The Lone Ranger (1956)

In an effort to further expand my Western-themed horizons, I recently went backwards via Netflix to the "old-school", Clayton Moore/Jay Silverheels vehicles of the 1950s, starting first with The Lone Ranger (1956) and continuing on to it's sequel The Lone Ranger and the Lost City of Gold (1958). Like most, I have long been familiar with the Ranger's iconography, especially as exemplified by Moore's legendary turn, but have been hesitant about watching the television source material for fear of the potneital for a high level of camp.

I really could not have been more misguided in that assumption as both film both stand up well, especially as family entertainment, and demonstrate a respect for the source material.

While the farthest thing from the modern "gritty" westerns of the last fifteen (think Unforgiven and Deadwood) years, both Lone Ranger movies illustrate both Moore and Jay Silverheels, as Tonto, reverence for the characters they portrayed, in addition to featuring some beautiful Western vistas and traditional storytelling without succumbing to camp. I especially enjoyed watching Moore take on different alternate characters within the context of each film as the Ranger disguises himself (in The Lone Ranger as a comic-relief old-timer and in Lost City of Gold as a competitor for the affections of the lead--spolier alert!--villianess). It would be erroneous to dismiss the talents Moore brought to the role that he so loved that he took it on for the remainder of his life.