by Martin Gram and Terry Salomonson
This is the book that was decades in the making. When The Lone Ranger premiered on the evening of January 31, 1933, no one involved with the creation of the program suspected that “Hi-Yo, Silver!” would become an expression that would enter America’s lexicon. For more than two decades, radio listeners were treated to the adventures of the “masked rider of the plains,” who rode a fiery horse across the length of seven western states in pursuit of lawbreakers. With the assistance of Tonto, his faithful Indian companion, The Lone Ranger exchanged fisticuffs with outlaws who preyed upon the meek. Through these stories, The Lone Ranger quickly became mythic to juvenile listeners who faithfully tuned in to the radio program three nights a week.
Regrettably, it was not until 1938 that the radio broadcasts were recorded on a regular basis. Consequently, very little has been documented about those first five years, herein referred to as “The Early Years.” Historians Terry Salomonson and Martin Grams have combined efforts in what culminates as three decades of research to present the facts behind the origin of The Lone Ranger, verifying the character was not created overnight but rather evolved over a period of time. This book features the development both artistic and commercial, and unlike any other book about the subject, features scans of archival documents to back up the facts. As a result, decades-long myths and misconceptions about The Lone Ranger and Tonto are debunked. In addition, this book offers plot summaries for pre-1938 radio broadcasts, filling a void that was sorely needed.
The authors read almost every radio script from those first five years to provide us with all the details regarding the various masks The Lone Ranger wore before settling down with the accepted black domino rendition, Tonto’s blood-thirsty acts of murder and revenge, Tonto’s silver-tipped arrows, the juvenile sidekick named Little Davy, the canine hero that ran alongside the masked vigilante, recurring villains, The Lone Ranger’s musical obsession to sing by the campfire and play a guitar, and even the monumental event when Tonto was once engaged. Scans of inter-office memos, letters and contracts are included. Details about the 1933 stage play at the Fisher Theatre in Detroit, the Belle Isle event, the 1936 animated cartoon, the Big Little Books and even photographs of the cast and crew on stage at the Fisher Theatre are highlighted. Over 150 never-before-published photographs are included. Fully indexed.
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