The Lone Ranger: The Osage Bank Robbery (12-17-1937)

The Lone Ranger is a fictional masked former Texas Ranger who fought outlaws in the American Old West with his Native American friend, Tonto. The character has been called an enduring icon of American culture. He first appeared in 1933 in a radio show on WXYZ (Detroit), con ceived either by station owner George W. Trendle or by Fran Striker, the show's writer. The radio series proved to be a hit, and spawned a series of books (largely written by Striker), an equally popular television show that ran from 1949 to 1957, comic books, and several films. The title character was played on the radio show by Earle Graser for some 1,300 episodes, but three others preceded him, according to The New York Times: "a man named Deeds, who lasted only a few weeks; a George Stenius [actually George Seaton according to the Los Angeles Times], and then Brace Beemer; the latter became the narrator of the program. Clayton Moore portrayed the Lone Ranger on television, although, during a contract dispute, Moore was replaced for a season by John Hart, who wore a different style of mask. On the radio, Tonto was played by, among others, John Todd and Roland Parker; and in the television series, by Jay Silverheels, who was a Mohawk from the Six Nations Indian Reserve in Ontario, Canada.