Western Weekends: Zorro's Fighting Legion

Yesterday I talked about the 1937 film serial, Zorro Rides Again. Today, I'll talk about the follow-up, Zorro's Fighting Legion, which was released in 1939. While Zorro Rides Again took place in a contemporary setting and placed a greater emphasis on the western elements of Zorro, this one goes back to basics, and follows Reed Hadley as Don Diego Vega.

The serial takes place in 1824, as Mexico is now free from Spanish rule. In the resource-rich province of San Mendolito, a mysterious idol known as Don Del Oro is inciting the Yaqui Indians to attack caravans transporting gold from the mines to Mexico City, as part of a plot to take control of the country. Fearing that military reprisals will provoke a general uprising, Don Francisco Vega, a member of the ruling council, has set up a volunteer force to protect the caravans. However, several council members are in league with Don Del Oro, and arrange for Francisco's assassination. Not long afterwards, Francisco's foppish nephew Diego arrives in San Mendolito from California, and assumes his uncle's place on the council while taking command of the legion under his persona as Zorro, with Francisco's ward Ramon serving as his sidekick.

You might think the idea of Zorro having an army is a bizarre concept, but that actually happens in the original story. Don Del Oro is a pretty menacing villain, and his true identity is a mystery to all and sundry. A running gag in the serial is that any time someone is about to reveal his identity, they get killed by a golden arrow. And the sound effect they dubbed in sounds kind of silly, but again, that's expected for these kind of things.

And that's pretty much all I really have to say. Personally, I think I prefer this one to Zorro Rides Again. They're both mindless time-wasters for a quiet weekend. Again, this is public domain, so you can find it online quite easily.

Right, I'd best get back to my own projects. Happy writing.

Western Weekends: Zorro Rides Again

It's been a while since I've done a Western Weekend. And I've just landed a summer job which still leaves me some time to work on my swashbuckler stories. So, I've decided to symbolise this breakthrough by looking at Zorro Rides Again, a 12-part film serial from 1937. I've previously stated that the Zorro stories combine westerns and swashbucklers, but this one is geared more towards the western genre by taking place in a contemporary setting.

John Carroll plays James Vega, the great grandson of Don Diego Vega (the original Zorro), who becomes a senior partner in the California-Yucatan Railroad following the death of his uncle Manuel. The crooked investment banker J.A. Marsden seeks to wrest control the railroad from the owners Joyce and Phillip Andrews. When they refuse his offer, he funds and supplies the notorious outlaw El Lobo to carry out a campaign of terror against the railroad. While James is more concerned with composing ballads and reading than running the railroad, he assumes the role of Zorro to thwart El Lobo's schemes while trying to expose his connection to Marsden, his identity known only to Manuel's servant, Renaldo.

As stated above, there's a greater emphasis on the western element of the story, with Zorro using twin pistols rather than a sword. Nonetheless, he's still a great hero and you want to root for him. Being a B-Movie serial, the production values are quite low and some of the cliffhanger endings are a little contrived, but that's expected for something intended to fill time at a Saturday matinee. The story's simple to follow, but that's required. After all, unless you went to the pictures all the time, you probably wouldn't see every episode, so you'd have to be able to pick it up easily. There's some great action and stunt work, while the cheapness can get an unintentional chuckle now and then.

I think the best moment is a scene in which Zorro has to leap onto a moving truck from his horse. If you look at the previous post, you'll see I talked about the desert chase from Raiders of the Lost Ark. This serial is where it originally came from.

If you're interested, the whole serial is public domain, and quite easy to find online.

I'll be back tomorrow, where I talk about Republic's follow-up serial, Zorro's Fighting Legion.

Ha-ha! Cliffhanger!

Favourite Action Scenes #1: The Desert Chase (Raiders of the Lost Ark)

Video

Out of all the action scenes from the Indiana Jones films, I'd say that my favourite is this one from Raiders of the Lost Ark.

After escaping from the Well of Souls, Indy and Marion destroy the plane the Nazis intend to use to take the Ark of the Covenant back to Berlin, which is also a really good action scene, but this one is even better. The Nazis opt to load the Ark on a truck and fly it out of Cairo, prompting Indy to steal a horse and chase after it.

