# The first episode of "The Lone Ranger" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 4, 2012, 1:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-episode-of-the-lone-ranger/633602 "2012-09-04T01:08:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2012, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-episode-of-the-lone-ranger/633602/21 "2012-09-05T02:48:42Z")
> [@TreacherousCretin](#): > > I think that particularly silly plot device originated in the godawful 1981 LR bigscreen movie. No; I remember Clayton Moore saying in one episode (probably the pilot) that “The idea came from Tonto,” or something very similar. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2012, 3:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-episode-of-the-lone-ranger/633602/22 "2012-09-05T03:04:05Z")
As an aside, silver has approximately the same density as lead, and so the bullets would have similar properties. Gold, by contrast, has nearly twice the density, which would surely affect the ballistics (though for good or ill, I’m not sure). ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2012, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-episode-of-the-lone-ranger/633602/23 "2012-09-05T03:12:51Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > As an aside, silver has approximately the same density as lead, and so the bullets would have similar properties. **Gold, by contrast, has nearly twice the density, which would surely affect the ballistics (though for good or ill, I’m not sure).** Either a lower velocity or if there’s room in the case, more powder(or different) to compensate for the increased weight of the bullet. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2012, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-episode-of-the-lone-ranger/633602/24 "2012-09-05T03:30:40Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > As an aside, silver has approximately the same density as lead, and so the bullets would have similar properties. Gold, by contrast, has nearly twice the density, which would surely affect the ballistics (though for good or ill, I’m not sure). It is harder though so you might sacrifice “stopping power” if you over penetrate. Although if you are only shooting to blow off hats and knock guns out of hands it is less of a concern I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2012, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-episode-of-the-lone-ranger/633602/25 "2012-09-05T03:45:59Z")
> [@](#): > > Either a lower velocity or if there’s room in the case, more powder(or different) to compensate for the increased weight of the bullet. That assumes that velocity is what you want from a bullet. But the fact that they’re conventionally made from lead instead of, say, aluminum implies differently. If lead is better than aluminum, then maybe gold is better than lead. That’s why I said I wasn’t sure. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2012, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-episode-of-the-lone-ranger/633602/26 "2012-09-05T04:03:57Z")
I used to watch the Lone Ranger all the time when I was a kid in the 1950s and 1960s. The “origins” episode was my favorite one of all, and I would eagerly await its broadcast maybe once a year. I remember his mask being made out of his brother’s vest. As I recall, the Ranger also acquired his horse Silver in that episode. He and Tonto found the horse after it had been gored by a buffalo, and they nursed it back to health. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2012, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-episode-of-the-lone-ranger/633602/27 "2012-09-05T19:02:30Z")
> [@Colibri](#): > > I used to watch the Lone Ranger all the time when I was a kid in the 1950s and 1960s. The “origins” episode was my favorite one of all, and I would eagerly await its broadcast maybe once a year. I remember his mask being made out of his brother’s vest. As I recall, the Ranger also acquired his horse Silver in that episode. He and Tonto found the horse after it had been gored by a buffalo, and they nursed it back to health. Lot of back-to-health-nursing in the backstory. Young Reid for young Tonto, Tonto for Reid, LR&T for Silver. Question: I also used to love TLR as a 50’s kid, but I never saw the origins episode. Is it true, as a friend once told me, that when Reid is recovering and asks Tonto where the rest of the Texas Rangers are, Tonto answers: “Other Rangers dead. You (pause) _Lone_ Ranger.” ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2012, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-episode-of-the-lone-ranger/633602/28 "2012-09-05T19:08:17Z")
> [@TreacherousCretin](#): > > Is it true, as a friend once told me, that when Reid is recovering and asks Tonto where the rest of the Texas Rangers are, Tonto answers: “Other Rangers dead. You (pause) _Lone_ Ranger.” Yes, it is. As I indicated above, the TV pilot used virtually the same dialogue as the first radio show. Check out Jim Harmon’s book for more background. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2012, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-episode-of-the-lone-ranger/633602/29 "2012-09-05T19:08:17Z")
> [@TreacherousCretin](#): > > Lot of back-to-health-nursing in the backstory. Young Reid for young Tonto, Tonto for Reid, LR&T for Silver. > Question: I also used to love TLR as a 50’s kid, but I never saw the origins episode. Is it true, as a friend once told me, that when Reid is recovering and asks Tonto where the rest of the Texas Rangers are, Tonto answers: “Other Rangers dead. You (pause) _Lone_ Ranger.” That’s the way I remember it. But I haven’t seen that episode since I was kid, many moons ago, so I looked it up. [Right here](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0041038/quotes). ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2012, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-episode-of-the-lone-ranger/633602/30 "2012-09-05T20:45:23Z")
Cool. I’ve always liked the line, hoped it was true. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2012, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-episode-of-the-lone-ranger/633602/31 "2012-09-05T21:03:48Z")
> [@TreacherousCretin](#): > > Tonto answers: “Other Rangers dead. You (pause) _Lone_ Ranger.” Yup. That line was in the episode I saw the other day. It’s running on some religious station called WHT. Set your DVR’s! ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Torque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Max\_Torque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Torque)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2012, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-episode-of-the-lone-ranger/633602/32 "2012-09-05T21:47:05Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > _Supplies_, not information. He was always sending Tonto into town to pick up supplies while he stayed behind to set up camp. And Tonto would always get the crap beaten out of him. > > Another comic (possibly John Byner) once did a similar routine on (I think) the “Tonight Show.” The dialogue went: > > **LR:** Tonto, I’ll stay here and set up camp. You go into town and get supplies. > > **T:** Uhhhhhh, Tonto have better idea. \* Tonto\* stay here, set up camp. _Kemo Sabe_ go into town, get supplies! > > Byner also did a bit in which Tonto moonlighted as an interior decorator, and the Ranger was bitching about how he had set up camp. The people who owned the rights to the LR threatened to sue him if he ever did it again. And then there were the “back at the ranch” jokes. “Meanwhile, back at the ranch, the Lone Ranger, not knowing Tonto had disguised himself as a pool table, racked his balls.” “Meanwhile, back at the ranch, the Lone Ranger, not knowing Tonto had disguised himself as a door, shot his knob off.” And so on. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Rieux](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@Dr.Rieux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Rieux)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2012, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-episode-of-the-lone-ranger/633602/33 "2012-09-06T17:49:58Z")
I guess this is obligatory: The Lone Ranger: “Tonto, we’re surrounded by hundreds of hostile, bloodthirsty indians. I don’t know how we’re going to survive.” Tonto: “What do you mean _we_, paleface?” [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-first-episode-of-the-lone-ranger/633602.md?page=1)