Talk:Lone Ranger/Archive 1

A Few items that ought to have been included in the article
The article points out that some folks have suggested that Tonto was of Apache origin and that there are hints in the radio version that he was Pottawatomi. Correct! But we should also mention that there are occasional references in the TV version to his having been Cheyenne. Indeed, while watching the TV show as a kid, I and all my fellow LR fans were under the impression that he was Cheyenne.

Also: On the radio version, the Lone Ranger and Tonto always called EACH OTHER Kemo Sabe.

One more remark: I grew up with a very positive image of Native Americans. I thought Native Americans (well, we called them Indians) were cool. I credit the Lone Ranger TV show for that. I dug Tonto.

Tom 129.93.29.10 06:01, 18 February 2007 (UTC)

You are correct that the Lone Ranger and Tonto called EACH OTHER Kemo Sabe on the radio version, but only until sometime in the late 1940s. In later episodes, as in the TV show, only Tonto called the LR Kemo Sabe. --GrouchoRoss (talk) 04:52, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

Retconning the horses
The discussion of the story of how the heroes obtained their horses sounds much like what is called in the world of comic books a retcon – a rewrite of the fictional "past events" of characters to make them fit their universe's current "realities". Anyone know if this is the case here? Of course, I really don't remember the radio show, just the TV one. Rlquall 06:05, 4 Dec 2004 (UTC)

None the less I still, after all these years find the story of the horses rather moving.

Moved from article:

It is well known that George W. Trendle did NOT create the Lone Ranger and the continuing characters. This erroneous idea originated when Trendle bought out Striker's interest in The Lone Ranger show for a tiny amount of money and a long term contract. After that event, Trendle took public credit for the character. It is simply not true. --Calton | Talk 00:11, 7 Mar 2005 (UTC)

redirected Kemosabe to The Lone Ranger Themindset 19:58, 28 Apr 2005 (UTC)

Another Fran Striker series
If you read the Lone Ranger books, you may like another adventure series written by Fran Striker: the Tom Quest series. Like the Lone Ranger, it's a juvenile series for boys but it's really very well written and a fun read. --FWDixon 11:39, 21 Jun 2005 (UTC)

John Reid?
Is it true that John Reid was *never* mentioned? I know it's not impossible for so many sources to be wrong, but at least two sources pinpoint a 1953 anniversary radio broadcast (retelling the origin) as specifically identifying the ranger as John Reid, *plus* reviews/credits for the 1981 movie The Legend of the Lone Ranger all mention John Reid. I'll try to check the radio broadcast, which I have on tape, but if anyone else can or would care to check on this (see the movie, for example), it would be greatly appreciated. Aleal 00:01, 27 Jun 2005 (UTC)

The name John was never mentioned on the radio program or the tv show. Anyone who knew who the Lone Ranger really was referred to him only as "Reid." A book was published in 1966 about old-time radio and mentioned the name "John." That is the first known mention of the name. Since then the name John Reid has appeared in the liner notes of a 1978 children's record album, the 1981 "Legend of the Lone Ranger" movie, and, most recently, the 2006 comic book series from Dynamite Entertainment. Michael.douglas.dean

Dan Reid's Horse Victor
Many (>40) years ago, a friend asked me, "What was the name of the Lone Ranger's nephew's horse?" I didn't know and he told me that it was Victor, and that the Lone Ranger's nephew was Dan Reid. I've been repeating this since. This was from the radio show, and we old fogeys are rapidly losing our memories. Is this all correct? Bill Jefferys (talk) 01:12, 21 December 2007 (UTC)

"¿Quien no sabe?"
Most everything about "kemo sabe" in the article either makes sense, is common knowledge, or is easily verified. To equate that phrase to "quien no sabe" sounds like guesswork. If you can find a reference to it, other than sites that mirror this one, cite it. Wahkeenah 14:19, 25 August 2006 (UTC)

Well written
This article is very well written and fun to read. There's something at the beginning that says it's not "formal tone" appropriate to "encyclopedias." If by "formal tone" they mean "extremely boring" then they're right. This article is great and should not be rewritten to satisfy those who have no fun in life. 69.227.3.212 23:02, 10 December 2006 (UTC)

"Inappropriate Tone?" and "John?"
I, too, see nothing overly informal about the tone, and further state that I see no significant difference in that regard between this and the Green Hornet article, which carries no such note.