He is able to catch up to the convoy (you'd assume that he's able to take a faster route which they can't), and eventually jumps aboard the truck, where he fights with the two soldiers in the cab. After wildly veering through a building site, he is able to take control and fend off the escort vehicles. However, there is still a squad of soldiers in the back of the truck, who try and shimmy towards the cab. Indy is able to notice them with the wing mirrors, and swerves to throw them off, but one soldier takes advantage of a tear in the truck's canvas to close the distance, and is able to shoot him in the shoulder before being thrown off.

The leader of the squad is much more resourceful, and climbs across the top of the truck rather than the side. He enters the cab on the driver's side, where he is in a position to attack Indy by punching his wounded arm before throwing him out. Indy nonetheless tries to stay on the truck, holding the hood ornament and the radiator, before using his whip to get under the truck in order to get back in.

Like a lot of these scenes I've talked about, I think the best part of this scene is the music. The John Williams score alternates between tense and triumphant. Having the fight take place on board a moving truck allows for all kinds of possibilities, and they make good use of it. By the end of it, Indy is actually worn out and nursing his wounded shoulder in the next scene. It establishes a human side to him, that his adventures do take their toll on him, which is one of the reasons these films are great.

Anyway, that's about it. I hope you've enjoyed my picks, and I love to hear what action scenes are your favourites.

Favourite Action Scenes #2: Inigo Montoya vs. The Man in Black (The Princess Bride)

Video

I think this is one of the most entertaining cinematic sword fights. While Gene Kelly codified Hollywood sword fights in The Three Musketeers, I might say that The Princess Bride perfected it.

Prince Humperdinck of Florin's bride, Buttercup, has been abducted by the Sicilian mastermind Vizzini in a plot to start a war between Florin and and the neighbouring kingdom of Guilder. While en route to Guilder, they are followed by a mysterious Man in Black, and attempt to elude him by scaling the Cliffs of Insanity. Unable to shake him off, Vizzini orders one of his accomplices, the Spanish swordsman Inigo Montoya, to stay behind and take care of their pursuer. However, Inigo is excited about the prospect of fighting with a new opponent, helping him reach the ruined watchtower at the top of the cliff and even letting him rest for a moment before they begin the fight. During this time, he tells The Man in Black about his life's quest to find the six-fingered man who killed his father.

Not long afterwards, the fight begins. Because this is an "entertaining" fight scene, the action is prolonged. The two fighters give and take ground and make use of the terrain, all while complementing each other's skill and styles. However, Inigo likes to toy with his opponents by using his sword in his left hand, but when he realises the Man in Black is a better fighter, he switches to his right hand. He begins to gain the advantage until his opponent reveals he has also been fighting with his off-hand. Eventually, The Man in Black repeatedly upstages Inigo, who becomes increasingly frantic before finally being disarmed. He begs for a quick death, but the Man in Black simply knocks him out.

I think the character development of this fight is great. While Inigo is under orders to make sure the Man in Black dies, there is no real animosity between the two fighters, and they develop a deep respect for one another. Eventually, they meet again as allies in an attempt to stop Buttercup and Humperdinck's wedding.

Anyway, I'll be back tomorrow for my final pick.

Favourite Action Scenes #3: The Ski Chase (The Spy Who Loved Me)

The hardest part of this countdown was determining which action scene from James Bond I wanted to talk about. But when I'm asked, the first scene which comes into my head is the prologue from The Spy Who Loved Me.

Bond is having an intimate moment in a log cabin in the Austrian Alps when he is called in for another mission. However, the woman he was with is secretly in league with a group of KGB agents led by Sergei Barzov planning to lay a trap for him. As Bond skis down the hill, they give chase. Bond tries to elude them by taking a narrower route where only Sergei follows him. After the route straightens out, Bond turns around and shoots his pursuer with a gun concealed in one of his ski poles. When Sergei's team head him off, he finally escapes by parachuting off a cliff - as his leitmotif triumphantly blares. I've heard that BASE jumping was a relatively new thing in 1977, so that moment had a much stronger impact in the cinema.

