Zorro's Romance

Season 1 - Episode 5

Airdate: 11/7/57
Starring: Guy Williams (Zorro and Don Diego)
With: Britt Lomond (Capitan Monastario), Henry Calvin (Sergeant Garcia), Gene Sheldon (Bernardo), Jan Arvan (Nacho Torres), Eugenia Paul (Elena Torres)
Directed by: Norman Foster
Teleplay by: Teleplay by: Norman Foster. Based on the Zorro Stories by Johnston McCulley
Associate Producer: William H. Anderson
Music: William Lava
Song Elena: Gil George, Joseph S. Dubin
Art Director: Marvin Aubrey Davis
Photography: Gordon Avil, A.S.C.
Film Editors: Roy Livingston, A.C.E., Hugh Chaloupka
Set Decoration: Emile Kuri, Hal Gausman
Costumer: Chuck Keehne
Make-up: Pat McNalley
Matte Artist: Albert Whitlock
Sound: Robert O. Cook
Unit Manager: Roy Wade
Assistant Director: Russ Haverick
Production Coordinator: Louis Debney
Production #5855

The Story Line

Following Torres' escape from the mission, Monastario and his men ride to the escapee's home hoping to find him hiding there. Diego also decides to visit to tell the family that Torres is safely on his way to Monterey, only to be discover him hiding in the wine cellar. The fugitive had tried to see his family before leaving town, and now Diego must find a way to spirit Torres out from under Monastario's nose.

Several attempts fail, for the capitan is certain that his quarry will appear and refuses to be tricked into leaving. Also, there's Elena, Torres' pretty daughter, to occupy his time. In an effort to dissuade Monastario, Diego serenades Elena, which irritates the commandante. Diego then decides to take sterner measures by knocking Monastario unconscious and sneaking Torres out in the capitan's uniform. He adds insult to injury by tricking Garcia into providing an escort for the fake Monastario, and then helps Torres escape from his hapless escorts.

When Monastario recovers, he begins to suspect that Diego has had something to do with these events until he discovers him tied and gagged in the cellar.

Production Notes

  • Madeline Holmes played the uncredited role of Doňa Luisa Torres.
  • Bill Lee provided the singing voice for Diego's serenade.

Scene Images

Monastario visits the Torres ranch
Monastario's latest plan to gain control of the Torres ranch begins with the capitan riding there in style in a fancy carriage.
Monastario gazes at his intended prize
Arriving at the ranch, Monastario orders the coach stopped so he can gaze longingly at his desired prize.
Albert Whitlock's matte painting
Albert Whitlock's masterful artwork brings life to the Torres hacienda.
Diego tries to warn the family
Diego and Bernardo are not happy to see Monastario and the soldiers so close to the house. They ride there hoping to get home in time to sound the alarm.
Torres tells his family about Zorro
Meanwhile, Torres is telling his daughter and wife that he owes his freedom to the mysterious Zorro.
Diego burts in with a warning
Diego bursts in and warns that Monastario is only minutes away.
Monastario reveals his latest plan
Monastario tells Garcia that his new plan for conquest involves winning the hand of the beautiful Elena.
Monastario is not happy to see Diego
Much to his surprise and irritation, Monastario discovers Diego enjoying a glass of wine with the Torres women.
Monastario announces he will search the house
The capitan announces that he will have to search the house for the fugitive.
Bernardo with a warning
While Garcia stands at attention, Bernardo warns Diego that the house has been surrounded by the soldiers.
Wine in the cellar
Garcia is assigned to search the cellar, so Diego tries to distract him with some liberal samples of the wines stored there.
Garcia climbs on the barrels
Spotting the hiding Torres, Garcia tries to climb across the wine barrels to capture him.

Scene Images

Garcia takes a fall
One of the barrels breaks loose, with poor Sgt. Garcia trying to maintain his balance as it heads for the wall. It's not hard to guess how this will end.
Elena plays along
Elena realizes that the best hope for her father to escape will be if she plays along with Monastario's unwelcome affections.
An unwelcome advance
She certainly looks less than happy as the capitan begins courting her.
Diego changes the mood
Diego changes the mood, and further annoys the capitan, when he strolls in singing a song dedicated to Elena.
Monastario announces he is staying at the house
Unable to find Torres in the house, Monastario decides the fugitive must be coming home later, so he announces he will stay until he can arrest him.
Bernardo plans to take action
Diego maneuvers Monastario into position so Bernardo can knock him unconscious. Luckily for the capitan Diego tells his servant to use something a bit smaller.
Torres sneaks out
With the capitan unconscious, Torres dresses in his uniform and orders the soldiers to take him back to Los Angeles.
Garcia discovers the trick
A change in direction on the way confuses Garcia, who then discovers the ruse.
Zorro to the rescue
Zorro arrives just in time, sending Torres away on horseback as he holds Garcia at sword point.
Diego's amazing alibi
Later, back at the ranch, Monastario has a good laugh for thinking that the clumsy Diego could possibly be Zorro.

Publicity Photos

All captions are from the Disney syndication publicity kit. Click on the photos for larger versions.

Monastario sees stars

Capitan Monastario (Britt Lomond) literally sees stars after being clumped on the head by a flower pot. (Note: this scene actually occurred in the previous episode.)

Trouble for Monastario

Gene Sheldon, as Don Diego's manservant, Bernardo, prepares to dump a flower pot on the head of an unsuspecting villain.

Torres escapes

Marked for the brutal power of a petty military tyrant are Jan Arvan in the role of a protesting civil neighbor, his wife (Madeleine Holmes) and their daughter (Eugenia Paul).

Preview of this episode

"Be with us next week as Monastario continues his efforts to become the richest man in California"

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Season 1 Episode List