The show was an immediate hit, attracting a large adult audience, even though The Lone Ranger was originally directed toward kids. Realizing that there was a place for him to fight injustice “in the early Western United States,” he continued on in his new identity, accompanied by Tonto and riding a white horse named Silver. A Native American named Tonto found the survivor and nursed him back to health…and when he was back at full speed, he and his Indian friend dug six graves to convince the outlaws that all of the Rangers were killed-while he himself donned a mask (made from the vest of the Ranger Captain, his brother Dan) and in his hidden guise tracked down each and every member of the gang. The origin of the Lone Ranger has been told, retold and embellished since the program’s 1933 debut-but the essential story is that the Ranger was one of six Texas Rangers caught in an ambush by outlaw “Butch” Cavendish and his gang. When The Lone Ranger made its first appearance over WXYZ radio (though history notes that a “test broadcast” was conducted a day earlier), it would put the masked man (and his faithful Indian companion, Tonto) among the forefront of the great fictional heroes of all time his influence is still being felt today with the announcement of a feature film based on his exploits that is to be released this year (we’ll reserve editorial comment on this one). Nowhere in the pages of history can one find a greater champion for justice…and you only need to look back eighty years ago on this date in 1933 to find the debut of one of radio’s legendary heroes and a true pop culture icon.

The lone ranger rides again