As for the claim of the Ranger's first name, I have an audio tape of a radio retelling of the origin, narrated by Fred Foy and therefore reasonably late in the run (the original airdate is not specified), and neither brother's first name is stated, and the same is true for the three-part TV series opener that also tells the origin (Fall 1949). Indeed, in the latter case dialogue is somewhat clumsy in order to avoid using them (or at least the Ranger's). I am the one that added the statement that a Fran Striker obit and a Gold Key comic book both called the younger Reid "Dan," and saw both with my own eyes. The bottom line point here is that the only thing that "John" and "Dan" have going for them to be more official than, say, the names used in the WB network TV-movie is the fact they are tied to the surname "Reid" which WAS established by the Lone Ranger's creators way back when, but those first names themselves are as much after-the-fact creations as the others, and this is how any academic reference work should describe the situation. Ted Watson 21:27, 24 February 2007 (UTC)

Conflicting claims in Fran Striker's obituary & here on Wikipedia
According to Fran Striker's obituary in the New York Times, he started "Lone Ranger" in Buffalo for WBEN (misidentified by the NYT as WBER), where it was first broadcast, and then sold it to WXYZ. This doesn't square with your account. Comments? —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Guybrarian (talk • contribs) 02:09, 9 March 2007 (UTC).

Also, the Fran Striker article here on Wikipedia gives the details of the first broadcast in Buffalo. I stand corrected--the station misidentified by the NYT was not WBEN but WEBR.


 * I don't think the NYTimes obit is sufficient proof that "Lone Ranger," under that name, was already broadcast elsewhere. Then and now, even the NYT has made massive errors or poorly sourced info on obituaries when dealing with creative issues. While there will no doubt continue to be some ambiguity about the Lone Ranger's "creation," Dick Osgood's book WXYZ Wonderland, which includes accounts from Striker's family and just about all sides on the issue, discusses how Striker's earlier series was a "covered wagon days" serial. Many of the plots were in fact recycled for The Lone Ranger, but the actual *figure* of a masked hero called the Lone Ranger, post dates it. Citation would help the article, though (I admit, I'm too lazy and busy with other things to do it right now myself). -- Aleal 04:14, 10 March 2007 (UTC)


 * Actually, partially amending that, there's also this NY Times obit of actor John L. Barrett. It gives him credit for being the first Lone Ranger, but on "Covered Wagon Days," not a series of its own. Hmmm. This is all new to me, and seems to recquire more research. User:Movieresearch added the claim to the Striker page, but his sources aren't clear. Things for someone to ponder. -- Aleal 04:23, 10 March 2007 (UTC)

"The Lone Ranger" TV & Radio Series vs. "The Lone Ranger", the character
This article states that "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."

I feel that this article needs to be split into two different articles: one for the Radio & TV series, and one for the character himself. --Schmendrick 16:17, 29 May 2007 (UTC)

This is supposed to be a sentence?!
Some later radio reference books, beginning with The Big Broadcast in the 1970s, erroneously claimed that the two brothers' first names were John and Dan, respectively; however, use of their first names was deliberately avoided on both the radio and television programs, while at least one newspaper obituary upon Fran Striker's 1961 death and a 1964 Gold Key Comics retelling of the origin both stated that the Lone Ranger's given name was "Dan Reid" it must be acknowledged that the 1981 big-screen version, The Legend of the Lone Ranger, gave the names of John and Dan a degree of official standing, although the completely different names found in the 2003 TV-movie/unsold series pilot undercuts that; in any event, the name of Captain Reid's son, and the Ranger's nephew, a later character who became a sort of juvenile sidekick to the Masked Man, was Dan Reid. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 216.52.235.101 (talk) 14:45, 29 October 2007 (UTC)


 * That was my work and I have now fixed it. Thanks for pointing it out so I'd know I needed to. Ted Watson (talk) 21:42, 23 November 2007 (UTC)

Our work is done
Is is true that the Lone Ranger often used the words "our work is done" or similar at the end of TV or radio episodes?

JohnYeadon (talk) 12:13, 21 February 2008 (UTC)


 * I remember it a few times, but I don't know how many; you'd have to search Google or something. It might just be something aired a few times and overblown. (LIke in Star Trek, "I can't defy the laws of physics" is seen by fans as a catch phrase for Scotty, even though he only says it once.)Somebody or his brother (talk) 14:17, 26 May 2009 (UTC)

Fair use rationale for Image:SupermanLoneranger.jpg
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BetacommandBot (talk) 08:55, 21 January 2008 (UTC)

Original research in The Legend of the Lone Ranger section
I've tagged that section with original research because there are no citations for the reception the film was met with. It looks interesting how fans reacted so I hope the citation requirement can be fulfilled. Its probably necessary to rewrite the description, excluding such words as "lame" and qualifying the reception of fans which now includes "extremely outraged" and "utter outrage". If these demonstrations are well-known, there will be sources stating as much. Xndr (talk) 16:59, 6 March 2008 (UTC)


 * While I agree with your point, last month I put a "citation needed" tag on that passage, which seems more appropriate to the situation&mdash;if less apparent. BTW, I moved your tag to under the section title before I came here, not to say that I would have just deleted it on these grounds otherwise. Ted Watson (talk) 21:49, 8 March 2008 (UTC)


