Hi-Yo, Silver! Away!
Yes, I know that some folks will claim that “Hi-Yo” is wrong and that it should be “Hi-Ho,” but Clayton Moore, the man best known for portraying the Lone Ranger on television for most of the 1950’s, has stated in interviews that it’s “Hi-Yo, Silver.” I don’t argue with the Lone Ranger. That being said, 1981’s The Legend of the Lone Ranger did not include Clayton Moore as the Lone Ranger. Instead, it starred Klinton Spilsbury as the masked man (with lines dubbed by James Keach) and Michael Horse as his ally, Tonto. The film also starred Christopher Lloyd as Butch Cavendish, Jason Robards as President Ulysses S. Grant, Richard Farnsworth as Wild Bill Hickok, and a number of popular supporting actors featured in western films such as Buck Taylor, Tom Laughlin, and John Hart.
The film bombed. The failure of the movie was due in part to a longstanding courtroom battle between Clayton Moore and Jack Wrather, the man who owned the rights to the Lone Ranger character, that spilled over into the public arena. Fans of Moore’s version of the character were angered whenever Wrather obtained a court order that stated Moore could no longer make public appearances as the masked man. As a result, the film took a hit. Spilsbury would never act again and the film would fade into history.
As a young kid in the early 80’s, I wasn’t too concerned with legal battles or the acting abilities of Spilsbury, I just wanted cool toys. I didn’t even see The Legend of the Lone Ranger until it was replayed on television, but when Gabriel toys released a line of action figures based on the film, I made sure that my mom hooked me up with the Lone Ranger and Tonto and their horses, Silver and Scout.
I played with these toys constantly. They primarily aided G.I. Joe and my Star Wars figures in battle since they were the only other 3 3/4″ figures that I had at the time. There were five figures and three horses in the line, but I never did get Butch Cavendish, General Custer, Buffalo Bill Cody, or Smoke (Butch’s horse). I was happy with the Lone Ranger, Tonto, Silver, and Scout.
I broke one of the knee joints on my Tonto figure and had to administer six-year old medical assistance to him by using an old clasp from a bag to allow him to move his knee. Both he and the Lone Ranger could ride their horses. The Lone Ranger came with his two pistols and Tonto came with a pistol and knife.
None of the figures looked like their counterparts in the film, but it’s pretty obvious who each character represents. I really wish that I had held on to the figures, as they were a big part of my childhood. There’s a slight chance that I have one or two of them tucked away somewhere, but I’m not sure if I do or don’t. If any of them survived, it’s probably Silver. He doubled as Pegasus whenever I got my Perseus action figure from The Clash of the Titans which also came out in 1981.
Yep, The Legend of the Lone Ranger might not have been a success, but it definitely delivered when it came to the toy line. The characters are still popular to this day, although they are slowly fading into history. Disney attempted to revive interest in the masked man with the release of The Lone Ranger in 2013, but it failed to catch the attention of audiences. I actually enjoyed the movie, but I seriously doubt that the Lone Ranger and Tonto will be hitting the silver screen any time soon.
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Hi-Yo, Silver! Away!
Ken's Alternate Universe! 