It hs been over 60 years since Clayton Moore & Jay Silverheels last rode off into the sunset. With his white horse, white hat, black mask, and silver bullets, the Lone Ranger was an errant knight who came to save the day aided by his faithful squire Tonto. Moore, a veteran of B movie serials, was perfectly cast. He could ride, he could express himself well when he had to, and he never killed anyone. Jay Silverheels was clearly an Indian (no Native Americans then) but in his full buckskin regalia and simple headband, he became a positive symbol of Native Americans for White audiences. The TV show ran for 8 years from 1949-1957. Moore & Silverheels also appeared in two feature length films, THE LONE RANGER (1956) and THE LONE RANGER AND THE LOST CITY OF GOLD (1958).
In 1979 producer Jack Wrather, who owned the rights to the Lone Ranger character and had produced the TV series, decided that he wanted to make an updated version. He planned to start from scratch but his start turned into a public relations disaster. The first thing he did was to forbid Clayton Moore, who was still making personal appearances, from wearing the Ranger’s mask and costume in public. Moore wore sunglasses instead of a mask, sued and won, and was able to resume his personal appearances. The negative publicity was so great that the 1981 LEGEND OF THE LONE RANGER sank without a trace. It’s a shame because this version is not nearly as bad as its reputation would suggest. While the new Ranger, Klinton Spilsbury, was weak (his voice was later dubbed by James Keach), Tonto, as played by Michael Horse, was a strong, liberated character whose Native American wisdom saves the day.
The movie has a solid supporting cast that includes, among others, Christopher Lloyd as the villain, Jason Robards as President Ulysses S. Grant, Richard Farnsworth as Wild Bill Hickock and Merle Haggard as the Balladeer. Former 1930s and 40s actress, Wrather’s wife, and TV producer Bonita Granviile (LASSIE) has a cameo. It was directed by cinematographer William A. Fraker (BULLITT) and photographed by veteran cameraman Laszlo Kovacs (GHOSTBUSTERS) which accounts for the gorgeous look of the film. Although produced by Jack Wrather, the big money came from British movie impresario Sir Lew Grade. With all that going for it, THE LEGEND OF THE LONE RANGER should have been a hit instead of a box office disaster. The previous paragraph explains why that happened.
For the record, the updated story starts with Tonto rescuing a lone survivor from an ambush (arranged by Christophrt Lloyd)) of a group of Texas Rangers. After he recovers and becomes the Lone Ranger, he and Tonto go after Lloyd and his large-scale criminal activities which include kidnapping President Grant. No need to tell you the outcome. I saw LEGEND in a cinema in 1981 and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Klinton Spilsbury was definitely the weak link but the rest of the movie had much to recommend it. I actually enjoyed it far more than the later Johnny Depp / Gore Verbinski epic which was an even bigger box office bomb than this film. LEGEND OF THE LONE RANGER is definitely old-fashioned entertainment but if that’s what you’re looking for or you feel nostalgic, then look no further. Shame on all the negative reviews. Save them for the 2013 version which cost over 20 times as much and is an hour longer.
The Capsule Critic 