 * This section is indeed written entirely from a fan's viewpoint and needs to be rewritten. I have left the opening and moved the rest to here as it is mostly unsourced original research (writer seems to believe that simply writing "Several existing accounts" suffices as providing sources. SteveCoppock (talk) 17:32, 30 March 2008 (UTC)

''Many fans were also quite upset at the way in which the film depicted the events in the life and career of the Lone Ranger, blatantly disregarding much of the existing background material, which is considered by many to be canon, and changing it. Several important events in the background of the Lone Ranger were completely contrary to the well-established and accepted background material. These included, events such as Tonto teaching the Lone Ranger how to shoot guns. In the original concept, Reid was already an established Ranger and considerable marksman. In the film, however, the Lone Ranger has little or no experience with guns and proves to be a terrible shot. When Tonto witnesses what a bad shot Reid is, he immediately introduces him to a silver bullet, telling him that using silver bullets would allow him to hit his target because silver is pure. Of course, he then becomes a perfect marksman. In this treatment, the Lone Ranger seems like an ineffectual idiot without Tonto.''

''The event in which the Lone Ranger and Silver meet is not only portrayed completely differently than in the radio and TV shows, but it is almost insulting to the fans. Again, Tonto is responsible for Silver and the Lone Ranger teaming up, and the Lone Ranger's initial attempts to ride and train the great white horse are nothing less than lame attempts at buffoonery. Perhaps, the most blatant example of the film's disregard for well-established canonical background information is obvious when John Reid is introduced in the film's beginning, not as an established Texas Ranger as he was in all previous versions of the Lone Ranger saga, but, instead, he is a young attorney, newly returned from school back East and opening his law practice in the same town that is home to his brother, a captain in the Texas Rangers. It is only after his brother and the other Texas Rangers are killed in the Cavandish ambush (all except John, of course, who accompanied them after being handed a Ranger badge in town by his brother, just before the pursuit of the bandits begins) that Reid wants justice and to avenge his brother's death by becoming the Lone Ranger (which is ironic, considering in the film he was not an authentic Texas Ranger; this aspect of the film was reflected in the 2003 TV movie/series pilot). In the film, Reid has no clue how to go about achieving his new goal, and, therefore, it is up to Tonto to teach him and show him the way.''

''Many fans were extremely outraged by this film and, especially at the ridiculous narration in rhyme that producers apparently felt was needed to help tell the story, fearing that visuals, dialog, and actual plot lines couldn't do it alone. The outpouring of anger, disappointment, and utter outrage at the film among Lone Ranger fans and aficionados, was great. One particularly well-known demonstration of that outrage took place in Greensboro, NC, in 1981, during the very first showing of the film on opening day in the local theater. Many moviegoers still recall watching the film when an enraged fan abruptly stood up, provoking protests and demands for him to shut up and sit down. During the film, this fan passionately denounced the film, as well as those persons responsible for creating it. Several existing accounts contend that the fan's impassioned speeches about Klinton Spilsbury being nothing more than merely 'just another guy in a mask,' and not 'The Real Lone Ranger' and how the real Lone Ranger was not being depicted properly in this film, actually became more entertaining and engaging to the audience than the film itself. Many of the moviegoers were ignorant of the original concepts of the Lone Ranger prior to the viewing of the film, but, upon leaving the theatre, confessed a strong desire to learn more about the character's pre-film background and history by listening to and watching some of the old radio shows and early televeision series episodes, respectively; and all strictly because of this unknown fan's impassioned speech.''

Lark Cigarettes Commercial
This whole sentence:
 * "During the 1960's, a series of television commercials for Lark cigarettes featured the famous Lone Ranger theme, as a moving sign, held by a man atop a vehicle, urged people on the street to "Show us your Lark pack". In a spoof of these spots, an ad for Jeno's Pizza Rolls asks party goers to "Show us your pizza roll pack". The Jeno's spokesman is interrupted by an executive type man, lighting up a cigarette (and presumably carrying a pack of Larks), who says to the Jeno's spokesman. "You now, I've been meaning to talk to you people about that music you're using." Suddenly a gloved-hand slaps the cigarette smoker on the shoulder; the camera pulls back to reveal that the gloved-hand belongs to The Lone Ranger (played by Clayton Moore) with Tonto (played by Jay Silverheels) standing beside him, as the Ranger says to the cigarette smoker, "You know, I've been meaning to speak to you people about the same thing." Jay Silverheels then offers his 'kemo-sabe' a Pizza Roll, but the Lone Ranger, cooly and without even looking at him or the pizza rolls, declines with a simple hand-gesture. It was one of the most brilliantly conceived and executed TV ads during that period and it was as effective with consumers as it was popular among fans of Lark cigarettes, Jeno Pizza Rolls, and, of course The Lone Ranger and Tonto (as well as Moore and Silverheels)."