While there isn't an immediate aftermath to the scene, it does add to the story as news of Sergei's death reaches his lover, fellow KGB agent Anya Amasova, who serves first as Bond's rival then as a partner when they are on the same mission. Even as they work together, there is an outlying source of tension as Anya is unaware that Bond is Sergei's killer, and she later promises to kill him when she discovers the truth.

And if you think there are certain...analogies...to this scene, why not keep them to yourself?

Favourite Action Scenes #4: The Battle of Hoth (The Empire Strikes Back)

I figured there should be a mass battle somewhere on this list. It's interesting that such a scene is not the climax of the film, but actually takes place at the beginning.

The Empire has discovered the Rebel base on the ice world of Hoth, and the Rebels must evacuate as the Imperial forces carry out a ground assault. As gigantic walkers lead the assault on the Rebel lines, Luke Skywalker and his squadron try and provide some close air support in their speeders, using tow cables to disable the heavily armed walkers.

Because the Rebels are outnumbered and outgunned, you will easily sympathise with them. They don't have any hope of beating back the walkers, only to stall them long enough to evacuate the personnel and equipment.

The suspense is great. The troops on the perimeter hear the footsteps of the walkers, then you get a glimpse of one foot through binoculars, followed by the rest of the gargantuan machine. As they report back, you can see the tremors causing ice to fall from the ceiling. During the battle, there's a great surprise moment when Luke is shot down, but single-handedly takes down one of the walkers by grappling under it and planting a bomb. As for the aftermath, you get shots of the walkers firing on the retreating Rebels after breaking through the lines, and the remainder of the surviving personnel escape as Darth Vader leads soldiers through the base itself.

As stated above, this all takes place at the beginning of the film, rather than the end, so you're excited for what's to come.

And need I mention that the John Williams score is fantastic?

Favourite Action Scenes #5: The Bridge of Khazad Dum (Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring)

Part 1 (Getting to the Bridge)
Part 2 (Gandalf vs. The Balrog & The Aftermath)

I was really struggling to decide which action scene I wanted from Lord of the Rings. I debated Helm's Deep or Minas Tirith, but I eventually settled on this scene from the first film.

After fighting goblins and a cave troll in the Mines of Moria, the Fellowship are pursued by demon known as The Balrog, and attempt to escape via a narrow stone bridge spanning an enormous chasm.

Most of the action in the scene is simply the Fellowship trying to get away, but isn't discretion the better part of valour? Anyway, the first part involves the Fellowship traversing a stone staircase leading to the bridge. However, there are goblin archers shooting at them, and the staircase is in disrepair, requiring the heroes to jump over a precarious gap. But as the Balrog draws closer, the tremors make the gap larger, so those on the other side have to be thrown across. Eventually, Aragorn and Frodo are the only ones yet to clear the gap, but at this point it has gotten too wide to jump. Their response? Wait for the section they're on to collapse, and then ride it over the gap. All as Howard Shore's background score reaches an epic crescendo. That's ultimately why I picked it.

But it doesn't end there. As the Fellowship crosses the bridge, Gandalf stays behind to stall the Balrog. Any perception of Gandalf being seen as a quirky old wizard known for his fireworks is quickly dashed here, as he faces down the giant demon and destroys the bridge with those four simple words.

OK, like a lot of people, I do have issues with the immediate aftermath; As the Balrog plummets down the chasm, it uses its whip to pull Gandalf down with him. He grabs on to the ledge, but nobody goes to try and help him (except for Frodo, who gets held back by Boromir). Granted, there were still archers on the other side, but Aragorn and Legolas were carrying bows and could have offered some cover. Anyway, Gandalf falls down the chasm, and we are treated to a poignant moment afterwards when the rest of the Fellowship are mourning outside the mines.

"Fly, you fools!"

Favourite Action Scenes #6: The Other Cemetery Stand-off (The Good, The Bad, & The Ugly)

Another "gritty" scene, from a Western film, set in a cemetery. Sorry, I'm getting a sense of Deja vu. I think this climax is one of the most iconic western showdowns in cinema. Once again, there is a greater focus on build-up than on action.

