Lone Ranger

This article is about the fictional American hero of the Old West. For other uses, see Lone Ranger (disambiguation).

Lone Ranger
Clayton Moore as the Lone Ranger
Publication information
First appearanceWXYZ (January 31, 1933)
Created by
In-story information
Alter egoRanger John Reid
Team affiliationsTexas Ranger Division
PartnershipsTonto
AbilitiesExpert marksman[6]
Above-average athlete, horseman, hand-to-hand combatant, and master of disguise

The Lone Ranger is a fictional masked former Texas Ranger who fought outlaws in the American Old West with his Native American friend Tonto. The character has been called an enduring icon of American culture.[7]

He first appeared in 1933 in a radio show on WXYZ (Detroit), conceived either by station owner George W. Trendle[3][4][5] or by Fran Striker,[8] the show's writer.[9][10] Test episodes aired earlier on radio station WEBR in Buffalo. The radio series proved to be a hit, and spawned a series of books (largely written by Striker), an equally popular television show that ran from 1949 to 1957, comic books, and several films.

The title character was played on the radio show by Earle Graser for some 1,300 episodes, but two others preceded him, according to The New York Times: "a man named Deeds, who lasted only a few weeks; a George Stenius [actually George Seaton according to the Los Angeles Times]. After Graser died in 1941, Brace Beemer assumed the role after serving as the program's narrator.[11][8] On the radio, Tonto was played by John Todd and Roland Parker, among others.

Clayton Moore portrayed the Lone Ranger on television, although during a contract dispute, Moore was replaced for a season by John Hart. Jay Silverheels, a Mohawk from the Six Nations Indian Reserve in Ontario, Canada, was cast as Tonto.

  1. ^ The Green Hornet, Martin Grams, Jr. and Terry Salomonson, 2010, pp. 5–6
  2. ^ His Typewriter Grew Spurs, Fran Striker Jr., 1983
  3. ^ a b "The Lone Ranger". Museum of Broadcast Communications. Archived from the original on March 12, 2011. Retrieved March 7, 2011.
  4. ^ a b "The Lone Ranger". Radio Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on April 24, 2011. Retrieved March 7, 2011.
  5. ^ a b "Radio: The Masked Rider". Time. January 14, 1952. Archived from the original on November 1, 2010. Retrieved March 3, 2010.
  6. ^ Stephanie Stassel (December 29, 1999). "Clayton Moore, TV's 'Lone Ranger,' Dies". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 19, 2009.
  7. ^ Kit, Borys (March 27, 2008). "Disney preps 'Lone Ranger' remake". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on September 26, 2010. Retrieved September 27, 2010.
  8. ^ a b Dennis McLellan (June 9, 1993). "A Gathering of Kemo Sabes : TV's Lone Ranger, Fans Return to Those Thrilling Days of Yesteryear". Los Angeles Times.
  9. ^ His Typewriter Grew Spurs, 1983
  10. ^ WYXIE Wonderland, Dick Osgood, 1981
  11. ^ "Lone Ranger Dead; Auto Hit Trailer". The New York Times. April 9, 1941. Retrieved May 20, 2022 – via Radio in Transition.