Altough interesting seems a little too fan-boyish in my opinion, it could be improved somehow.Vicco Lizcano (talk) 18:16, 6 May 2008 (UTC) (Hey! Listen!)

Kemosabe
How much sense does it make to redirect Kemosabe here if the word isn't even mentioned (never mind explained) in the article? -- Kamagurka (talk) 14:43, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

In Brazil the Lone Ranger is known as "Zorro"...
''In Brazil the Lone Ranger is known as "Zorro." Zorro himself is also known by that name there, leading to a degree of ambiguity and confusion.''

Say what? I grew up in Brazil and never heard that. The Lone Ranger is "O Cavaleiro Solitário" which is a direct translation.

Maybe he was known as Zorro at some point in pop-culture pre-history? That would explain the confusion. (Yeah the confusion part is true, many people think Silver or Tonto are linked to Zorro, although they do describe Zorro correctly.) -- LaloMartins (talk) 22:34, 15 September 2008 (UTC)

"There existed another title sequence..."
The above sentence quoted from the intro continues, "...one more common to syndication...." It was in fact created for the second theatrical feature, The Lone Ranger and the Lost City of Gold. It was indeed heard in syndication, but this was in feature compilations of color episodes from the final season, titled Adventures of the Lone Ranger with a sub-title specific to that particular three-episode collection. I am rewriting the above line to identify the proper source of the theme song quoted there, but I feel that the explanation of that editor's understandable confusion is irrelevant there. To avoid an edit war, I create this, and will link it into my edit summary. Maybe some discussion of these later in the article is a good idea? --Ted Watson (talk) 22:28, 10 May 2009 (UTC)

"Overture" or "cavalry charge"
In the sub-section "Music," we find the following (minus Wikilinks):


 * The theme music was the "cavalry charge" finale to Gioachino Rossini's William Tell Overture....

This at least sounds like a contradiction in terms, as an "overture" is defined as the opening medley of melodies from the musical play, opera, or whatever, about to be performed (or movie about to be screened; several restored films, not necessarily musicals, have such overtures on their videos, King Kong, for one). So by definition, an overture is a collection of excerpted "quotes" from a larger work. This demands the question: How can the theme to The Lone Ranger be The William Overture? Furthermore, the passage quoted above does indeed call it only part of that work in any event. Should it actually read, "...the 'cavalry charge' finale to Rossini's opera William Tell, widely mislabelled as its ' ...Overture ' in which it is admittedly excerpted"? --Tbrittreid (talk) 22:49, 5 July 2009 (UTC)


 * It's poorly worded. What they're referring to is indeed the overture, but noting that the theme music does not use the entire overture, just the last portion, and with many operas from that period, unlike King Kong or anything of the kind, did indeed have unique overtures, and as far as I can determine, it's really only in more recent times (apparently including Wagner' for example) that an oevrture became merely an excerpt or medley since the literal meaning of the word is just "opening" and it was something that presaged the performance but most of the classical composers wrote original overtures (but likewise, some also borrowed from their own works later on, so an overture to one opera could turn into the big love song in another, but that's immaterial and basically the musical equivalent of an author recycling a plot). The William Tell Overture article itself clears up some of the confusion, and it's not widely mislabeled since the cavalry charge is not reallty the finale of the opera but just refers to the last of the four segments of the overture, which has come to be associated with cavalry charges (and likely, in the original opera, it's possible the motif was indeed used for a scene, not the actual finale, where the Swiss army arrived, but the opera itself is mostly obscured and the Wikipedia article doesn't say much about it). Regardless, the theme was definitely taken from that last portion of the overture, not from the opera, as attested to in all documentation on The Lone Ranger. So while the issue over the overture itself and how much of it was used in the actual opera could be discussed on the overture or opera pages, as far as this article is concerned, it just needs clarification or rewording, definitely no "widely mislabeled" claim. -- Aleal (talk) 23:42, 5 July 2009 (UTC)


 * After reading your post and checking the "...Overture" article, I still see "widely mislabelled" as appropriate. What is used as the theme for The Lone Ranger is only a part, apparently a relatively small one, of the work whose title is generally—and by definition wrongly—attached to it. It would be correctly called, "The cavalry charge from The William Tell Overture," but is not. Therefore, it is "widely mislabelled." Not in the way I initially suggested, I admit, but it is. --Tbrittreid (talk) 20:20, 6 July 2009 (UTC)


