The 1954 opening to the "Lone Ranger" TV show, seen below, combines footage shot in 1954 — including the first 20 seconds or so of the video, along with the shot of Silver rearing up at Lone Ranger Rock — with original footage shot in 1949. This version debuted when Clayton Moore returned to the series in 1954 for the show's fourth season after sitting out season three. John Hart filled in for Moore during season three, but was never widely embraced by fans of the show.
1954 version of the opening to "The Lone Ranger" — shot in part on the Iverson Movie Ranch
The opening seen above begins with a 20-second sequence that was shot in the desert north of Los Angeles in 1954. This sequence was once thought to be filmed in Lone Pine, Calif., but in 2018 we found the actual location near Lucerne Valley, Calif. For more about this location and the 1954 version of the opening, click here.
After those first 20 seconds in the 1954 opening, the scene transitions to the Iverson Movie Ranch, where Clayton Moore, as the Lone Ranger, rides south through the Iverson Gorge as the cry of "Hi-yo Silver!" is heard and the familiar voiceover comes on, talking about "a fiery horse with the speed of light, a cloud of dust, and a hearty 'Hi-yo Silver!'" Most of this sequence was shot in 1949.
The big moment starts about 31 seconds in, as Lone Ranger Rock comes into view and Silver rears up on his hind legs next to the popular landmark. Every version I've seen of the opening has a series of edits during the "rearing up" scene, and these edits hold clues to when the footage was shot. The sequence with the Lone Ranger riding toward the camera on his way to Lone Ranger Rock is from 1949, and appears to show Clayton Moore riding Silver. But it is believed that the original 1949 "rearing up" sequence was done by a stunt rider. When this version of the "rearing up" sequence was replaced in 1954, it was Clayton doing the rearing up on Silver, as seen above.
Lone Ranger Rock, which got its name from its appearance in the opening to the TV show, is still standing, on the former site of the Iverson Ranch in Chatsworth, Calif. You can see it from the car as you drive north on Redmesa Road, just north of Santa Susana Pass Road, and you can also get out and hike a short distance for a photo op with the rock — provided you're willing to put up with slippery terrain, poison oak and the possibility of rattlesnakes.
As the clip continues, the Lone Ranger leaves Lone Ranger Rock and continues south through the Iverson Gorge. A version of this part of the ride appears in both the original 1949 opening and a 1956 reshoot, but the most commonly seen versions (from the 1956 reshoot) cut out before the point seen in the screen shot above. The original 1949 clip above contains one of the longer versions of the Ranger's ride into the Gorge.
The above shot, from the original 1949 opening, appears moments before the Lone Ranger makes a right turn to head up to Lone Ranger Rock. It's seen at about the 28-second mark in the clip above. The shot features a portion of the Iverson Gorge, including key rocks that are still in place today.
One rock that helps define the opening sequence is this one, which I call "Sea Leopard." Despite its relatively large size, Sea Leopard has been a difficult rock to see, as it has been hidden behind trees for decades.
But Sea Leopard is still there, and can be found if you're determined enough.
If you're inclined to try to follow in the hoofsteps of Silver and hike the path taken by the Lone Ranger, it can be done, although at times the thick brush makes it difficult. The trail where Clayton Moore and Silver rode through the Iverson Gorge has been preserved as public land, an unmarked section of Garden of the Gods Park on the east side of Redmesa Road in Chatsworth. As long as you stay below the condos, you should have only the rattlesnakes, poison oak, dense overgrowth and slippery slopes to worry about.
The 1956 reshoot, done when the show transitioned to color for its final season, is essentially new footage. However, a large portion of the new opening closely replicates footage from previous versions filmed in 1949 and 1954. The color version is often seen "retrofitted" to black and white, including for syndication and home video packages. Many viewers have probably watched the various versions of this footage countless times without realizing it's from several different shoots.
This is the version of the opening that may be the most familiar to fans of the TV show:
1956 opening to "The Lone Ranger" — shot entirely on the Iverson Movie Ranch
Along with new video, this new 1956 version features a new arrangement of the "William Tell Overture" — although it's hard to tell them apart until about 12 seconds in, when the familiar "deedle-eet, deedle-eet, deedle-eet-deet-deet" part, now synonymous with the Lone Ranger, kicks in. (If you play the 1949 clip and pay attention to the music, you may be surprised to find that the "deedle-eet" section is missing from the first half of the clip — but it does come in around the 34-second mark, and accompanies the ride into the Lower Gorge.)
