Douglas Fairbanks, Senior, the screen's first Zorro, still owns Zorro!

Douglas Fairbanks & his wife, Mary Pickford chose Johnston McCulley's 1919 serial in THE ALL STORY MAGAZINE to be the first production of their newly formed company, United Artists. In doing so, Fairbanks practically invented the movie swashbuckler. Fairbanks had been a light comedian on Broadway. He combined his comedic skills into the more traditional role of the leading man. Add Fairbanks' phenomenal athletic talent and a new genre was born. Although Tyrone Power & Guy Williams did very well by the role of Zorro, they never really escaped Douglas Fairbanks' shadow. No one else ever has, either.