 * Yeah, you seemed to be suggesting that calling the musical piece part of the Overture at all was an error, and the original sentence in fact doesn't even claim that it's the full overture, but the portion from it. So it could use rewording, but I'd still object to including any "widely mislabeled" as just not needed here (there may indeed, probably even, be an assumption by some that the theme was the whole overture, but that's really another issue from clarifying that sentence which was not ,aking such an assertion anyway, and it would require sourcing and so on that's just extraneous here and if anybody wanted to go into that, would probably be better handled on the Overture article.) -- Aleal (talk) 17:29, 8 July 2009 (UTC)

It is almost universally referred to as The William Tell Overture when in fact it is only a section of that. That is "widely mislabelled." The fact that the sentence here wasn't making that mistake itself doesn't change the fact that said error exists and that it rose directly out of the melody's use as the theme for The Lone Ranger. --Tbrittreid (talk) 21:56, 8 July 2009 (UTC)

Kemosabe = Quien no sabe?
I heard a story years ago which attempted to explain the meaning of the name "Kemosabe." According to this story, Tanto's tribe spoke a pidgin version of Spanish, learned from Spanish priests. Tonto's name was "Aguila Brava" or Brave Eagle. After he had known the Lone Ranger for a while, he started calling him "Kemosabe" and told him it meant "faithful friend." The Lone Ranger had the name inscribed on all his possessions, including his saddle and his boots. While riding through a small village one day, an old man started laughing at the Lone Ranger and pointing to his saddle. When asked what was so funny, the old man said, "Kemosabe means 'he who knows nothing.'" This was a mispronunciation of the Spanish "Quien no sabe nada" which is a question meaning "Who knows nothing?" Upon hearing this, the Lone Ranger was furious. He told the man that Kemosabe meant "faithful friend." The old man said that whoever had told him that was stupid ("tonto" in Spanish). The Lone Ranger confronted Aguila Brava and called him "Tonto." From that day, Aguila Brava accepted the name as punishment for playing a prank on his "faithful friend."

It's probably not true, but the coincidence of Tonto's name being Spanish and the similarity between Kemosabe and Quien No Sabe are enough to make it worth mentioning. Timdwilliamson (talk) 23:39, 6 August 2010 (UTC)

The Lone Ranger was not lone!
If it was the Lone Ranger and Tonto, he wasn't lone! Tonto counts as a person, surely? 86.131.28.45 23:17, 17 June 2006 (UTC)

He was the last of the Ranger group killed in the canyon ambush, hence the 'Lone' Ranger.

Precisely. Tonto was not a Ranger. Reid was the "Lone" Ranger, not the "Alone" Ranger. And don't forget their horses. Wahkeenah 20:01, 10 July 2006 (UTC)

In the first few radio shows, the Lone Ranger WAS alone. But that doesn't work very well in radio, so Tonto was created to give the LR someone to talk to. --GrouchoRoss (talk) 04:54, 9 April 2008 (UTC)

My memory is that when Reid finally woke from his fever and Tonto--who had been nursing him back to health--told him what he had found, Reid asked something like, "Are they all dead?" and Tonto said (I recall this exactly) "Uh-uh. You lone Ranger now." At that point I think Reid said, "The Lone Ranger!" So in effect, Tonto named him.Dfrankchat (talk) 00:33, 8 February 2010 (UTC)

Hi-yo Silver origin?
I heard years ago that the original Lone Ranger had to use this call because the actor couldn't whistle, which was supposed to be the way he would call for the horse. Is this true? --Wspencer11 (talk to me...) 12:34, 6 August 2007 (UTC)


 * I haven't heard of that, but it strikes me as unlikely, especially if it's supposed to be an actor on radio. If they wanted a whistle, why not just get someone else to do it?  (Maybe there is a reason.)  140.147.160.78 22:00, 2 October 2007 (UTC)Stephen Kosciesza

Is it "hi-yo" or "Hi-ho"? The article uses both. Hi ho is used by the seven dwarfs--not the Lone Ranger. "Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to work we go". —Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.149.253.69 (talk) 12:19, 22 March 2008 (UTC)

The entry states, "Whenever the Ranger mounts Silver, he shouts, "Hi-yo, Silver! Away!" Besides sounding dramatic, this shout originally served to tell the radio audience that a riding sequence was about to start." I don't remember that happening every time. I remember them often mounting up and the two characters saying, always in this sequence, "Come on, Silver" -- "Get um up, Scout!" After that the Ranger would sometimes say, "Hi-yo, Silver! Away!" But most often that was saved for the distant cry at the end, after someone has said, "...that was -- the Lone Ranger!" By the way, it clearly was "Hi-yo," not "Hi-ho" -- at least I never heard Brace Beemer aspirate the second syllable! Dfrankchat (talk) —Preceding undated comment added 00:45, 8 February 2010 (UTC).

