BRIAN LEBEL’S OLD WEST SHOW & AUCTION
From Friday through Sunday, June 21st
through the 24th, Denver, Colorado will draw collectors of Western
art, artifacts and memorabilia from around the globe for Brian Lebel’s 24TH ANNUAL OLD WEST
SHOW & AUCTION. While the three-day
event features a marketplace with over 200 antique and collectible dealers, the
centerpiece is Saturday’s auction, where 337 lots will be sold, comprising an
astonishing collection of Western items.
They say that timing is everything, and what could
be better timing for the daughter of Clayton Moore, TV’s THE LONE RANGER, to
part with some of her mementoes on the eve of the release of the new LONE
RANGER movie? Says Clayton’s only
child, Dawn Moore, “He always said that when he was gone I should keep whatever
pieces have particular meaning to me, with the rest to be enjoyed by whoever
would appreciate them.”
Cigar store Indian
I was on Hollywood Boulevard in 1987 when Clayton
Moore got his star on the Walk of Fame, and among the fans present were MCGYVER
star Richard Dean Anderson, for whom he was a role model. When Moore wrote his autobiography, I WAS
THAT MASKED MAN, and I stood on line at a book signing, along with my wife, and
Tex Ritter’s son, attorney Tom Ritter, and we were all struck by how many LAPD
officers, and CHP officers, helmets in hand, were waiting for autographs. Dawn says that even now, thirteen years after
her father’s death, she still receives his fan mail, mostly from baby-boomers
who are now police officers, firefighters and teachers. “These were the young viewers who decided to
become protectors in some capacity because of my father’s role on
television. Talk about paying it forward
– it’s very powerful stuff.” Among the
Clayton Moore Lone Ranger clothing items up for bids are a Nudie’s Stetson, a
Bohlin Buscadero Lone Ranger double holster gun rig, four pairs of boots, a
Nudie’s Lone Ranger costume, a Manuel Lone Ranger costume, shirts, pants, and a
red neckerchief. Among personal items are a Winchester presentation rifle, gold
records, posters, toys, toupees, and a silver bullet that comes with a signed
picture of Clayton Moore and Richard Nixon.
Pistol and papers of Wyoming Sheriff Nottage
And speaking of TV heroes, let’s give equal time to
TV heroines. Gail Davis starred in ANNIE
OAKLEY in the 1950s, and now her daughter Terrie is selling some of her
personal affects. There are movie
posters, toys, magazines, books, and playing cards – all emblazoned with Davis’
image as the woman who, in the star’s own words, “…had to deal with the same ruthless
characters--rustlers and killers--that the cowboys dealt with. And she did it
without ever killing a one of them.” There’s
a beautiful red Nudie costume as well, but I bet I know what item the women who
grew up on the show would give their eye-teeth for: a Nudie-made miniature
Annie Oakley costume that little Terrie Davis wore when mother and daughter
made public appearances together. And
because Annie Oakley was, after all, a real person, there is also a signed
cabinet card of the original ‘Little Sure-Shot’ offered for bid.
If you’re
in the market for a hat, there are two Tom Mix Stetsons, Robert Mitchum’s
sombrero from THE WONDERFUL COUNTRY (the hat is believed to be pre-Mexican
Revolution), and a Stetson that belonged to Robert “Believe it of Not!”
