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The Lone Ranger (1956 film)

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The Lone Ranger
Theatrical release poster
Directed byStuart Heisler
Screenplay byHerb Meadow
Eric Freiwald
Based on
Produced byWillis Goldbeck[1]
Jack Wrather
StarringClayton Moore
Jay Silverheels
Beverly Washburn
CinematographyEdwin B. DuPar
Edited byClarence Kolster
Music byDavid Buttolph
Production
company
Wrather Productions
Distributed byWarner Bros.[2]
Release date
  • February 25, 1956 (1956-02-25)
Running time
81 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$1,550,000 (US)[3]

The Lone Ranger is a 1956 Western film based on The Lone Ranger television series starring Clayton Moore and Jay Silverheels. The Lone Ranger was the first of two theatrical features based on the series; it was followed by The Lone Ranger and the Lost City of Gold in 1958.

Plot

In the American Southwest, the territorial governor enlists the help of the Lone Ranger to investigate mysterious raids on white settlers by Indians who ride with saddles. Wealthy rancher Reese Kilgore wants to expand his land to include Spirit Mountain, which is sacred to the local tribes. The Lone Ranger realizes that the natives wanted to keep settlers away so that they would not discover the rich silver deposits on the mountain, while Kilgore wants to encourage a war between settlers and natives so that he can mine the mountain himself. Working with Chief Red Hawk, the governor, Tonto, a cowboy named Ramirez and a humorous disguise, the Lone Ranger discovers the true identities of the raiders, prevents war, protects the tribal lands and rescues Kilgore's daughter from captivity.

Cast

The film was Bonita Granville's last credited film appearance. She had retired from the screen to marry Jack Wrather in 1947.[4]

Production

Parts of the film were shot in Kanab Canyon, Barracks Canyon and Johnson Canyon in Utah.[5]

Reception

In a contemporary review for The New York Times, critic Bosley Crowther wrote: "You would think that, after all these years of championing law and order on the screen and radio, not to mention television, the Lone Ranger would be pooped. At least, you would think the people assigned to keeping him going would be tired—tired of all those endless cattle rustles, slashing fist-fights and western cliches. But apparently a new team at Warners has taken over the job of reviving the famous masked hero in all his glory in color and CinemaScope and has had at the task with the vigor of zealots inspired with a fresh idea. And 'The Lone Ranger,' which opened yesterday at the Mayfair, has the unwearied spirit of a noisy kid."[6]

Accolades

The Lone Ranger was nominated for the American Film Institute's list AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes & Villains as a hero,[7] while his line "Hi-Yo, Silver!" was nominated for the 2005 list AFI's 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes.[8]

See also

References

  1. ^ Daniel, Blum (1969) [1957]. Screen World. Vol. 8. New York, N.Y.: Biblo & Tannen. p. 28. ISBN 0819602639.
  2. ^ "After 60 Years, the Lone Ranger Still Lives". The Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 27, 2010.
  3. ^ 'The Top Box-Office Hits of 1956', Variety Weekly, January 2, 1957
  4. ^ "The Lone Ranger (1956) - Trivia". TCM.com. Retrieved August 19, 2013.
  5. ^ D'Arc, James V. (2010). When Hollywood came to town: a history of moviemaking in Utah (1st ed.). Layton, Utah: Gibbs Smith. ISBN 9781423605874.
  6. ^ Crowther, Bosley (February 11, 1956). "Screen: 'Lone Ranger' Rides Again". The New York Times. p. 12.
  7. ^ "AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes & Villains Nominees" (PDF). Retrieved August 5, 2016.
  8. ^ "AFI's 100 Years...100 Movie Quotes Nominees" (PDF). Retrieved August 5, 2016.
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