After sharing the information they have, Blondie and Tuco have arrived at the cemetery purported to contain a cache of gold, and Tuco has located the grave Blondie was told it was buried in. However, they are both ambushed by Angel Eyes (who knew the name of the cemetery but not the name on the grave), who forces them both at gunpoint to dig. Knowing that Angel Eyes would shoot them both and claim the treasure for himself, Blondie reveals that the grave they dug up simply contains a rotting corpse, and writes the true name on the back of a rock.

What follows is a three-way stand-off as the men size each other up, gauging which one is the most dangerous gun-hand, using hard stares to try and unnerve the others into drawing first. Eventually, Angel Eyes draws first, but Blondie is quicker and shoots him. It's also revealed that Blondie had unloaded Tuco's gun the previous night, allowing them to share the gold.

I love how Ennio Morricone's score accentuates the scene, showing the greed of three men leading to a fatal outcome, while also showing off how calculating and methodical Blondie is.

Anyway, I'll see you tomorrow for the next pick.

Favourite Action Scenes #7: Stealing the Horse (The Mask of Zorro)

Clip

We're going back to "entertaining" fight scenes, in which the action is prolonged. This is probably one of the sillier entries on the list. And it's certainly the most chaotic one so far.

Zorro-in-training Alejandro Murietta is attempting to infiltrate the local garrison in order to steal a horse resembling Zorro's steed Tornado. However, the horse is poorly disciplined, and takes Alejandro on a wild ride through the stable and into the adjoining barracks and armoury. The first part (which I don't have a clip of) involves Alejandro trying to keep control of Tornado as the soldiers in the barracks try and get out of harm's way. Eventually, the horse bolts, leaving Alejandro in the barracks as the dust settles.

One of the reasons I want to look at this one is because I find it difficult to write fight scenes involving one person against many. The common pitfall is that the enemies end up attacking one at a time. While it does happen here, they try and avoid it. Actually, the action in the second part opens with them trying to swarm Alejandro in a school yard "pile-on", which he escapes from. And once swords get used, he does use two weapons and tries to bind the blades of two opponents while positioning himself so nobody else can get to him easily.

I love the classic swashbuckling and slapstick element of the scene, with Alejandro swinging from a chandelier and using improvised weapons such as ornamental antlers, and even a sliding barred gate to disarm his opponents. The whole sequence establishes that he is a cunning fighter, but he is motivated by fame rather than a desire to help others, and still has a lot to learn if he wants to become the next Zorro.

Yes, it's cliched, but they're fun cliches.

Favourite Action Scenes #8: The Cemetery Stand-off (The Magnificent Seven)

Part 1
Part 2

I'd probably say that this one is closer to a "gritty" fight scene, in that there is more focus on the build-up and suspense rather than the action. I've included links to both relevant clips (With credit to Movieclips)

A travelling salesman had witnessed a man drop dead in the street, and pays for a burial, but there's an element in town which objects, as the deceased was a Native American. After some verbal sparring between the salesman and the undertaker, the wandering gunslinger Chris volunteers to drive the hearse to the cemetery, while fellow gunslinger Vin joins him to ride shotgun.

A tense journey up the main street culminates in a "reception committee" at the cemetery of five local toughs, who quickly back down after Chris injures two of them with his quick shooting.

The main aspect of this scene is that it introduces the first of our main characters. Chris and Vin are not acquainted beforehand, they simply both volunteer at the same time and recognise each other as kindred spirits. They part ways afterwards, but later meet up again when Chris is recruiting The Seven.

As mentioned above, there isn't a lot of action. Someone does take a pot-shot at the hearse on the way to the cemetery, and Chris shoots the gun out of a tough's hand (drawing blood to add some realism to the scene) and another in the arm. But it's the dialogue which sells the scene, both the heated debate between the salesman and the undertaker, along with the casual small take between Chris and Vin during the ride.

Oh, and I love the shot of the hearse returning as Elmer Bernstein's score blares triumphantly.

Favourite Action Scenes #9: D'Artagnan vs Jussac (The Three Musketeers 1948 version)

I think most cinematic swordfights owe a lot to this 1948 adaptation of the classic Alexandre Dumas novel, starring Gene Kelly as d'Artagnan.