Ripley. There is a wide range of art,
both cowboy and Indian-made, and the usual mind-blowing selection of bits and
spurs, saddles and sidearms, and some fascinating documents. There’s a large collection of Tom Mix papers,
calling cards and letters from Buffalo Bill Cody, Frederic Remington, and Pat
Garrett’s life insurance policy (don't know if they paid off). From
Dodge City there’s a collection of documents carried by City Sheriff Ham
Bell. From Tombstone a collection of
documents includes a $1.50 receipt to Wyatt Earp for removing a dead dog, a
photograph of Bat’s brother Ed Masterson, and a petition directed to Sheriff
John Behan, relating to a writ of Habeas Corpus for Wyatt Earp and Doc
Holliday. There’s a collection of
letters from famous people to the last survivor of the James gang. There’s even a full-size, working Concord
stage-coach! If you’d like to learn
more, get a catalog, or find out how to get to Denver pronto, go HERE. http://www.denveroldwest.com/owshow.html
‘LONE RANGER’ – NEW DVD RELEASES REVIEWED
With the greatly anticipated LONE RANGER movie on
the not-too-distant horizon, it’s no surprise that the original LONE RANGER TV
series is being made available for those whose appetite will be whetted for
more of the masked rider of the plains and his faithful Indian companion. DreamWorks Classics has released a complete
set that includes all 221 episodes on 30 DVDs, as well as two features films, a
radio show, a complete episode guide, reproduction of a comic-book, and all
manner of extras. This deluxe edition
will run you $199; but if you’d like to get your toes wet before you dive in
headfirst, you’ll be glad to know that they’re also putting out three
surprisingly inexpensive sampler disks, each featuring eight episodes, and each
retailing for a paltry $6.99! Titled HI-YO SILVER, AWAY!; KEMO SABE; and WHO
WAS THAT MASKED MAN?, they’re a great way to relive your own childhood, or to
introduce the shows to your children or grandchildren.
The BIG set!
The LONE RANGER first appeared on Detroit radio station
WXYZ in early 1933, and when it went off the air in 1954, it had produced
around 3,000 episodes starring Brace Beemer as the Lone Ranger, and Shakespearean
actor John Todd as Tonto. Starting in
1949, the first eight years of the TV show were produced by the man who created
the radio series, George W. Trendle (though many claim that head-writer Fran
Striker was the true creator of the
Masked Man as well as his direct descendant, The Green Hornet).
Brace Beemer at the microphone
Although Brace Beemer was perfect on radio, a
younger and more fit man was needed on-screen, and Clayton Moore was
perfect. A busy but undistinguished
actor with an unusually distinctive voice, his portrayal came alive when the
mask went on, and he made an indelible impression as the Lone Ranger. Jay Silverheels, a Mohawk, played Tonto, and
although his dialogue was written to make it clear that English was his second
language, his characterization was subtle and memorable. And they didn’t soft-pedal the racial
elements; until they learned better, many white folk started the episodes
addressing Tonto as “Indian,” as though he didn’t have a name.
Coming with a tremendous backlog of already-produced
half-hour stories, the shows at first relied heavily on adapting radio scripts,
which caused them to be rather stiff and stilted. In early episodes, actor Gerald Mohr, who
spoke those well-remembered words from the opening – “…Return with us now to
those thrilling days of yesteryear! From
out of the past come the thundering hoofbeats of the great horse Silver! The Lone Ranger Rides again!” – voiced much
un-needed and distracting narration that was carried over from radio, but soon,
growing used to the new visual medium, they cut back noticeably on the
exposition. The production values are
high in the early shows, with plenty of location work, and a bit of stock
footage thrown in. Later on the series
became famous for cutting corners. Dick
Jones who guested on the LONE RANGER, recalled that the camera was mounted on a
tripod in the back of a truck at all times, so they could change set-ups that
much quicker. There was also extensive
shooting on ‘green sets,’ fake exteriors that were convincing on tiny old TV
screens of the day, but are jarringly phony-looking today.
Overall, the shows hold up remarkably well, due in
great degree to the iconic performances by Moore and Silverheels, clever – if
occasionally nutty – plotting, and a subtle but ever-present moral core: good
people, tempted to do bad, could be saved, and even killers who had irreparably
crossed the line, could be redeemed through self-sacrifice. Although nothing you’d notice as a kid
wrapped up in a story, the Lone Ranger never shot to kill – he was always
shooting guns out of villains’ hands.
