The Legend of the Lone Ranger

I can remember listening to the Lone Ranger on radio. When TV brought the masked man into our homes, The William Tell overture would bring chills down our spines. This movie which I picked up at a Dollar Store brought back a lot of memories and explained the Ranger's existence. How he was joined by Tonto and the finding of his horse Silver was never explained in the early television episodes. The story was well written and no one could ever replace Clayton Moore or Jay Silverheels. The quality of the DVD is actually much better than the rabbit eared TV picture on the 12 inch screen that I remember. I think getting copies of this DVD would make for great Christmas gifts for young and old ranger fans.

This three-episode television classic was filmed in 1949 and introduced Clayton Moore and Jay Silverheels as the Lone Ranger and Tonto. This seminal film details the Masked Man's origins as a Texas Ranger who was ambushed with five fellow rangers by outlaw Butch Cavendish, the Ranger's recovery with Tonto's help, why he conceals his identity with a mask, how he finds Silver, and their round-up and arrest of the Cavendish gang. Moore and Silverheels were perfect as the two leads in this series and portrayed the characters as no one else could have. They were supported by some of the old-school, venerable character actors of the day such as Glenn Strange, George Lewis, Tris Coffin, George Chesboro, and Walter Sande. The crisp black and white photography stands up well with time and the Lone Ranger "mood music" is a superb, nostalgic accompaniment to the program. Each of the three episodes is wonderfully narrated by way of introduction, and the narration is also used introduce key plot situations.

This compilation film edited from the three part half hour television show that gives us the story of the origins of The Lone Ranger was something I vividly remember as a child. Looking back now and seeing it again it looks kind of silly, except maybe to the eyes of a six year old.

A wounded mixed race renegade named Collins played by George J. Lewis comes into Texas Ranger Headquarters with a bullet wound and information about the whereabouts of Butch Cavendish one of the most notorious outlaws of the Old West. Captain Reid played by Tris Coffin goes in pursuit of the gang and one of the Ranger company is his younger brother John.

But it's a trap, the murderous Cavendish gang led by Glenn Strange has it in mind to get the Rangers into a box canyon and shoot them down. News of a massacre of law enforcement officials would allegedly send terror into their hearts and they'd know better than to pursue the Cavendish gang.

Collins does the dirty betrayal, but he's shot down like the rest. Only one badly wounded ranger survives and he's nursed by an Indian named Tonto. But instead of a natural bent for vengeance, the surviving ranger who was the younger Reid brother decides on a quest to bring law and order to the west by apprehending criminals wherever he goes. And the appropriate name for this crusader, The Lone Ranger.

Of course first things first and the rest of the film deals with the apprehension of Cavendish and his gang. I remember a later episode of the series had the Lone Ranger and Tonto capturing Glenn Strange again after he busts out of prison. But that's later on.

Clayton Moore and Jay Silverheels set the standard for The Lone Ranger and Tonto, most people can't recall anyone else ever playing them. And we all well remember how Moore until the day he died literally lived the part by always appearing masked in public. Only Bela Lugosi as Dracula ever carried a single role so much over into his private life.

The film is as badly edited as some serial compilations are and the plot does get a bit silly at times. Still it's The Lone Ranger, probably the greatest fictional western hero ever.

This is a compilation of 3 episodes of the long-running TV series starring Clayton Moore. It chronicles the origin of The Lone Ranger, and how he met Tonto and Silver, while avenging the death of his brother. A fairly straightforward good guys vs. bad guys story, it nonetheless evokes a strong emotional appeal to the imagination, showing why The Lone Ranger continues to be popular.

I have had the video 'The Legend of the Lone Ranger (1952) for several years. I have enjoyed playing it for my children and grandchildren. They have all been excited, as have I, regarding this wonderful story of two fictional hero's of the old west. This is a well developed story line, which followed that of the radio series with considerable refinement. I had listened to "The Lone Ranger" on radio from the earliest days of my memory. The horses at times almost become stars in their own right. As other Lone Ranger video's became available we purchased them. Even the background music, the finale of the William Tell Overture, is fitting the classic nature of the story. The announcer and the narrative is a class act in itself. In my opinion, one of the best TV series of all time. Dave Barker