Clayton Moore - TV's Lone Ranger“A fiery horse with the speed of light, a cloud of dust and a hearty, ‘Hi Yo Silver!…It’s THE LONE RANGER. With his faithful Indian companion Tonto, the daring and resourceful masked rider of the plains led the fight for law and order in the early west. Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear. The Ranger rides again!” Premiering on September 15, 1949, the series was one of TV's first westerns. Clayton Moore portrayed the masked hero in 169 thirty-minute episodes. Jay Silverheels played his loyal Indian companion Tonto. Silver was the Ranger's horse, an important member of the cast. "Hi-Yo, Silver!" The Ranger never really hurt anybody except Butch Cavendish, the outlaw responsible for the Ranger donning the mask in the first place. After he killed Butch, he always made it a priority to capture the bad guys alive and turn them in to the local authorities. He would always make it a point to gallop off, with Tonto following closely behind, before he could be properly thanked. "Who is that masked man, anyway?" "Why, don't you know? That's the Lone Ranger!" Clayton Moore always appreciated his fans and returned authentic autographs to those who took the time to write him. In the late 1990's, I sent Clayton Moore an original arcade card and a vintage comic. He returned them both signed with authentic autographs. Moore was always responsive to those who took the time to write. Dealers list signed photos of Moore as the Ranger sell for around $50. (I don't have one, but a Jay Silverheels signed photo would sell for around $400). Clayton Moore died on December 28, 1999.
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