In the new video, Clayton Moore again guides Silver along the same
trail through the Iverson Gorge that he traversed in 1949, and again the horse rears up next to
Lone Ranger Rock.
The backstory on this version is that the opening was completely reshot, in color, in 1956, for the fifth and, as it turned out, final season of the series — the only season of the show that aired in color. This new color version of the opening sequence, shot entirely on the Iverson Movie Ranch, was then "decolorized" for use on subsequent airings and repackages of seasons one through four of the TV show — in reruns, in syndication, on videotape, and eventually, on cable and DVD.
The climactic moment for most fans probably comes about halfway through the clip, soon after the familiar cry of "Hi-Yo Silver!" is heard, when Clayton Moore rides up to the rock we now know as Lone Ranger Rock and rears up on Silver. It is because of this sequence that the rock came to be known as Lone Ranger Rock, and it remains the most famous rock on the former site of the Iverson Movie Ranch.
color episode "Breaking Point" (shot in 1956)
Even though Lone Ranger Rock was not yet known by that name, the people behind the TV show clearly understood the rock's importance — which explains why they made a point of shooting the opening multiple times in the exact same location, and why they shot scenes at the rock for the show's final season.
One element distinguishing the 1956 opening — although it goes by quickly — is a white gate that appears briefly in the background at about the 17-second mark, immediately before the cry of "Hi-yo Silver!"
The gate, which was presumably not meant to show up in the shot, marked the boundary between the Upper Iverson and the Brandeis property to the west. In a later edit of the 1956 opening, which you can see below, the gate has been edited out and a few other minor changes have been made. In other edits of the opening sequence, the gate appears twice.
Here's a shot of the Lone Ranger just before he arrives at Lone Ranger Rock, taken from the 1956 reshoot. This shot can be compared with a similar shot from the original 1949 shoot, which is posted higher up. The next three photos spotlight some of the details in the two shots.
This is the same 1956 shot with a few key details pointed out. Other than Sticky Bun, which was concealed behind foliage in the 1949 sequence, these same features are also seen in the 1949 version.
Here's another look at the comparable moment in the 1949 sequence. With Sea Leopard more visible today than it has been in the past, most of the features in the shot are now relatively easy to find — although finding famous rocks rarely turns out to be as easy as expected.
Here's a comparison of the Sea Leopard sightings in the 1949 and 1956 shots, focusing on one of the key differences between the two shots. Notice how much more foliage appears around and in front of Sea Leopard in the 1956 version, with the native vegetation having grown significantly in just seven years.
I'm including a bonus version here — It's the same footage seen above in the 1956 version, but a shorter edit, omitting the ride down the Gorge after the Lone Ranger leaves Lone Ranger Rock. This clip also happens to run too fast, but I'm including it because the picture quality is better than on the clip above.
Here's the speeded-up 1956 version, which provides a better look at the gate and other details:
1956 "bonus version" — runs fast, but the picture is better
While this clip runs a little too fast (or a lot too fast, depending on your
tolerance level), it has the best picture
quality I've been able to find for this version of the opening. It runs
about 30 seconds and was filmed — and it was film, not video, in those
days — entirely on the Iverson Movie Ranch, in 1956.
This next clip is one of a number of variations that have been created of the opening with minor edits. It represents a significant evolution from the first 1956 version in that it deletes the apparently unwanted (and initially overlooked) appearance of the white gate.
Edited 1956 version of the opening to "The Lone Ranger," eliminating the gate (shot entirely on the Iverson Movie Ranch)
This version contains a number of additional edits of the footage found in the first 1956 version, besides deleting the brief shot of the gate. One key difference is that in this version, after the cry of "Hi-yo Silver!," the Lone Ranger fires three shots before riding up to Lone Ranger Rock. That's edited down from the five shots he fires in the first 1956 version.
It should be noted that the various openings are not presented here in the chronological order in which they first appeared. But here's the 1956 reshoot as it was intended, in color:
The clip I've posted here is truncated, but it's the best I could find. It does not include any footage after the "rearing up" sequence at Lone Ranger Rock, so it excludes the ride down the Gorge. However, this clip matches the black-and-white 1956 version in that this original color clip also includes the brief glimpse of the white gate, and it also has the Lone Ranger firing five shots after the cry of "Hi-yo Silver!"
