Who was that Masked Man? The Lone Ranger
Born Jack Carlton Moore September 14, 1914, Clayton Moore was raised in Chicago. His athleticism qualified him to become a circus performer in a trapeze act. Later his handsome good looks opened the doors to a modeling career. In 1938 he moved to Hollywood to try his hand at the movies. He landed small parts in western films with established stars including Gene Autry and Roy Rogers, frequently appearing as a stunt man.
World War II interrupted Moore’s film career. Following the war he returned work in western films. His 1949 audition for the television role of the Lone Ranger changed his life. The show premiered in the fall of that year and ran continuously until 1957. Moore missed the 1953 season in a contract dispute; but his replacement was short lived. Paired with Jay Silverheels as his devoted sidekick Tonto and mounted on his magnificent white stallion, Silver, Clayton Moore owned the role of the Lone Ranger both on and off the screen.
Following cancellation of the TV series, Moore took the Lone Ranger to the big screen with feature films. He commercialized the role with product endorsements and popular personal appearances. Moore remained true to the principled values of his character off screen and in his personal life. His version of the Cowboy Code figured prominently in the persona he presented to his fans. I remember including it in my summary, though his code had one of the more interesting personal twists on codes included. His value, “God put the firewood there for all of us; it’s up to us to gather it” was unique. Firewood- really. Pretty down to earth.
In the late seventies a dispute with the owner of character rights to the Lone Ranger temporarily denied Moore the right to continuing doing personal appearances in character. The dispute was resolved following the death of the owner. Moore was allowed to resume his character and for all time answer the question: “Who was that masked man?”
Next Week: Across the Chasm, Hopalong Cassidy
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Ride easy,
Paul
World War II interrupted Moore’s film career. Following the war he returned work in western films. His 1949 audition for the television role of the Lone Ranger changed his life. The show premiered in the fall of that year and ran continuously until 1957. Moore missed the 1953 season in a contract dispute; but his replacement was short lived. Paired with Jay Silverheels as his devoted sidekick Tonto and mounted on his magnificent white stallion, Silver, Clayton Moore owned the role of the Lone Ranger both on and off the screen.
Following cancellation of the TV series, Moore took the Lone Ranger to the big screen with feature films. He commercialized the role with product endorsements and popular personal appearances. Moore remained true to the principled values of his character off screen and in his personal life. His version of the Cowboy Code figured prominently in the persona he presented to his fans. I remember including it in my summary, though his code had one of the more interesting personal twists on codes included. His value, “God put the firewood there for all of us; it’s up to us to gather it” was unique. Firewood- really. Pretty down to earth.
In the late seventies a dispute with the owner of character rights to the Lone Ranger temporarily denied Moore the right to continuing doing personal appearances in character. The dispute was resolved following the death of the owner. Moore was allowed to resume his character and for all time answer the question: “Who was that masked man?”
Next Week: Across the Chasm, Hopalong Cassidy
RETURN TO FACEBOOK TO COMMENT
Ride easy,
Paul
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