Review of Enter the Lone Ranger

"Enter the Lone Ranger" constituted the first episode of the Jack Chertok, Harry Pope, and George W. Trendle produced television series that aired from 1949 to 1957. Regular "Lone Ranger" scribe George B. Seitz Jr. derived his teleplay from on a story written by Fran Styker with Lone Ranger creator George W. Trendle. Basically, this episode served as an origins episode. Not only did it introduce the Lone Ranger as a character but also it dictated the ground rules of the series. Unlike the 1981 and 2013 films, our hero was never shown from the beginning. The Texas Rangers are trailing notorious outlaw Butch Cavendish (Glenn Strange of "House of Dracula"), and they ride unsuspectingly into a cross-fire, and riflemen in a mountain gap riddle them with bullets. We are never introduced to John Reid (Clayton Moore of "Black Dragons") before the massacre, and his identity is kept concealed until he dons the mask. The treacherous guide Collins (George J. Lewis of "Captain America) takes the Rangers into an ambush. Everybody but Collins dies. Butch orders Collins to check the corpses. Collins assures Butch that everybody is deceased. No sooner has Collins confirmed that they are all deed than Cavendish shoots Collins and leaves him for dead. Later, an buckskin-clad Native American, Tonto (Jay Silverheels) shows up and buries all the dead Texas Ranger except one. This Texas Ranger recovers from his wounds, and Tonto reminds him that they were old friends. John Reid extended a helping hand to Tonto after the Indian's village was massacred. Tonto gave him a ring so he would recognize him. After the last Ranger recuperates, he puts on the mask and vows to work for justice. He refuses to kill anybody, and he prefers to let the court determine the fate of the criminals that he brings to justice. A gunfight between the Lone Ranger and Collins ensues at the end, and Collins appears to have an edge on our hero because he is about to smash him with a huge rock. You'll have to wait for the resumption of this in episode two. Altogether, "Enter the Lone Ranger" was very serviceable.