Popular culture—Constantine quote
The last item in the section "Popular culture" quotes a comment from the DC/Vertigo comic character Constantine, reassuring his sidekick that he's not a slave but an apprentice, "...like Robin (Batman) or Tonto (The Lone Ranger), or the skinny fellow with the fat friend (Jake and the Fatman)!" Are those parentheticals present in the original? If not (aside from the fact that in that case they should be brackets), can we be certain that the last does indeed refer to TV's Jake and the Fatman series? Is something further said there to confirm that? This by itself doesn't even read to me as if the "skinny fellow" is the sidekick, so clarification would be very appreciated. We could, of course, delete the parentheticals as that wouldn't obscure the relevance here, but not if they are actually part of the quoted statement. --Tbrittreid (talk) 23:32, 12 November 2009 (UTC)

UPDATE: Some anonymous IP just changed it to Jay and Silent Bob, really raising the question of what is and is not actually in the original work. I also just took a second look at the item, and it refers to the movie version of the comic. Oops! There are obviously no parenthetical asides in dialogue there, or explanatory captions, either. Help, please! --Tbrittreid (talk) 21:48, 13 November 2009 (UTC)

The "skinny fellow with the fat friend" is wide open to interpretation, barring an explanation from the screenwriter. This could refer to Laurel and Hardy, Jake & the Fatman, Jay & Silent Bob, or Ralph & Norton from the Honeymooners. As such, I'm pulling it out as its nothing but gratuitous linkage. If and when there is a citation to back it up, otherwise it should remain undefined. N432138 (talk) 16:34, 12 March 2010 (UTC)

Copyrighted Material
Although Fair Use policies allow the quoting of material such as lyrics without violating copyright, these policies have limits. These limits include the straight copy-publishing of entire scripts, poems, or songs for reading without the permission of the author (though exceptions apply, of course). As such, I have removed the section of this article containing the theme songs. Dwanyewest (talk) 20:52, 14 January 2010 (UTC)

Contradictory statements?
The biography contains contradictory statements. In one place it says that Cavendish shot Collins. In another it says that Collins fell to his death trying to drop a stone on Reid. Possibly both versions appeared in different fictionalized settings. If that be the case, it might be helpful to cite sources, as opposed to presenting both versions as official. Unless Collins died twice ;) Allan Marain 15:29, 29 January 2010 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by Marainlaw (talk • contribs)
 * Actually, the statement about Collins falling to his death is prefaced with, "But Collins is also still alive...," meaning that Cavendish made the same mistake with his associate that he did with the young Ranger: He left a man for dead who wasn't, twice and at the same place and time. This is explicitly the depiction in the opening episodes of the old TV series. (BTW, it was the shooting of Collins while he was in the process of checking the Rangers for signs of life that allowed the younger Reid brother to survive; Tonto apparently didn't bother with Collins when he determined that the five other Rangers were dead and buried them—he did confirm to Reid that the others were dead.) I find the text acceptably clear. Anybody disagree? --Tbrittreid (talk) 23:00, 29 January 2010 (UTC)

Comic book edits
Editor JDLewis007 has just changed the section Comic books. Where it had said that the first 21 issues of the Gold Key Lone Ranger comic book were all reprints from the earlier Dell run, it now states, without source, that Dell's LR writer Paul S. Newman and artist Tom Gill continued to produce new material for GK from #1 until the series went to reprints as of "#12 in 1970." I believe this was inspired by my post to the Gill article's talk page yesterday, disputing a similar statement, including lack of source, in that article. The problems here are multiple, as I described in the linked-in post. Let me add to what's there that the article on Newman states that he wrote the Dell series "...from #38–145 (April 1948–July 1962), the final issue." No mention whatsoever that he continued to do so for GK, and none of the sources there even imply otherwise, except for one also on Gill's article, which I dealt with there. Allow me to further argue that the GCD's information to this point should not be discounted/dismissed because of what the Wikipedia rules say about the site. As with the IMDb, I concede that some info there can't be trusted, but such fundamental facts as these reprint citations are solid, especially when corroborated by the indexes to the earlier issues and comparison of the cover scans; that the cover illustrations are reprinted from old Dell issues is not open to reality-based dispute. Therefore, I am restoring the original description of the GK LR comic as reprinting Dell material through #21, with a link to this in my edit summary. --Tbrittreid (talk) 22:19, 25 April 2010 (UTC)

UPDATE: I have just now discovered that the GCD says the only new interior material as of #7 was brief non-Ranger fillers (an understandable misinterpretation by JDLewis007), and that new main stories, from Newman and Gill, began in #38, August 1951. One source on the writer's article is a newspaper account of his mid-1980s wedding, which states that "until recently" he had been writing the Lone Ranger's newspaper comic strip. I wonder if Gill worked with him there and this is the "20+ year run" on the character? --Tbrittreid (talk) 22:58, 25 April 2010 (UTC)

