Bruce's childhood hero and an influence on his Batman persona. Discrepancies exist regarding which version Bruce saw: The Dark Knight Returns claims it was the Tyrone Power version, whereas a story by Alan Grant claimed it to be the silent Douglas Fairbanks original. Bill Finger was himself inspired by Fairbanks' Zorro, including similarities in costumes, the "Bat Cave" and Zorro's cave, and unexpected secret identities, especially since the Batman character antedates the Tyrone Power remake by a year. In Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice (set in the DCEU continuity), Bruce and his parents leave a screening of 1940's The Mark of Zorro the night of their murder. In the animated series Justice League Unlimited, a flashback of the fateful night establishes that for DCAU continuity, Bruce and his parents were attending The Mark of Zorro, but does not indicate which version. In earlier episodes of Batman: The Animated Series, the fictional character the Gray Ghost, a pulp-fiction hero inspired by The Shadow, is the inspiration to young Bruce Wayne. In Todd Phillips' 2019 film Joker, the marquee above the theater young Bruce and his parents exit shows the 1981 films Blow Out and Zorro, the Gay Blade as playing. Home media The Mark of Zorro has been released twice on DVD. The first was on October 7, 2003, and featured the film in its original black-and-white, as part of 20th Century Fox Studio Classics Collection. The second was released on October 18, 2005, as a Special Edition, featuring both a newly restored black-and-white version and a colorized version, prepared by Legend Films. Both contain the short film "Tyrone Power: The Last Idol" as seen on Biography on the A&E Network, with a commentary by film critic Richard Schickel. Kino Lorber released the film on Blu-ray in 2016. References Further reading Todd Weiner. 2004. The Mark of Zorro, 1940. UCLA Film and Television Archive: 12th Festival of Preservation, July 22 – August 21, 2004. Festival guest handbook. External links 1940 films 1940 Western (genre) films 1940s English-language films 20th Century Fox films American Western (genre) films American black-and-white films Films based on American novels Films based on works by Johnston McCulley Films directed by Rouben Mamoulian Films produced by Darryl F. Zanuck Films scored by Alfred Newman Films set in California Films set in the 19th century Films with screenplays by Bess Meredyth Sound film remakes of silent films United