Here's the original appearance, in color, of that pesky white gate. This is part of the first segment of the reshot opening, which takes place on the Upper Iverson. In this color clip, the Upper Iverson segment lasts about 17 seconds, right up to the cry of "Hi-yo Silver!," where the scene shifts to the Lower Iverson for the ride past Sea Leopard, the ascent up to Lone Ranger Rock and — had it been included — the eventual ride down into the Lower Gorge.
Another screen shot from the portion of the color 1956 opening that was filmed on the Upper Iverson, this frame includes Pyramid Peak in the background, behind the Lone Ranger's head, along with the Line of Trees. The Line of Trees marked the western boundary of the Upper Iverson, with the neighboring Brandeis Estate on the other side of the trees.
Here's what the opening looks like — and more to the point, sounds like — in Spanish:
Spanish version of the opening to "The Lone Ranger": "El Llanero Solitario"
One of the most interesting things about this Spanish version is that it uses a completely different recording of the "William Tell Overture." I like this one better than any of the arrangements heard on U.S. versions, as the horns have a more dynamic sound — this one cries out to be cranked up. The video footage seen here is the same footage from 1956, shot entirely on the Iverson Movie Ranch. Here again, we see the white gate, and here we again have five shots ring out after the cry of "Hi-yo Silver!" Of course, we also have a completely different voiceover here, in Spanish, along with a "Spanish-sounding" guy yelling "Hi-yo Silver!"
The above examples are by no means an exhaustive collection of the many openings to the TV show. A virtually unlimited number of variations exist, but I tried to hit on the main differences here without going overboard. If you watch your own "Lone Ranger" episodes, you will undoubtedly discover other variations.
The rarely seen original 1949 opening to "The Lone Ranger" begins with this shot of a flag promoting General Mills, the show's original sponsor. For more about this and other "Lone Ranger" openings, click here.
Shout-out to Michael Trotochaud of the Lone Ranger Fan Club for his help and tireless work sorting out the complicated history of the "Lone Ranger" opening sequence.
9 comments:
This is the kind of detailed analysis that as a hard core Lone Ranger fan I really enjoy! It was the Lone Ranger rock that got me to explore that area in the first place. Keep up the great work.
Rick
Thanks for your comment, Rick. I appreciate the feedback.
The Lone Ranger is an integral part of Iverson Movie Ranch history, and was also a big part of my early efforts to learn about the ranch. It's always good to check back in and see whether any new secrets can be unearthed about the show. I realize this blog item goes on pretty long — it might be my longest one yet. But I could have gone on much longer and I finally had to cut it short to keep it reasonable. Many other variations exist of the opening to the TV show, although they're mostly just various edits to make it fit certain repackages of the show.
I enjoy knowing that Clayton Moore remained actively interested throughout his life in preservation efforts involving Iverson and other former shooting locations in the Santa Susana Mountains. In case you haven't seen it yet, check out this post from a few years ago, which features Clayton Moore talking about preserving the old movie sites:
http://iversonmovieranch.blogspot.com/2010/06/clayton-moore-aka-lone-ranger-talks.html
Thanks again!
-SN
What I would like to find out is the titles of all the music that was used during the episodes, that is before the color versions when the series still had a narrator. I once heard that all the music used on the tv shows were classical music. If you can supply this information it would be appreciated.
Thanks for your comment, dad. I'm with you: It would be cool to find out what all the music was. I've looked around a little, and it is clearly not easy to turn up that kind of info.
I did find a number of different soundtrack albums and CDs from the radio series, but unfortunately not the TV series, on eBay.
Hopefully an obsessive Lone Ranger fan will surface online one day who has the info.
-SN
Enjoyed reading this post about the various Lone Ranger beginning scenes. Really appreciate the extensive descriptions and photos. Do you know if version 2 is the opening scene used in the 2013 "The Lone Ranger Collector's Edition" 30 DVD set?
Thank you for keeping all things Lone Ranger and Iverson Movie Ranch alive!
TheLadyRanger44
This 70 year old Lone Ranger fan has used the John Hart two season appearances as a stumper in trivia games.
But I have counted many, many times the number of shots fired in the openings.
He fires tree at the gallop on the flat terrain and another 5 as he rides the trail up to the Lone Ranger rock.
7? Really? I just love it.
Yes, I catch myself counting the shots, too, and get a chuckle out of it!
7 Shots? Well, he did have to revolvers!
did anybody catch that the last 5 shots that were made, that the lone ranger had both hands on the ropes and none on any of his guns? who shot the 5 shots in the begining?
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