Zorro, The Gay Blade

George Hamilton has had an interesting career. He's been the handsome Hollywood leading man in films like Where The Boys Are. He's been an action star in films like The Victor. He's even played Hank Williams and Evil Kneivel. But he was never known as a comedy star. That all changed in 1979 when he took on the role of Dracula for the vampire spoof Love At First Bite. The film was a huge hit and earned Hamilton a Golden Globe nomination. Deciding to keep the funny train rolling, Hamilton decided to spoof another iconic character, Zorro, for his next movie, 1981's Zorro, The Gay Blade.

When Zorro, Hamilton, suffers and injury, he calls upon his flamboyant twin brother Bunny, also Hamilton, to take his place while he recovers. Bunny is more than happy to help his brother, only this time sporting some brightly colored outfits and rejecting the advances of the ladies.

Hamilton has a blast in the dual role and he brings a lot of humor to both parts. A lot of actors would have played the Zorro role as more of a straight man, no pun intended, to the foppish Bunny. But Hamilton makes Zorro just as funny as the over the top Bunny. He even takes on a few smaller roles as well. He earned another Golden Globe nomination for this performance. Ron Leibman and Benda Vaccaro are over the top and a blast as the villains. Lauren Hutton is good, but isn't given much to do, as the love interest.

This film was directed by Peter Medak. A terrific filmmaker better known for heavier fare like Romeo Is Bleeding and The Krays. That being said, he handles the humor in this picture nicely.

Zorro, The Gay Blade is a very funny take on the iconic legend and a great showcase for Hamilton's funny bone.

It's available on dvd.