In 1954, oil-man Jack Wrather bought the rights to
the LONE RANGER from Trendle for the staggering sum of $3,000,000. He produced two feature films, and audiences
for the first time got to see the Lone Ranger in glorious color, in THE LONE
RANGER (1956), costarring Rather’s wife and the screen’s ‘Nancy Drew,’ Bonita
Granville; and THE LONE RANGER AND THE LOST CITY OF GOLD (1958). The final season of the series was shot in
color, and the budgets boosted to a then-phenomenal $25,000 per episode, many
shot in scenic Kanab, Utah, and perhaps to take advantage of their colorful
attire, those episodes usually focus on the Ranger’s dealings with
Indians. Wrather also hoped to make the
series appeal to an older audience as well, and the one noticeable change is
that the Lone Ranger is a tad less stoic and more slyly humorous in his patter
with Tonto. Many of the color episodes
are directed by the prolific and talented Earl Bellamy, who helmed many movies,
and more than 1,600 TV episodes, more than any other director. (He also was a friend, and directed the first
movie I wrote, SPEEDTRAP.) One surprise
in the color shows is that some forward-looking person decided, back in 1949,
to shoot the show’s opening in color – it’s the exact same footage they’d been
showing in black & white for years, only now we could see that the Ranger’s
outfit was blue, and his kerchief red.
The three individual collections
The quality of image in the new DVD releases, HI-YO
SILVER, AWAY!; KEMO SABE; and WHO WAS THAT MASKED MAN?, is stunning, absolutely
pristine. The black & white prints
are crisp and sharp, with rich blacks and a wide range of greys that display the
often beautiful cinematography. The
color episodes are rich in hue and beauty, whether showing sets, wardrobe, or
remarkable desert locations. As far as I
can tell, they’ve been unedited.
The episodes on each disk are in chronological
order, but on two of the three collections – and this is my only serious
criticism – the selection seems completely random: there is no apparent attempt
to order or group the shows. This is
most noticeable with HI-YO SILVER, AWAY!
The first episode, THE LONE RANGER FIGHTS ON, is actually the 2nd
episode of the series, and the middle section of a three-part telling of the
outlaw ambush of a group of Texas Rangers which leaves only one alive, hence
the lone ranger. So we come into the story in the middle, see
Walter Sande as a lawman and Glenn Strange (Sam of GUNSMOKE) as Butch
Cavendish, and the story ends with a cliffhanger, and a rarely seen cereal
plug. Then we are told to be sure to
return for the next episode, but the next episode is not #3, but #43, OUTLAWS
OF THE PLAINS. This is followed by MR.
TROUBLE from season 2, which is followed by three episodes from season 3 which
star not Clayton Moore, but John Hart as the Lone Ranger! After two seasons of playing the lead,
Clayton Moore tried for more money, and was promptly fired, replaced by Hart
for 52 episodes. Hart was a good actor,
but Trendle and company had to admit that, even with the mask, audiences could
tell the difference; they renegotiated, and Clayton Moore returned, and played
Lone Ranger for the rest of the run.
Incidentally, John Hart, who would go on to star as Hawkeye in HAWKEYE
AND THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS series, told interviewer Sunset Carson that he
didn’t blame Moore for holding out for more money; Hart was paid less per
episode for playing the Lone Ranger than for any other acting job he ever
had! But Even without Moore, these
episodes are worth seeing. THE BROWN
PONY stars Lee Van Cleef as an escaped convict who holds the evidence to free
and innocent man. Next is THE OLD
COWBOY, followed by THE MIDNIGHT RIDER, starring Darryl Hickman playing,
ironically, a caped and masked Zorro-like character. Then Clayton Moore is back for TRAPPED,
episode #178, followed by the 9th color episode, QUARTER-HORSE WAR,
filmed in gorgeous Kanab, Utah, featuring a big budget, a lot of action, and
guest-starring fine Western villain Harry Lauter.
