The Lone Ranger

Goodsport

Member


I can't believe that I missed this news until just recently, but it's nonetheless exciting for us old-timers who remember the "The Lone Ranger" TV show (albeit in reruns for me, but still). :cool:

Writers Ted Elliot and Terry Rossio did a great job in reviving the Zorro franchise with 1998's The Mask of Zorro and launching Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl in 2003, so hopefully they'll get a chance at The Lone Ranger.


-G
 

Goodsport

Member
After doing some research, it seems that you young folk may have had some exposure to The Lone Ranger after all the past two years in the form of an Eisner Award nominated comic book series by Dynamite Entertainment.


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Also, some research revealed that the Green Hornet character (who himself has an upcoming movie coming in 2010 starring Seth Rogen) is the in-story grand-nephew of The Lone Ranger, which is probably less surprising considering that The Green Hornet was created by Fran Striker, who also helped develop The Lone Ranger some years earlier. :eek:


-G
 

Goodsport

Member
eroc said:
You don't remember The Lone Ranger movie in the 80's?

While I do remember the movie when it hit theaters way back when, I never got around to seeing it then (and only partially on TV a few years later).

Judging by the movie's various reviews, I suppose that was for the best. :eek:


-G
 

RaideroftheArk

New member
I think the 1981 movie pretty much sank the franchise. Apparently there was some kind of "curse" surrounding the Lone Ranger ever since the studio made Clayton Moore stop appearing in public dressed as the Ranger. Needless to say after the movie tanked he was allowed to wear the costume again.

I heard an interesting rumor...apparently Clayton Moore wanted to star in the big screen adaption of the Lone Ranger. Obviously as an older, beaten down avenger who takes on a young protege. He wanted the film to be his "retirement" from the Lone Ranger and at the end of the movie, after having one last adventure, with him sitting on Silver with his back to the screen...he would take off his Mask and hand it down to this young protege and ride slowly into the sun set.

I don't know about you guys, but that sounded like a good way to pass the torch to a new generation. But instead...I don't think anyone outside of people collecting comic books knows who the Lone Ranger is.
 

Goodsport

Member
RaideroftheArk said:
I think the 1981 movie pretty much sank the franchise. Apparently there was some kind of "curse" surrounding the Lone Ranger ever since the studio made Clayton Moore stop appearing in public dressed as the Ranger. Needless to say after the movie tanked he was allowed to wear the costume again.
I also heard that the 1981 film eventually bombed so badly that it pretty much killed first-timer Klinton Spilsbury's acting career, not to mention that his dialogue throughout the film had to later be looped over with James Keach's voice. :eek:

From what I've read, much of the criticism of the film wasn't the concept itself, but that (among some other things) it changed too much of the canonical background that was established before.


RaideroftheArk said:
I heard an interesting rumor...apparently Clayton Moore wanted to star in the big screen adaption of the Lone Ranger. Obviously as an older, beaten down avenger who takes on a young protege. He wanted the film to be his "retirement" from the Lone Ranger and at the end of the movie, after having one last adventure, with him sitting on Silver with his back to the screen...he would take off his Mask and hand it down to this young protege and ride slowly into the sun set.
That would've absolutely rocked! :cool:


RaideroftheArk said:
I don't know about you guys, but that sounded like a good way to pass the torch to a new generation. But instead...I don't think anyone outside of people collecting comic books knows who the Lone Ranger is.
I honestly doubt that the idea of bringing back the Lone Ranger was damaged beyond repair, though the upcoming movie would need to do it right.

After all, look at Zorro, whose character had a TV show at about the same time as The Lone Ranger and whose last theatrical release prior to 1998 (albeit a comedy) also coincided around the same time as that Lone Ranger film. Yet the 1998 film did great both critically and box-office wise. :)


-G
 
The film was "The Legend of the Lone Ranger" and Klinton Spilsbury's voice was indeed dubbed by James Keach. It was a PG film targeted at kids but was exceptionally violent with the brutal Peckinpah-esque massacre of the Texas Rangers in a cavern mawed down by a gatlin gun by Butch Cavendish (Christopher Lloyd) and his posse. I loved this film as a kid. It featured a beautiful John Barry score. For Indy fans it contains the infamous Yakima Canutt stunt that was used on the Raiders truck chase in stagecoach fashion but while trying to crawl under the stagecoach Terry Leonard was run over by the stagecoach. The accident was left in the film.