Tonto as Apache?
The article neglects to mention that one of the reasons Tonto is sometimes considered an Apache is that there is a Tonto Apache tribe. WilliamSommerwerck (talk) 21:23, 17 September 2010 (UTC)

George Seaton
The article says he performed "under the name George Stenius". Seaton's article says Stenius was his real name and Seaton is a stage name. 76.253.140.60 (talk) 07:07, 19 February 2011 (UTC)

Syntax
"one of six Texas Rangers massacred by the Cavendish Gang." Am I being picky or should this be changed to prevent the LR from being brought back from actual dead? Kdammers (talk) 10:05, 19 February 2011 (UTC)
 * To adapt an emendation from the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: "Mostly massacred"?—Jerome Kohl (talk) 21:24, 19 February 2011 (UTC)
 * Hi-yo, clunky grammar. Away! Clarityfiend (talk) 08:22, 9 March 2011 (UTC)

"Leader" Of The Cavendish Gang?
I'm just putting this out there, but , at some point , wasn't their leader named "Butch Cavendish" ? Television, Animation , Mego Toy Line ? Anybody able to confirm this, or have I been riding the prairie without my hat on one time too many? Harvey J Satan (talk) 02:31, 3 July 2011 (UTC)
 * I don't know about your headgear situation, but yes, he was named Butch on the first TV episode, and on radio, he returned for the 20th anniversary broadcast (persistent fellow). Clarityfiend (talk) 03:02, 3 July 2011 (UTC)

Article title

 * The following discussion is an archived discussion of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. No further edits should be made to this section. 

The result of the move request was: page moved. Vegaswikian (talk) 01:38, 2 August 2011 (UTC)

The Lone Ranger → Lone Ranger In accordance with Naming conventions (definite and indefinite articles at beginning of name), and specifically "When definite and indefinite articles should be avoided", the indefinite article "The" is not used with character names. The Joker's article is titled Joker (comics) rather than The Joker, and the Green Hornet's article is Green Hornet rather than The Green Hornet. Likewise, to properly follow Wikipedia's article naming convention, this should be titled Lone Ranger, rather than The Lone Ranger. Even within the text of this article, it says in mid-sentence use "the Lone Ranger" and not "The Lone Ranger."--Tenebrae (talk) 00:45, 26 July 2011 (UTC)


 * Support per naming conventions (WP:THE). Jenks24 (talk) 08:10, 26 July 2011 (UTC)


 * Support per nom, i.e., per WP:THE. —  AjaxSmack   22:19, 26 July 2011 (UTC)


 * Support. Will someone please tell The Bahamas and The Bronx about the rule-of-thumb? Good Ol’factory (talk) 04:13, 1 August 2011 (UTC)
 * The above discussion is preserved as an archive of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on this talk page. No further edits should be made to this section.

Rights to the Lone Ranger?
The Wrather Corporation owned the rights to The Lone Ranger characters, licensing permission to various movie, TV, and merchandising companies for specific productions/products. Did Disney get the Lone Ranger companies when it bought the company in 1989? When does it enter the public domain (since Dan Reid/Tonto went on air in 1953)? --Phil Wolff (talk) 02:15, 8 July 2013 (UTC)

'Tonto'
No publicity shot of Jay Silverheels as Tonto? Sca (talk) 14:47, 17 November 2013 (UTC)

LR called Kemo sabe?
I remember listening to some LR radio episodes from 1939 (I think) and I'm pretty sure that the LR is called kemo sabe. Can anyone reference this? 64.6.124.31 (talk) 19:57, 15 October 2013 (UTC)
 * Anyone? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.7.227.224 (talk) 01:52, 22 October 2013 (UTC)
 * Anyone there? 65.64.177.71 (talk) 00:18, 16 November 2013 (UTC)
 * Hello?!? 64.6.124.31 (talk) 19:08, 22 November 2013 (UTC)


 * I'm afraid personal memory alone can't be used to add or verify Wikipedia content. Without a reliably sourced, published transcript (as books about radio shows and the like sometimes include) or other published, authoritative source, we can't really go further. --Tenebrae (talk) 19:17, 22 November 2013 (UTC)

Found a one link: 64.6.124.31 (talk) 17:40, 25 November 2013 (UTC)
 * http://www.tcnj.edu/~hofmann/kemosabe.htm

Unnecessary sections
I'm currently doing a copyedit of this article, and I saw the two sections Hi-Yo Silver! and Kemo Sabe. Do they really need their own section? They look like they should be merged somewhere. &mdash; Feitlebaum (talk) 16:55, 16 July 2014 (UTC)

Lone Ranger's disguise
While copy-editing, I came across a section added here and deleted here, most likely because it was unsourced and out of context. Nonetheless, it is an intriguing description of how the Lone Ranger disguised himself.
 * His favorite masquerade is that of an old geezer, a prospector in a checked shirt and hat with its front brim pushed up, He'd typically be slouched over, with a white wig, bushy white beard and a sharply cocked eye, speaking in Western slang.