The KEMO SABE collection starts with TROUBLE FOR
TONTO from season 1, then THE FUGITIVE, ENFIELD RIFLE and THE TELL-TALE BULLET
from season 4. TELL-TALE features excellent
villain Anthony Caruso, and a pre-Chester Dennis Weaver. FRAMED FOR MURDER stars the still handsome
and active James Best (this weekend he was performing his one-man-show at the
Memphis Film Festival). The last three
episodes, COURAGE OF TONTO, MISSION FOR TONTO and THE BANKER’S SON are all in
color, so if you’re trying to interest a young kid in the Lone Ranger, this
would be the set to start with: if you can get them hooked with the color
shows, they’ll be willing to watch the black & white ones after. (Over the years I’ve introduced thousands of
L.A. school kids to Laurel & Hardy, but the trick was to show them the
colorized ones first; most kids simply won’t watch anything black &
white). Incidentally, COURAGE OF TONTO
guest-stars former screen ‘Red Ryder’ Jim Bannon.
The WHO WAS THAT MASKED MAN? collection does have a theme, about identity, and
features stories about masks, people impersonating the Lone Ranger but, best of
all, features several episodes where Moore gets to shed his mask and don
outrageous disguises. The first episode
is THE MASKED RIDER, episode #14 from the first season. The next one, GOLD TRAIN, episode #27,
features a pre-STAR TREK DeForrest Kelly; and little Billy Bletcher, a Mack
Sennett comic who voiced The Big Bad Wolf and Peg-Leg Pete for Disney. From Season 2, BAD MEDICINE features primo
Western villain Dick Curtis, and Clayton Moore made up as a hysterical Italian
farmer. THE HOODED MEN from season two
continues the disguise theme, and guest-stars Walter Sande. From Season 4, TWO FOR JUAN RINGO guest stars
Lyle Talbot, and features Moore disguised as a Mexican bandito; WANTED: THE LONE RANGER guest stars Jesse White, and both
Moore and Silverheels dress up as circus clowns. The last two episodes are color, from the
final season. THE RETURN OF DON PEDRO
O’SULLIVAN features Moore as a red-headed, red-bearded Irishman, and best of
all, in OUTLAWS IN GREASEPAINT, the Lone Ranger plays Othello! GREASEPAINT, incidentally, is the very last
episode of the series, although there is no sense of finality, as when it was
shot, yet another season was being planned.
Moore and Silverheels would play their iconic
characters in commercials for GENO’S PIZZA ROLLS and AQUA VELVA aftershave, but
producer Jack Wrather alienated fans when, after announcing production of THE LEGEND OF THE LONE RANGER (1981), he forbade
Clayton Moore from dressing as the Lone Ranger, or wearing the mask. Despite direction by the great
cinematographer Bill Fraker, and a cast that included Jason Robards as
President Grant, Christopher Lloyd as Butch Cavendish and Richard Farnsworth as
Wild Bill Hickock (and perhaps as a slap-in-the-face to Clayton Moore,
featuring John Hart in a cameo), it also featured first-time (and last-time)
actor Klinton Spilsbury as the Lone Ranger.
It bombed, and combined with the previous year’s financial disaster
HEAVEN’S GATE, dealt the cause of Western filmmaking a decade-long
setback. (Worth noting, Tonto was played
by fellow first-time actor Michael Horse, who has gone on to a very respectable
and successful acting career in and out of Westerns.)
If you like THE LONE RANGER, you’ll love this set of
bargain-priced DVDs from Dreamworks Classics. And if you don’t, why have you read this far?
A
LOOK AT ‘LONE RANGER’ BOOTCAMP
GATEWAY SADDLES UP
WINNERS FOR ANNUAL COWBOY ROUND-UP
Here’s a very
interesting article from the Columbus
Dispatch by Terry Mikesell, about the terrific annual Western Festival at
the Gateway Film Center in Columbus, Ohio.
And no, I’m not adding all those compliments just because I was interviewed for the piece. But it helps.
Read it HERE.
And if you can get to Columbus, and want details on the festival, go HERE.
HAPPY FATHER’S DAY TO ALL YOU DADS!
Here’s the picture my daughter posted of us on the
Round-up Facebook page, wishing me a happy Father’s Day. I hope all of you other dads out there had as
great a day as I did, and are as proud of your kids as I am.
Happy Trails,
Henry
All Original Contents Copyright June 2013 by Henry
C. Parke – All Rights Reserved
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