There was considerable controversy over the film because producers put a restraining order on the original Lone Ranger Clayton Moore prohibiting him from making public appearances wearing the mask which infuriated fans who boycotted the film which bombed at the box office and has remained obscured from public exhibition ever since with few rare broadcasts. It is finally being released on DVD for the first time in the U.S. on August 26.
 

RaideroftheArk

New member
Agent Spalko said:
The film was "The Legend of the Lone Ranger" and Klinton Spilsbury's voice was indeed dubbed by James Keach. It was a PG film targeted at kids but was exceptionally violent with the brutal Peckinpah-esque massacre of the Texas Rangers in a cavern mawed down by a gatlin gun by Butch Cavendish (Christopher Lloyd) and his posse. I loved this film as a kid. It featured a beautiful John Barry score. For Indy fans it contains the infamous that was used on the Raiders truck chase in stagecoach fashion but while trying to crawl under the stagecoach Terry Leonard was run over by the stagecoach. The accident was left in the film.

There was considerable controversy over the film because producers put a restraining order on the original Lone Ranger Clayton Moore prohibiting him from making public appearances wearing the mask which infuriated fans who boycotted the film which bombed at the box office and has remained obscured from public exhibition ever since with few rare broadcasts. It is finally being released on DVD for the first time in the U.S. on August 26.

I heard about the accident...but I had no idea it was left in the film! That almost makes this film worth watching...or at least using for reference..."Ok kids, here's how you DON'T DO the Yakima Canutt stunt." :gun:
 

Goodsport

Member
Apparently, among the many changes to the background story in the 1981 movie was that John Reid (who eventually became The Lone Ranger) wasn't a Texas Ranger before the ambush, but rather an attorney from the East Coast who was visiting his Texas Ranger brother Dan in (obviously) Texas.

John happened to be with Dan's posse simply on account of his being Dan's brother when it was ambushed by Butch Cavendish's gang.

Thusly, Tonto had to pretty much teach The Lone Ranger how to fight, how to ride Silver (whom Tonto found for him) and other things. Many reviews seemed to indicate that the film made The Lone Ranger seem pretty incompetent. It'd be interesting to see the film when it finally makes its way to DVD later this month so that I can finally see whether the reviewers were right or not.

Interestingly, many around the internet also seem to be hoping that the upcoming movie follows the tone of the latest aforementioned comic book series. I need to get me the back issues of that series (or at least the trade paperbacks) and read it as well. :)


-G
 

Goodsport

Member
RaideroftheArk said:
The real question is, will Klinton Spilsbury's original voice finally be heard!!???

In the upcoming new movie? I doubt it.

Speaking of which: who would be good choices to play the Lone Ranger, Tonto, Butch Cavendish, etc. in the new movie? :confused:


-G
 

PhantomStranger

New member
J.Depp is Lone Ranger?

Breaking News: Johnny Depp Also The Lone Ranger?
Source:ComingSoon.net, Heather Newgen
September 24, 2008


During Disney's preview today in Hollywood, the studio questioned who could possibly play the titular character in its upcoming feature The Lone Ranger.

At that, Disney rolled out the USC marching band to come down and play the Ranger's theme song. This was followed by an appearance by Depp himself who took to the stage in full Captain Jack Sparrow attire...wearing The Lone Ranger's mask.

The Lone Ranger, said to be an origin story, is written by Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio.

This is a breaking new story, so we'll update you on the project, and Depp's possible involvement, as more details come in.:confused:
 

TheMutt92

New member
I'm hoping its a gag. I like Depp, it'd be cool if he was a supporting character, but NOT the Ranger himself.
 

Garfoot

New member
Can't see Depp as the Ranger, but then again, didn't really see Heath Ledger as Joker, and that turned out to be a huge success. So you never know.
Will there be his sidekick Tonto? And if so, who would make a good one?

Lets get the old gang back together:

Owen Wilson as The Lone Ranger

Jackie Chan as Tonto

Ron Pearlman (Hellboy) could play a badass renegade cowboy.

Depp not for the Lone Ranger but certainly for the Riddler in the next Batman. I look back at his creepy Willy Wonka and think, yeah this guy could pull off the riddler.
 
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