Dhtwiki (talk) 03:53, 7 August 2014 (UTC)

Music
The Donna Diana Overture wasn't part of the music for the Lone Ranger but was the introduction to Sergeant Preston of the Yukon and his dog King — Preceding unsigned comment added by Whammersley (talk • contribs) 13:30, 7 August 2013 (UTC)

Wasn't Wagner"s "Rienzi" overture also used?--Andrew Kevorkian, Philadelphia, PA — Preceding unsigned comment added by 173.59.78.57 (talk) 16:40, 7 August 2014 (UTC)

Movies compiled from TV episodes?
When I was a little boy, I remember our local TV station (before the advent of cable) ran movies on Saturday afternoons that were compiled from color episodes of the TV series. Thus, it wasn't a continuous plot, but three different plots in one movie. These movies even had their own special theme song that told the story of the Lone Ranger. Did Hollywood actually produce such movies, or were those just put together by local TV stations? 67.45.113.172 (talk) 15:45, 1 August 2016 (UTC)

External links modified
Hello fellow Wikipedians,

I have just added archive links to 1 one external link on Lone Ranger. Please take a moment to review my edit. If necessary, add after the link to keep me from modifying it. Alternatively, you can add to keep me off the page altogether. I made the following changes:
 * Added archive https://web.archive.org/20100926183907/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com:80/hr/content_display/film/news/e3i0253b4ed794b135a4980bb7be375dd49 to http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3i0253b4ed794b135a4980bb7be375dd49

When you have finished reviewing my changes, please set the checked parameter below to true to let others know.

Cheers. —cyberbot II  Talk to my owner :Online 14:38, 29 August 2015 (UTC)


 * Link works and is useful. Dhtwiki (talk) 23:21, 8 September 2016 (UTC)

Formatting of sections
I wonder should the headings be restructured so that it is clearer that the radio series is the origin of TLR, and everything else (Film serials, TV, films) are under the "In other media" section (to indicate that they are all spin-offs), like its sister article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Hornet Damiantgordon (talk) 22:11, 20 February 2017 (UTC)


 * The fame of the TV series and films, relative to the radio series, even though the latter was first in time, argues against subordinating them under "In other media", as the Green Hornet article does (e.g. the G.H. TV series lasted one season, while the L.R. series lasted eight). Dhtwiki (talk) 00:26, 21 February 2017 (UTC)


 * Fair point, well made. Damiantgordon (talk) 01:57, 21 February 2017 (UTC)

Is this the right "Tex Hill"?
In the "Films" section, a "Tex Hill" is mentioned as playing the Lone Ranger in a 1961 movie called The Return of the Lone Ranger; however, the link takes you a military veteran entry that contains NO acting/movie information or credits.

This link and the related entry need to be checked to make sure it's the right "Tex Hill" or the link needs to be removed. 2600:8800:50B:6700:C23F:D5FF:FEC5:89B6 (talk) 07:50, 2 April 2017 (UTC)


 * I've changed the link so that it leads to the page of an actor named Tex Hill, who is credited with making the pilot episode. Dhtwiki (talk) 13:43, 2 April 2017 (UTC)

The Lone Ranger from Buffalo NY according to Fran Striker on To Tell the Truth in 1960
I notice that the infobox lists "First appearance" as WXYZ in Detroit at the end of January 1933, while in the 'Cast' section under 'Original Radio Series' it lists the first actor as someone from station WEBR in Buffalo NY "test broadcasts" in January 1933. Shouldn't that be what the infobox gives as "First appearance"? I do see that Archive 1 of this talk page, under "Conflicting claims...", mentions that the series in Buffalo that first features the character was called Covered Wagon Days, but while thus not being the debut of the "Lone Ranger SERIES", it would indeed be the debut of the character, would it not? Further to all this, there is what Fran Striker himself said when he appeared (as contestant #1) on To Tell the Truth on Sept. 8, 1960, seen on YouTube. At 18:48 panelist Ralph Bellamy asks him, "Where did the Lone Ranger originate? Where was the first show done?", to which he answers, "In Buffalo." Then at 22:52, after his identity is revealed, Bellamy and Tom Poston express confusion about this, having believed it originated in Detroit. At length, at 23:12, Striker explains, "[inaudible]...in Buffalo for a few weeks before it went to Detroit." This, I should think, should settle its place of origin as Buffalo, rather than Detroit. 2601:545:8201:6290:859C:CB5F:A98B:55B2 (talk) 11:49, 6 September 2020 (UTC)