Anna Maria Verdugo is a female character in the 1957 TV show, Zorro. She is portrayed by Jolene Brand and is Zorro's love interest. She is also very wealthy and capable of taking care of herself in dire situations.
Background[]
Anna Maria is the beautiful daughter of Señor Verdugo, she is somewhere between 18–20 years of age.
Personality[]
Anna Maria is loving and kind, but also brave and feisty, she loves her father dearly and is good friends with Don Diego de la Vega.
Relationships[]
Don Diego/Zorro[]
Anna Maria met Don Diego when he came to Monterey to deliver the money that was meant to buy supplies from Spain. She shows sympathy when he tells her and her father that they were robbed as soon as they arrived, but soon become angry when he implies that her father might be involved. She soon develops a dislike for Diego, due to her overprotectiveness for her father. After she is rescued by Zorro, and sees that Diego was trying to help, her hard feelings for him begin to soften, soon developing into friendship. However, she is unaware that he is Zorro or that he has fallen in love with her. When she leaves for Spain, she gives Diego a letter in hopes that if he sees Zorro he will give it to him. Diego goes to his room, changes into his Zorro outfit and reads the letter, keeping his promise to Anna Maria and showing how much respect he has for her.
Some months later, she returns to Monterey, and Diego goes to serenade her beneath her balcony, along with his friend and fellow rival, Ricardo del Amo. Diego does little to hide the jealously he has for Ricardo, who is also trying to win her affection. And he does everything he can, both as himself and as Zorro, to get Ricardo out of the way.
When the Governor offers an hour of amnesty for Zorro, provided he unmasks himself, Anna Maria becomes very excited at the thought that she will now be with Zorro as husband and wife. On the day of the Amnesty, Diego goes to visit Anna Maria to ask her to marry him, but he realizes that she loves only Zorro and thinks of him as a brother. Diego then decides to take the offer of amnesty, only for his father to stop and reconsider. After the hour of amnesty passes, Diego, dressed as Zorro, rides into Monterey and takes Anna Maria to the outskirts of the city. He tells her that he can not give up being Zorro when so many people depend on him. Anna Maria is saddened, but ultimately accepts that she must share him with California for the time being. She asks if her will ever see his face, Zorro replies, "You have only to look about you." The two share a heartfelt hug before he departs.
Appearance[]
Anna Maria appears in nine episodes from season 2 of Zorro.
Welcome to Monterey[]
Airdate: 10/09/58
The second season of Zorro opens with Don Diego (Guy Williams) and Bernardo (Gene Sheldon) visiting Monterey, California. They have been sent there by a group of Los Angeles investors to look over an import business. The visitors have barely arrived in town when two men burst into their room and demand the investors' money. Diego claims he doesn't have it and the men leave when the innkeeper investigates the disturbance. All they take is Diego's watch, but he suspects something more serious is wrong.
Diego sets to work by visiting Señor Verdugo (Eduard Franz), owner of the business that's for sale. The merchant appears to be legitimate, but Diego tells him that several potential investors have been robbed on their way to Monterey so he must check before recommending the investment. He implies that the men who broke into his room are linked to Verdugo, thus angering the older man. Verdugo refutes his accusations by introducing Diego to Romero Serrano (Carlos Romero), a courier who has arrived safely from Santa Cruz. Diego also meets Anna Maria (Jolene Brand), Verdugo's daughter, who openly dislikes him for questioning her father's integrity.
Later, Romero and Anna Maria see Bernardo carefully carrying a saddle bag into the inn, which makes them think Diego has brought the money after all. They accuse Diego and demand that he open the bag, but he refuses, for it contains his Zorro costume. Bernardo manages to confuse them, and switches the contents with some of Diego's clothes.
Two men in the hotel lobby attract Bernardo's attention and he sees that one of them has Diego's watch. The servant tries to follow them but is taken prisoner, to be held hostage until Diego turns over the money. That night, Diego rides as Zorro and rescues his friend, barely escaping a shot fired by an unknown assailant. He returns the fire and wounds him, but the man escapes.
Senorita Makes a Choice[]
Airdate: 10/30/58. After the Verdugos return to Monterey, Anna Maria enters their home and discovers that her father is missing. Pablo (Ken Lynch), their former servant, tells her the old man is being held hostage and will be killed unless she hands over 45,000 pesos believed to be in the house. Diego and Bernardo arrive and Pablo slips away, warning Anna Maria that her father will be killed if she tells anyone of the kidnapping.
Although she won't admit it, Diego discovers what has happened, and he asks the local commandante to send a guard to the Verdugo hacienda. This angers Romero, who claims it will endanger Verdugo's life, and he convinces Anna Maria to send Diego away. When he leaves, she finds the money hidden in a secret panel, and she gives it to Sergeant Garcia to deliver to the kidnappers.
Zorro visits her that night and she tells him of her actions, prompting him to rush to Garcia's aid. The sergeant has been ambushed by the thieves, but Zorro tricks them and learns Verdugo is being held in the blacksmith's shop. While Zorro is fighting the blacksmith, Garcia lets Pablo sneak Verdugo past him, putting the merchant in mortal danger.
Rendevous at Sundown[]
Airdate: 11/06/58
The kidnappers send word that Anna Maria must meet them if she wants proof her father is still alive, but Diego warns her it is a trick. Romero argues that she must go, so she agrees to go with him, Garcia and Reyes. Don Alejandro arrives from Los Angeles and wants to ask the army to surround the area until the others convince him of the danger.
That night Anna Maria meets with the kidnappers and tearfully greets her father. The masked men tell him to ride into town for the money while they hold his daughter hostage, then order Garcia and Reyes to stay behind. Verdugo leaves with Romero, whom Alejandro recognizes as a criminal thrown out of Los Angeles.
Romero pulls out a knife and orders Verdugo to give him the money. Later, one of the kidnappers announces that Romero and a monk have returned with the money. To the thieves' surprise, they see that the monk is really Zorro, who uses Romero as a shield. Pablo kills his cohort in cold blood, forcing Zorro to engage the kidnappers with his sword. Aided by Garcia, he defeats them and sets Anna Maria free. With the robbers safely behind bars, the travelers prepare to head back to Los Angeles, where Diego has promised to deliver a love letter from Anna Maria to Zorro.
Gallery[]
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