The one after whom this forum was named

[Zone Fighter]

Hi-Yo Silver / The Legend of the Lone Ranger
1 double-sided DVD

On one side is an abridged version of the 1938 Republic serial "Hi-Yo Silver". It's been edited into an hour and seven minute feature. I think it would be better with the cliffhangers intact. The story is different from the radio serial and television series in which 6 Texas Rangers are ambused by the Cavendish gang. In this story a gang kidnapps and murders the Minister of Finance for Texas (really just a glorfied tax collector). The leader of the gang then impersonates the official and has his gang members impersonate federal troopers. When they hear that a group of Texas Rangers is on the way they ambush the Rangers. One survives to become the masked "Lone Ranger" and vowes vengence for the deaths of the other rangers. This version of the Lone Ranger does not wear his mask 24 hours, 7 days a week, but only when he wants to go into action. Unmasked he joins a group of ranchers who fight against the corrupt tax official, not knowing he's an imposter. Early on 5 of these ranchers are captured by one of the gangmembers who believes one of the 5 is the Lone Ranger. Although the Lone Ranger reveals himself to the other 4 men, because a candle goes out neither the audience nor the crook sees his face. One by one the other 4 men are killed, making it obvious who the Lone Ranger is. Just in case the audience doesn't get it he unmaskes himself at the end. Tonto didn't have as large as a role as he should have.

On the other side of the disk is "The Legend of the Lone Ranger", a compilation of the first 3 episodes of the 1950s television series, which starred Clayton Moore as the Lone Ranger and Jay Silverheels as Tonto. This film follows the radio series. Six Texas Rangers are ambushed by the Cavendish gang. When the indian Tonto nurses the one surving Texas Ranger back to health he recognises him as the man who years ago helped him after he was attacked by other indians and left for dead. The surviving ranger tells Tonto one of the dead Rangers, Captain Reid, was his brother. Brit Reid, the Greenhornet was supposed to be the Lone Ranger's great, great nephew (or something like that). After helping Tonto dig a 6th grave, so it will appear that all the rangers were killed, the Lone Ranger sets out to find a horse, Tonto has his paint called "Scout". The Lone Ranger saves the life of a wounted white stallion about to be killed by a buffalo (bison actually). After training his new horse, Silver, the Lone Ranger tells Tonto he wants to see a friend named Jim. This friend is the third person to know who the Lone Ranger is, and is placed in charge of the secret silver mine discovered by the Reid brothers. It's this silver which provides the Lone Ranger's silver bullets, and the money he needs to finance his adventures. The title "Lone Ranger", naming the horse Silver and using silver bullets were all Tonto's ideas. The black mask was made from Captain Reid's vest. Only after gaining a name, a partner, a horse and his special ammo did the Lone Ranger go after the Cavendish gang.

Clayton Moore was a circus acrobot, turned male model, turned stuntman, turned actor. He got the role of the Lone Ranger in 1949. He played the role until 1952, leaving the series after a pay dispute. For 26 episodes John Hart was the Lone Ranger. Then in 1954 Clayton Moore was given more money to return. He stayed with the series until it ended in 1956.

Jay Silverheels (birth name: Harold J Smith) was a mixed-blood Mohawk, son of a Canadian tribel chief. Active in athletics he became a Hollywood stuntman. In 1949 he got the role of Tonto, a role he played until "The Lone Ranger" ended in 1956. In the 1970s he was an award winning horse breeder and harness race driver.


Both films are black and white.

I liked "The Legend of the Lone Ranger" best of the two. This Lone Ranger seaks justice not vengence, he tries to take criminals in alive, so the law can determine what their punishment should be. Despite his poor English ("Me go with you" ) Tonto is actually very intelligent and has a larger role then in the Republic serial. And yes, Butch Cavendish does ask "Sheriff, who was that masked man?"

[Xenorama ™]

I'm a big Lone Ranger fan (hence the title) and there are several nice compilation DVDs of the original tv series out there. I plan on getting one.
I barely remember any John Hart episodes.

[celamowari]

I think the parts of the serial may be lost, hence the edited version.

[Zone Fighter]

Could be. I couldn't tell if the old guy telling this story to a kid was a part of the original serial or not. There were things not shown he just talked about, like the first rancher being killed. All that was shown was his funeral.

[Xenorama ™]

I knew a guy who had both Lone Ranger serials (I think there are two) and they had Spanish subtitles. I never saw them though.
Yep, there are two, one from '38 and one from '39.

[celamowari]

I actually did know that (I think the second one is THE LONE RANGER RIDES AGAIN? Maybe...). I had also read that the only surviving prints were ones from Mexico. Whether those were surviving COMPLETE prints or not, I do not know. So that would be the reasoning for the subtitles.

I should look into this further.

[Zone Fighter]

I just bought a collection of 12 Lone Ranger episodes. It was $5.99 plus tax at Best Buy. Box says they're a mixture of b/w and color episodes.

Episodes are:
War Horse
High heels
Tenderfoot
Old Joe's Sister
A Message From Abe
Cannonball McKay
The Renegades
Peter And Pedro
Rustler's Hideout
Legion Of Old Timers
Enter The Lone Ranger
The Lone Ranger Fights On


I also got two Zorro movie serials, 12 episodes each. Also $5.99 plus tax, for both serials.

[Xenorama ™]

I have those, although I gave the LR set to my brother, as there is an "AMC" collection of 14 episodes in order at Fry's I want to get.

[Preston]

During the decade of the 1970s, I read a comic strip about the LONE RANGER which gave the so-called UNTOLD origin of his Silver Bullets. It had to do with Tonto. Specifically somebody from Tonto's tribe who was a Shaman. This Shaman was evil and could also do Lycanthropy, namely, changing into a Werewolf. Until that encounter, the Lone Ranger had Never used silver bullets. But then he found that the Only way a Werewolf can be slain is by being shot with a silver bullet. I understand that this use of silver is found in European lycanthropy. The Lone Ranger applies that principle here to slay the Werewolf-Shaman.

Now is that the true origin of LR's silver bullet? Can anyone tell me? Whatever the case, it sounds plausible because silver is the nemesis of a Werewolf.

[Xenorama ™]

if i remember the show correctly there was a family silver mine, and the purity of the silver was for justice, no mysticism inherent in the bullets.

[Preston]

Yes, Megs, I understand your point about how the silver-bullet is used as a symbolism of purity. But that was the CLAYTON MOORE version. Apparently, there are Other versions as well. For example, there was the Saturday Morning ANIMATED series in which Lone Ranger fought against Robots, and Monsters, and even Space Aliens. Diehard fans might get ANNOYED at that version but the series exists so it must be included in the mythology. By the same token, so should the Werewolf version.

[Xenorama ™]

while i enjoy that version of the Lone Ranger, it really can't be considered part to the original stories (which of course started on the radio). those other origins might be part of the entire Lone Ranger mythos, but not to the Clayton Moore one. i mean, in the 80s movie, Tonto gave him silver bullets to help him shoot straighter... how stupid is that?

David