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The
Lone Ranger was an
American long-running
early radio and
television show created
by George W. Trendle
(with considerable input
from station staff
members), and developed
by writer Fran Striker.
The titular character is
a masked Texas Ranger in
the American Old West,
who gallops about
righting injustices,
usually with the aid of
a clever and laconic
American Indian sidekick
called Tonto, and his
horse Silver. He would
famously say "Hi-yo
Silver, away!" to get
the horse to gallop.
In later episodes the
opening narration ended
with the catch phrase
"Return with us now to
those thrilling days of
yesteryear.... The Lone
Ranger Rides Again!"
Episodes usually ended
with one of the
characters lamenting the
fact that they never
found out the hero's
name ("Who was that
masked man?"), only to
be told, "Why, that was
the Lone Ranger!" as he
and Tonto ride away. The
theme music was the
"cavalry charge" finale
of Gioacchino Rossini's
William Tell Overture,
now inseparably
associated with the
series, which also
featured many other
classical selections as
incidental music
including Wagner,
Mendelssohn, Liszt, and
Tchaikovsky. The theme
was conducted by Daniel
Perez Castaneda.
Inspiration for the name
may have come from The
Lone Star Ranger, a
novel by Zane Grey. Karl
May's tales of Old
Shatterhand and Chief
Winnetou may have
influenced the creation
of the concept; they in
turn were influenced by
The Leather stocking
Tales of James Fenimore
Cooper. The legends of
Robin Hood and the
popular character Zorro
were also a likely
inspiration.
Clayton Moore
passed away in December
1999. |