 The
Lone Ranger's Mask - The Masked Rider of the Plains (Clayton
Moore/John Hart) on the western THE LONE RANGER/ABC/1949-57 wore a
black mask to disguise his true identity. The origin of his mask was
revealed on the original radio
script, when six Texas Rangers were ambushed by the Butch Cavendish Gang.
One "lone" ranger named John Reid survived and was nursed back to
health by an Indian named Tonto (Jay Silverheels). When asked what
happened to the other Texas Rangers, Tonto said "Other Texas Rangers
all dead. You only Ranger left. You lone Ranger now."
In an attempt
to conceal his identity from the outlaws, the Ranger decides to
cover his face with a mask and then seek out Cavendish Gang. The
Ranger fashioned his mask from the black vest of his dead brother.
Captain Daniel Reid.
As the surviving Ranger transformed into this
new identity, the narrator remarks that in the eyes of the Ranger "There
is a light that must have burned in the eyes of the knights in
armor. A light that through the ages lifted the souls of strong men
who fought for justice, for God." Just then Reid proclaims "I'll be
the Lone Ranger."
The TV adaptation featured the solemn pledge "For
every one of those men (his fallen Ranger colleagues) I'm going to
bring a hundred lawbreakers to justice. I'll make that Cavendish
Gang, and every criminal that I can find for that matter, regret the
day those Rangers were killed. Tonto from this moment on I'm going
to devote my life to establishing law and order in this new
frontier-to make the West a decent place to live."
The Lone Ranger's
always wore his mask and only removed it when he assumed a disguise.
The Ranger did take off his mask for a dying
woman named Grandma Frisby who had adopted and raised the Lone
Ranger's nephew, Dan Reid. "Would you take off that mask and show me
your face," asked Grandma Frisby As the Lone Ranger does so, the old
woman said "It's a good face, yes, a good face."
The Lone Ranger's
mask which become a symbol for justice throughout the world was
taken to task in August of 1979 when Los Angeles superior court
Judge Vernon Foster issued an injunction on behalf of the Wrather
Corporation forbidding Clayton Moore from wearing "The Lone Ranger"
mask or any mask substantially similar in appearance because they
believed the aging Clayton Moore could no longer portray a youthful
hero.
The Wrather Corporation was at that time producing an updated
version of the Lone Ranger character with a much younger actor in
the lead role (actor Klinton Spilsbury).
To avoid violating the
court order, Moore wore wide dark sunglasses that vaguely resembled
the Lone Ranger's mask. Many fans took the side of Clayton Moore
circulating petitions at shopping centers, and radio & TV stations.
One such group "The Lone Ranger Campaign" pushed the slogans "Return
the Mask" and We Must Get the Mask Back."
After the motion picture
The Legend of the Lone Ranger (1981) bombed at the box-office,
Clayton Moore who had worn dark sunglasses in the interim regained
the right to wear the mask in 1985 and...the Lone Ranger rode again!
TRIVIA NOTE: According to Clayton Moore’s autobiography, the actual mask
used in the series were made from plaster with felt on the top of
them. In the black and white episodes, a smaller purple felt was
used. A larger black felt mask was used in the color productions.
The larger mask covered more of the Ranger’s face. This helped
disguise the fact that another actor {John Hart} who temporarily
replaced Moore in the role of the Lone Ranger. See also -
NICKNAMES: "The Lone Ranger"
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