Through the magic of the Internet, let us travel back in time to 1940 to attend the world premiere of The Mark of Zorro in Cleveland, Ohio. As captured by the vintage newsreel featured above, the footage is a glimpse at the glitz and glamour of a major celebrity gathering to promote the movie, a classic romantic swashbuckler starring Tyrone Power as the son of a powerful nobleman in 1820s California who returns home from Europe to find his father has been replaced by evil despots. In order to defeat them, Power dons the black-masked disguise of Zorro and takes on his enemies in a series of rousing swordfights. (Making Power the most beloved Zorro in film history in the process). What is most fascinating about watching this newsreel is how premieres haven’t really changed too much over the decades. They are still lavish, star-packed affairs that help perpetuate the dream that Hollywood is a land of movies and wonder. And would you really want that any other way?
This article originally ran last year, and is being reprinted as today’s Throwback Thursday post!