Mask of the Avenger (1951)

• 54%
• 1951
• Adventure
• Romance
• Phil Karlson
• John Derek
• Anthony Quinn
• Jody Lawrance

In 1848, the northern Italian region of Casamare is facing an imminent military invasion by the neighboring Austrian army. In the town-square of Casamare, at the statue of the famed Italian hero Count of Monte Cristo, the local military governor, Viovanni Larocca, is holding a patriotic speech in order to bolster the people's morale and to fund-raise more money for the Italian army. Most people have complete trust in their military governor. However, Larocca is summoned to the luxurious estate of Count Dimorna, one of the leading noblemen of Italy, whose son, army captain Renato Dimorna is on leave. At Count Dimorna's castle, military governor Larocca is confronted by an angry Dimorna who accuses Larocca of treason. His proof is a letter from the enemy to Larocca confirming large transfers of money made to a personal Swiss account in Larocca's name. Larocca murders Dimorna and makes it appear as if the count committed suicide because the count's guilty conscience of being the real traitor. Larocca confiscates Dimorna's estate and turns it into his military HQ. When the young captain Renato Dimorna arrives at his father's estate, he is assaulted by the gullible villagers who believe Larocca's story about Count Dimorna being a traitor. Pretending to be compassionate toward Renato, Larocca saves him from the mob and offers him shelter at his HQ, formerly the Dimorna estate. In reality, Larocca intends in keeping young Dimorna, now wounded by the mob, prisoner in his own house. But young captain Renato Dimorna is determined to find out the truth about military governor Larocca's activities and to avenge his father's suspicious death. For this purpose, he steals Monte Cristo's famed sword from its showcase from the hero's statue in the town square, dons a black mask and a Zorro type black outfit and sneaks out in the night.