In 1981, it was a new motion picture, told in the old Lone Ranger tradition... Numerous gun fights, satisfying explosions, and a dandy climatic fistfight. The production design was meticulous and elaborate. More than five people were credited for crafting the screenplay and some of the best talent in Hollywood was involved in all phases of production. "The Lone Ranger" was a name that brought back memories of radio serials and film matinees, and now he was back in a $15 million dollar movie. What could possibly go wrong?
To be clear, The Legend of the Lone Ranger is a fantastic film in my opinion, and the only reason why a lot of baby boomers criticize the movie is because of a negative stigma among a generation who grew up watching The Lone Ranger television program (1949-1957). Circa 1979, fan boys took offense when their hero, Clayton Moore, was told by the courts that he could not wear The Lone Ranger's trademarked black domino mask in public. This resulted in a minor (and unjust) boycott against the 1981 movie.
Let us leave it to the rocket scientists and bean counters to decipher and debate how damaging that boycott was. But, according to most reports, the effect was minor -- almost inconsequential. Still, the movie lived up to the title and the story behind the actors, the script writers and the producers have since become a legend. Over the years I have heard variations of the same stories, many told from a romantic or emotional point of view, avoiding the facts. Worse, as I dug into the archives and went directly to the source, I was shocked to diver there was another story behind-the-scenes.
Today, fans of The Lone Ranger may be surprised to learn there was another side to the story.
Because Terry Salomonson and myself have been assembling a series of books documenting al things involving The Lone Ranger, and because we have been publishing the books in chronological order in increments and not as volume numbers, we felt it unjust to sit on this manuscript until all of the others were completed. What would technically amount to "Volume Six" is now available covering the years of 1970 to 1984, the majority of which documents numerous attempts to bring The Lone Ranger to television via live action series and made-for-TV movie proposals, a day-by-day making of the big screen production, and the true facts regarding what went on behind the scenes that led to the movie's negative publicity. Even if you are not a fan of the movie, and consider yourself "Team Clayton," this book is one you will find fascinating.
