 1957 in a series created by Walt Disney. But Disney was not going to deliver a watered down version of the hero. Instead he wanted to give audiences a hero they could cheer and made sure the quality of the series was top-notch. Often filming on location and never skimping on the swordfights and stunts, every episode of “Zorro” looked more like a motion picture than something made for television. Williams was unmatched in both sides of his role and to date I still don’t feel I’ve ever seen a better Zorro. Unfortunately the series only last two seasons due to legal battles between Disney and ABC, though old Walt did push through a few specials after the cancellation.

Most of the episodes have been lost to audiences for years, most recently only being available for a short time on the Disney Channel. But now Disney has opted to create two sets to add to its superlative Walt Disney Treasures collections, each one offering up a full season of “Zorro.” The episodes are beautifully re-mastered and looking better than they have in ages. The sound is kept in the original mono, but that is in no way a way detriment to the experience of watching this excellent series.

The first season set also includes two of the specials that were created after the series ended and a terrific featurette on the history of the character of Zorro. This documentary runs close to 15 minutes and gives a pretty well detailed account of Zorro’s rise from book to stage to screen. There is also a short excerpt from a special where Walt introduces the new series to the Mouseketeers. Williams even shows up briefly. The second season set gives us the other two specials that were filmed later as well as a wonderful biography of Williams. Additionally there is a tour through old wardrobes and toys courtesy of Leonard Maltin and Guy Williams, Jr. Both sets also offer up instructions by Maltin and a Zorro pin. The cases that enclose the disc are metal tins as is the case for all Walt Disney Treasure collection sets, but there is nice mystique to these as they are black instead of silver.

I cannot recommend these two sets enough for lovers of action and adventure. Don’t let the fact that they are black & white of made in the 1950’s throw you, this was a high quality show that is as good today as it was back then. These sets are limited editions, so if you have any plan on getting them I’d suggest grabbing them quick!

Episodes:

Season 1 -
Presenting Senor Zorro
Zorro’s Secret Passage
Zorro Rides to the Mission
The Ghost of the Mission
Zorro’s Romance
Zorro Saves a Friend
Monastario Sets a Trap
Zorro’s Ride into Terror
A Fair Trial
Garcia’s Secret Mission
Double Trouble for Zorro
Zorro, Luckiest Swordsman Alive
The Fall of Monastario
Shadow of Doubt
Garcia Stands Accused
Slaves of the Eagle
Sweet Face of Danger
Zorro Fights His Father
Death Stacks the Deck
Agent Of The Eagle
Zorro Springs a Trap
The Unmasking of Zorro
The Secret of the Sierra
The New Commandante
The Fox and the Coyote
Adios, Senor Magistrado
The Eagle’s Brood
Zorro by Proxy
Quintana Makes a Choice
Zorro Lights a Fuse
The Man with the Whip
The Cross of the Andes
The Deadly Bolas
The Well of Death
The Tightening Noose
The Sergeant Regrets
The Eagle Leaves the Nest
Bernardo Faces Death
The Eagle’s Flight

Season 2 -
Presenting Senor Zorro
Zorro’s Secret Passage
Zorro Rides to the Mission
The Ghost of the Mission
Zorro’s Romance
Zorro Saves a Friend
Monastario Sets a Trap
Zorro’s Ride into Terror
A Fair Trial
Garcia’s Secret Mission
Double Trouble for Zorro
Zorro, Luckiest Swordsman Alive
The Fall of Monastario
Shadow of Doubt
Garcia Stands Accused
Slaves of the Eagle
Sweet Face of Danger
Zorro Fights His Father
Death Stacks the Deck
Agent Of The Eagle
Zorro Springs a Trap
The Unmasking of Zorro
The Secret of the Sierra
The New Commandante
The Fox and the Coyote
Adios, Senor Magistrado
The Eagle’s Brood
Zorro by Proxy
Quintana Makes a Choice
Zorro Lights a Fuse
The Man with the Whip
The Cross of the Andes
The Deadly Bolas
The Well of Death
The Tightening Noose
The Sergeant Regrets
The Eagle Leaves the Nest
Bernardo Faces Death
The Eagle’s Flight

Starring: Guy Williams, Gene Sheldon, Britt Lomond. Henry Calvin
Extras:
Season 1 – Zorro: El Bandido; Zorro: Adios El Cuchillo; The Life and Legend of Zorro; Excerpt from 4th Anniversary Show; Zorro Pin
Season 2 – Zorro: The Postponed Wedding; Zorro: Auld Acquaintance; Behind the Mask; Trip to the archives; Zorro Pin
Specifications: Black & White; Full Frame (1.33:1)
Studio: Disney
Release Date: 11/3/2009
MPAA Rating: NR
http://www.DisneyDVD.com

We'll give Walt Disney Treasures: Zorro - Seasons 1 & 2 an A.