The Lone Ranger

By: Radio Shows of the Past!
  • Summary

  • The Lone Ranger is an American radio and television show created by George W. Trendle and developed by writer Fran Striker.The eponymous character is a masked Texas Ranger in the American Old West, originally played by Paul Halliwell, who gallops about righting injustices with the aid of his clever, laconic Indian sidekick,

    Tonto. Departing on his white horse Silver, the Ranger would famously say "Hi-yo, Silver, away!" as the horse galloped toward the setting sun.The theme music was the "cavalry charge" finale of Gioachino 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.

    Classical music was used because it was in the public domain; thus allowing production costs to be kept down while providing a wide range of music as needed without the costs of a composer. While this practice was started during the radio show, it was retained after the move to television in the budget-strapped early days of the ABC network.
    Copyright Radio Shows of the Past!
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Episodes
  • TheLoneRanger LoneRangerThief
    Nov 14 2023
    The Lone Ranger made its first appearance over WXYZ radio (though history notes that a “test broadcast” was conducted a day earlier), it would put the masked man (and his faithful Indian companion, Tonto) among the forefront of the great fictional heroes of all time; his influence is still being felt today with the announcement of a feature film based on his exploits that is to be released this year (we’ll reserve editorial comment on this one).The origin of the Lone Ranger has been told, retold and embellished since the program’s 1933 debut—but the essential story is that the Ranger was one of six Texas Rangers caught in an ambush by outlaw “Butch” Cavendish and his gang.

    A Native American named Tonto found the survivor and nursed him back to health…and when he was back at full speed, he and his Indian friend dug six graves to convince the outlaws that all of the Rangers were killed—while he himself donned a mask (made from the vest of the Ranger Captain, his brother Dan) and in his hidden guise tracked down each and every member of the gang. Realizing that there was a place for him to fight injustice “in the early Western United States,” he continued on in his new identity, accompanied by Tonto and riding a white horse named Silver. (“Hi-yo, Silver…away!”)
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    30 mins
  • TheLoneRanger FoodForValleyCenter
    Nov 14 2023
    The Lone Ranger made its first appearance over WXYZ radio (though history notes that a “test broadcast” was conducted a day earlier), it would put the masked man (and his faithful Indian companion, Tonto) among the forefront of the great fictional heroes of all time; his influence is still being felt today with the announcement of a feature film based on his exploits that is to be released this year (we’ll reserve editorial comment on this one).The origin of the Lone Ranger has been told, retold and embellished since the program’s 1933 debut—but the essential story is that the Ranger was one of six Texas Rangers caught in an ambush by outlaw “Butch” Cavendish and his gang.

    A Native American named Tonto found the survivor and nursed him back to health…and when he was back at full speed, he and his Indian friend dug six graves to convince the outlaws that all of the Rangers were killed—while he himself donned a mask (made from the vest of the Ranger Captain, his brother Dan) and in his hidden guise tracked down each and every member of the gang. Realizing that there was a place for him to fight injustice “in the early Western United States,” he continued on in his new identity, accompanied by Tonto and riding a white horse named Silver. (“Hi-yo, Silver…away!”)
    Show More Show Less
    30 mins
  • TheLoneRanger PovertyInThreeConers
    Nov 14 2023
    The Lone Ranger made its first appearance over WXYZ radio (though history notes that a “test broadcast” was conducted a day earlier), it would put the masked man (and his faithful Indian companion, Tonto) among the forefront of the great fictional heroes of all time; his influence is still being felt today with the announcement of a feature film based on his exploits that is to be released this year (we’ll reserve editorial comment on this one).The origin of the Lone Ranger has been told, retold and embellished since the program’s 1933 debut—but the essential story is that the Ranger was one of six Texas Rangers caught in an ambush by outlaw “Butch” Cavendish and his gang.

    A Native American named Tonto found the survivor and nursed him back to health…and when he was back at full speed, he and his Indian friend dug six graves to convince the outlaws that all of the Rangers were killed—while he himself donned a mask (made from the vest of the Ranger Captain, his brother Dan) and in his hidden guise tracked down each and every member of the gang. Realizing that there was a place for him to fight injustice “in the early Western United States,” he continued on in his new identity, accompanied by Tonto and riding a white horse named Silver. (“Hi-yo, Silver…away!”)
    Show More Show Less
    30 mins

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