The Lone Ranger and the Lost City of Gold ** (1958, Clayton Moore, Jay Silverheels) – Classic Movie Review 11,745

Director Lesley Selander’s 1958 Eastmancolor Western film The Lone Ranger and the Lost City of Gold stars Clayton Moore and Jay Silverheels once more in a tame but fun sequel to The Lone Ranger TV series and first cinema spinoff The Lone Ranger (1956), carefully made with younger audiences in mind.

Once again Clayton Moore plays the mysterious masked avenger The Lone Ranger out to stop killings caused by bad guys searching for the medallions that will unlock the secrets of a golden city. And Jay Silverheels saddles up again as Moore’s wise and wily Native American chum Tonto.

Three Indians wearing silver medallions are murdered by a gang of hooded outlaws. The medallions are sections of a large silver plaque that was a treasure map to a large amount of gold. Two medallions are unaccounted for, and The Lone Ranger and Tonto must save their owners and round up the gang.

Also notable in the cast are Douglas Kennedy, Charles Watts, Noreen Nash, Lisa Montell, Ralph Moody, Dean Fredericks [Norman Fredric], and John Miljan.

It is the last time Clayton Moore starred as the Lone Ranger in a movie or TV show.

The TV show had five seasons over nine years, black-and-white (1949–1956) and then colour (1956–1957).

There are no further films based on this version of the characters but it is followed by The Legend of the The Lone Ranger (1981), The Lone Ranger TV film (2003) and The Lone Ranger (2013).

It opened in the US on 4 June 1958. In the UK, it premiered at the London Pavilion on 25 July 1958 and ran two weeks. During the first week the Lone Ranger made personal appearances every night, plus the Saturday matinee. It went on general release on 10 August 1958, with The Flame Barrier (1958).

The Lone Ranger and Silver.

Moore was so identified with the masked man that he is the only person on the Hollywood Walk of Fame also to have their character’s name on the star: ‘Clayton Moore – The Lone Ranger’.

The cast are Clayton Moore as The Lone Ranger, Jay Silverheels as Tonto, Douglas Kennedy as Ross Brady, Charles Watts as Sheriff Oscar, Noreen Nash as Mrs. Frances Henderson, Ralph Moody as Padre Esteban, Lisa Montell as Paviva, John Miljan as Chief Tomache, Dean Fredericks [Norman Fredric] as Dr James Rolfe, Maurice Jara as Redbird, Bill Henry as Brady’s henchman Travers,  and Lane Bradford as Brady’s henchman.

© Derek Winnert 2021 Classic Movie Review 11,745

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