The Mark of Zorro, a 1920 silent film, was followed by Don Q, Son of Zorro, a 1925 American silent swashbuckler romance. The novel Don Q.'s Love Story, written by Kate and Hesketh Hesketh-Prichard in 1909, served as a loose inspiration for it. In 1925, with the passing of Hesketh Hesketh-Prichard, the story was rewritten to serve as a vehicle for Zorro, a character played by Johnston McCulley. Screenwriters Jack Cunningham and Lotta Woods created the movie adaption for United Artists Studios. Douglas Fairbanks played the film's protagonist and served as its producer. Donald Crisp, who also portrayed the antagonist Don Sebastian, directed it. The movie was favorably reviewed; it was listed among the best ten pictures of 1925 by the New York Times.