Rare Zorro Posters to be Offered by Heritage!

DALLAS, TEXAS: Heritage Galleries & Auctioneers (HG&A) will offer a selection of rare posters from several film incarnations of the legendary masked hero, Zorro, in their upcoming Signature Auction, to be held November 11 & 12, 2005, in Dallas, Texas.

"Created by pulp writer Johnston McCulley in 1919 and published in five successive issues of All-Story Magazine," said Grey Smith, Director of Movie Poster Auctions for HG&A, "Zorro immediately captured the imagination of the American public, including, as the legend goes, Hollywood starlet Mary Pickford, who brought the story to the attention of her husband, Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. Fairbanks, who had been enjoying success in Hollywood as a comedian, saw in this swashbuckling latter-day Robin Hood a chance to take his career to an entirely new level, and immediately optioned the rights."

"The Mark of Zorro, released in 1920, was an instant hit," said Smith, "and, virtually overnight, transformed Fairbanks from a star into a legend. This was the first of his swashbuckling adventure films, which would later include The Three Musketeers (1921), Robin Hood (1922), The Thief of Baghdad (1924), and The Black Pirate (1926), that would make him an international superstar. The Mark of Zorro, however, was the first, and, in the opinion of many silent movie fans, the best of Fairbanks' swashbuckling oeuvre. We're pleased to present a one-sheet, a half-sheet, and a lobby card from this monumental film."

"Fairbanks wasn't the only actor to find fame behind the black mask of Zorro, however," said Smith. "In 1940, the classic silent film was remade, this time starring a young up-and-coming actor named Tyrone Power. Power had been working in Hollywood since 1936, receiving generally favorable reviews, but it was his role as Don Diego de la Vega - as well as his black-clad alter ego - in The Mark of Zorro, that made him a superstar and shot him to the top tiers of Hollywood stardom. Paper from this film is extremely desirable, and we're proud to offer a one-sheet and a title lobby card for collectors of classic adventure films to fight over."

"Now, of course, Zorro is more popular than ever," said Smith, "thanks to the 1998 film, The Mask of Zorro, starring Antonio Banderas and Catherine Zeta-Jones, and the sequel, The Legend of Zorro, due to be released later this year. This is a great time to be a Zorro fan!"

For more information about Heritage's auctions, and a complete record of prices realized, along with full-color, enlargeable photos of each lot, please visit HeritageGalleries.com.

Prospective consignors and sellers of vintage movie posters and related material should contact Grey Smith at 1-800-872-6467, ext. 367, or 214-252-4367, or email GreySm@HeritageGalleries.com.

To reserve your copy of any Heritage auction catalog, please contact Nicole Jewell at 1-800-872-6467, ext. 272, or visit HeritageGalleries.com to order by email.