Lone Ranger

The Lone Ranger was a character originally creat by George W. Trendle in the early 1930's. It aired on the radio from then until the mid 1950's. The most known for playing the Lone Ranger on radio was Brace Beemer who replaced the late Earl Graser. The Lone Ranger was also performed on television in the 1930's by Bob Livingstone. "The Lone Rides Again" did not exactly follow the real legend considering that he would occasionally change clothes and be a normal man like Superman. Tonto was still there, but they added a Mexican, Duncan Renaldo, as a main character.

Other TV actors of the Lone Ranger was John Hart and the most known Clayton Moore. Clayton Moore was a stunt actor and played in other roles in "The Ghost of Zorro," "Jungle Drums of Africa," and many others. As the Lone Ranger, over 200 adventures were made including full length films "The Lone Ranger," and "The Lone Ranger and the Lost City of Gold." Rumor has it that George W. Trendle had fired Moore because he was too closely associated with the Lone Ranger. John Hart then took the position for two seasons. Moore eventually came back.

The story of the origination of the Lone Ranger was played just about every year for his birthday. Known as John Reid, he was originally a Texas Ranger as was his brother, Captain Dan Reid. These two with four other rangers was on the trail looking for a notorious outlaw named Butch Cavendish and his gang. One of the members of the gang, a half-breed named Collins, posed as a guide for the rangers to find Cavendish. He eventually led them into an ambush, but was soon killed by Cavendish for fear that he might turn on the outlaw just as easily as he did with the rangers.

Before the ambush Captain Reid told his brother, "If anything should happen to me and you survive, I know you will take care of my family." He suggested that his brother take over work on the silver mine and that his son would receive his inheritance of it. Soon then came the ambush and of the six Texas Rangers only five perished including the Captain.

An Indian named Tonto finds the results of the ambush and finds the unconscious ranger. He carries him to a nearby cave where he helped to clean and dress the wounds and restores the ranger back to health. When finally receiving his strength back, the ranger recognizes Tonto from a raid on the Indians during their childhood years. He was then called "Kemo Sabi" or "Faithful Friend."

The ranger recalls the ambush by the Cavendish gang. Tonto made six graves, one of them empty but made for the ranger to let the outlaw think that all were killed. Thus the ranger's identity was buried to which Tonto replied, "You only ranger left; you Lone Ranger!" The Lone Ranger vowed to not only bring the Cavendish gang to justice, but to make the west a safer place for all men and asked for Tonto's help. He made a mask from his fallen brother's vest to hide his face and to keep his face a secret.

As time went by, he finds a legendary white stallion and helps to save him from a fight with a wild buffalo. With careful care and training, the Lone Ranger gives the horse the name Silver. While on the look for villains, the masked man hires a man named Jim Blain to work the silver mine and to make a trademark of a silver bullet and to keep an adequate supply of them. No lead was in it for the Ranger did not shoot to kill. It would be his signature to let people, good and bad, know that justice would be done to the man disobeying the law and peace to the man who would make the west his home.

The radio show's introduction summed it all up: "With his faithful Indian companion, Tonto, the daring and resourceful masked rider of the plains led the fight for law and order in the early western United States. No where in the pages of history can one find a greater champion of justice. Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear! From out of the past come the thundering hoofbeats of the great horse, Silver. The Lone Ranger rides again!" To which the Lone Ranger cries, "HI HO SILVER, AWAY!!"

He only shot SilverBullets.