There have been a few actors who have played THE LONE RANGER including, notoriusly, Clinton Spilsbury in one of the biggest of Hollywood flops. We are also promised, intriguingly, that Johnny Depp will take on the role in a future production. But, playing THE LONE RANGER is all that any of these actors did or will do. Clayton Moore WAS the masked man and always will be. Clayton had spent years in supporting and bit part roles in Hollywood before he was cast as THE LONE RANGER in a television series in the mid-sixties. After the series ended Clayton continued to make personal appearances "as" THE LONE RANGER but the producers of the disastrous Spilsbury version got a court order to stop him appearing "as" the Ranger. However, you can't outwit the real Ranger that way and Clayton simply wore heavy dark glasses that approximated the famous mask. After the new film disappeared down the drain Clayton was again permitted to be THE LONE RANGER. My favourite story of him (probably apocryphal but maybe with an element of truth) is that he was driving home from a personal appearance when he witnessed a serious accident. He leapt from his own car and pulled the injured driver from the crash vehicle and made them comfortable until help arrived - all while wearing his white stetson and his mask! When help appeared Clayton simply returned to his car and drove away. With a mighty "Hi-Yo Silver, Away!" I'd like to bet. My friend Ray was lucky enough to meet Clayton at the Biograph Cinema during an English tour. I have to content myself with an autograph. There are pictures on the web of Clayton without his mask but I'm not going to be the person who unmasks the masked man. I will watch some episodes of THE LONE RANGER tv series late today, though. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO A HERO.
1 comment:
That whole Clayton Moore can't wear the Lone Ranger mask thing was ridiculous. Just goes to prove once again that large corporations have no idea what they're doing and have no sense of decency, respect or appreciation.
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