The Lone Ranger

The Lone Ranger was a fictional masked Texas Ranger who rode with his Indian sidekick Tonto. His ‘Hi-yo, Silver, away!” saying and his white horse were, and actually still are, famous throughout the world. Growing up I loved hearing his program and I’m sure it helped inspire me to become a cowboy. I still listen to the radio programs on my ipod.

The program created by George Trendle and Fran Striker first appeared on radio WXYZ radio in Detroit January 30, 1933. It included the theme music “cavalry charge” finale of Gioachino Rossini’s William Tell Overture and was an instant hit. There were an unbelieveable 2,956 episodes of The Lone Ranger on the radio. The last new radio episode of The Lone Ranger was aired on September 3, 1954.

The first voice of the Lone Ranger was George Stenius (Seaton). Other actors voicing the part were Earle W. Graser, who took the part on May 16, 1933, until his death in 1941, and Brace B. Beemer, who took over after Graser and finished the run on Sept. 3, 1954.

The series also inspired numerous comic books, two movie serials, books, gramophone records, cereal boxes, toys, a video game, and a live action television series (1949-1957) starring Clayton Moore as he Lone Ranger and Jay Silverheels as Tonto. Moore’s tenure as the Ranger is probably the best-known today. Moore passed away Dec. 28, 1999 after many years of legal hassles with the studio over rights and his role.

From Wikipedia:
“Originally, the character’s true identity was not revealed, though it was hinted that behind the mask he might be a historical Western hero (such as Wild Bill Hickok). Then, after a preliminary version of the character’s now-standard origin appeared in the Republic movie serial of 1938 and elements of that story were worked into the radio series, the hero was revealed to be a Texas Ranger named Reid, who was one of six Texas Rangers chasing the Cavendish Gang. After entering a canyon known as “Bryant’s Gap,” the party finds itself in a murderous ambush arranged by Butch Cavendish, leader of the “Hole in the Wall Gang” and a man named Collins, who has infiltrated the Rangers for the gang as a scout, that seemingly leaves every ranger dead. Then Cavendish shoots Collins in the back, reasoning that someone who would betray the Rangers could also betray his gang.

“Reid’s childhood friend, a Native American known as Tonto (his tribe was seldom specified, but some books say he was probably supposed to be an Apache, while the radio programs identified him as a Potawatomi), comes upon the massacre and discovers Reid is still alive. Tonto takes him to safety and nurses him back to health. Tonto reminds Reid of when they were young, and Reid had rescued Tonto after renegade Indians had murdered his mother and sister and left him for dead. Reid gave him a horse, and Tonto insisted that Reid accept a ring. It is by this ring that Tonto recognizes Reid.

“”While Reid recovers, Tonto buries the dead rangers. Reid vows to bring the killers and others like them to justice. So he asks Tonto to dig a sixth grave so people will believe that he too is dead………

By happenstance, the pair discovers a magnificent white stallion, wounded by a buffalo. Reid and Tonto nurse the stallion back to health, and Reid then adopts the stallion as his mount, training him to respond to the name of Silver.”

You can join the Lone Ranger Fan Club HERE.