Like in the book, d'Artagnan has offended the titular musketeers in quick succession, and they challenge him to duels. He meets all three at a garden where he's arranged to fight his first duel with Athos, when they are interrupted by the Musketeers' rivals in the Cardinal's Guard. The Musketeers are outnumbered three to five, but d'Artagnan sides with them despite being permitted to leave. He and his allies are able to strike down or rout their opponents, and d'Artagnan saves Athos by attacking the group's leader, Jussac.

What follows is the arrogant and hotheaded d'Artagnan repeatedly humiliating the most dangerous swordsman in the regiment with all the classic swashbuckling tricks while the others watch with interest.

Gene Kelly has a lot of energy in the scene, vaulting over ornaments, slashing his opponent's clothes, throwing water in his face while fighting near a fountain, and at one point even disarms Jussac only to hand his sword back. He eventually triumphs and spare's Jussac's life, but not before getting in one final humiliation by cutting off his belt and pushing him into a pond.

A common consensus in writing action scenes is that there should be some character development. Well, it proves d'Artagnan's fighting prowess, but also endears him to the Musketeers. Before the fight, they were planning to duel, but after seeing him in action, they welcome him as a friend.

Credit to MGM for the clip.

Favourite Action Scenes #10: The Train Chase (The Wrong Trousers)

I thought I might open this countdown with one of the more absurd action sequences around; the climax of the second short film in Nick Park's Wallace & Gromit series.

We'll start by looking at the build-up and suspense. The anthropomorphic penguin and notorious jewel thief Feather McGraw has been renting a room at Wallace's house, using his landlord and a pair of robotic "Techno Trousers" to steal a diamond from a museum. After the heist, he locks Wallace and Gromit in a wardrobe and prepares to leave (Wallace is confined to the Trousers, Gromit is forced in at gunpoint). Gromit then tampers with the electronics in the trousers, causing them to go haywire so they can escape from the wardrobe.

What follows is both tense and hilarious, as Gromit pursues Feathers across the top of a model train which runs through the house. That alone is bizarre enough, but the scene continues to throw surprises and complications: Wallace manages to disarm Feathers and get out of the Trousers, but ends up being on the train with Gromit; Feathers detaches the locomotive and sends the carriages down an incomplete track, so Gromit has to quickly pick up a box of spare track and rapidly lay it out in front of him. Eventually, the Techno-Trousers wander onto the track and Feathers crashes into them, allowing Gromit to capture him.

One of the things which sells the scene is the score by Julian Nott. The fact that the background music is so tense for a scenario that's so silly just sells it. The way the scene is shot makes it look like the characters are covering a lot more ground than they really are, which adds to the surreal nature of these shorts.

Credit to the Wallace & Gromit YouTube Channel for the video.

Anyway, I'll see you tomorrow for my next pick.

Top Ten Action Scenes

I've recently become a man of leisure, and have also recently come back from an informal writers' retreat at a farmhouse near Tenbury Wells. And it was there I had an idea for another Top Ten series.

I take part in a series of writing chats on Twitter every Sunday, and one of these is #JustAddTea, hosted by Elizabeth Mayes at 5:00 pm BST. Well, last week's chat was about action scenes, and the ice-breaker question was to give your favourite action scene. Because there were too many, I said the first one which came to my head, but kept wanting to mention more.

Anyway, this gave me the idea for the Writer's Block. I love action scenes, and am often trying to write them. Being something of a visual learner, I thought I might compile some of my favourites (although I really need to see some which are on paper rather than on screen). Over the next ten days, I'll be posting my ten favourite action scenes in films. These could be sword fights, shootouts, chases, mass battles, or anything in-between. Please be aware that there may be spoilers, and that I'll only be including one entry per franchise.

Additionally, I'm going to be making use of Writing Fight Scenes by Rayne Hall, when looking at the structure and type of action (gritty or entertaining). Because I'm more interested in writing entertaining fight scenes, I'll be focusing more on those.

Anyway, I'm off to compile them. Watch this space for my first pick tomorrow.