The 1954 opening to the "Lone Ranger" TV show, seen below, combines footage shot in 1954 — the first 20 seconds or so of the video — with original footage shot in 1949. This version debuted when Clayton Moore returned to the series in 1954 for the show's fourth season after sitting out season three. John Hart filled in for Moore during season three, but was never widely embraced by fans of the show.
1954 version of the opening to "The Lone Ranger" — shot in part on the Iverson Movie Ranch
The opening seen above begins with a 20-second sequence that was shot in the desert north of Los Angeles in 1954. This sequence was once thought to be filmed in Lone Pine, Calif., but that theory turned out to be incorrect, and in 2018 we found the actual location near Lucerne Valley, Calif. For more about this location and the 1954 version of the opening, click here.
After those first 20 seconds in the 1954 opening, the scene transitions to the Iverson Movie Ranch, where Clayton Moore, as the Lone Ranger, rides south through the Iverson Gorge as the cry of "Hi-yo Silver!" is heard and the familiar voiceover comes on, talking about "a fiery horse with the speed of light, a cloud of dust, and a hearty 'Hi-yo Silver!'" This sequence was first shot in 1949.
The big moment starts about 31 seconds in, as Lone Ranger Rock comes into view and Silver rears up on his hind legs next to the popular landmark. Every version I've seen of the opening has a series of edits during the "rearing up" scene, which makes sense as it would have been nearly impossible to get Silver to scamper up the hill to the rock, turn slightly to the left and immediately do a picture-perfect "rearing up" — all within a few seconds. (Never mind pausing for the episode title to appear before turning and heading down into the Gorge on cue.)
Lone Ranger Rock, which got its name from its appearance in the opening to the TV show, is still standing, on the former site of the Iverson Ranch in Chatsworth, Calif. You can see it from the car as you drive north on Redmesa Road, just north of Santa Susana Pass Road, and you can also get out and hike a short distance for a photo op with the rock — provided you're willing to put up with slippery terrain, poison oak and the possibility of rattlesnakes.
As the clip continues, the Lone Ranger leaves Lone Ranger Rock and continues south through the Iverson Gorge. A version of this part of the ride appears in both the original 1949 opening and a 1956 reshoot, but the most commonly seen versions (from the 1956 reshoot) cut out well before the point seen in the screen shot above. The original 1949 clip above contains one of the longer versions of the Ranger's ride into the Gorge.
The above shot, taken from the original 1949 opening, appears moments before the Lone Ranger makes a right turn to head up to Lone Ranger Rock. It's seen at about the 28-second mark in the clip above. The shot features a portion of Iverson's Upper Gorge, including key rocks that are still in place today. Behind the Lone Ranger and Silver, the shot also includes the trail the Ranger rides as he approaches Lone Ranger Rock. Below I will compare this shot with its counterpart from the 1956 reshoot, and will talk about the features seen in the shot.
If you're inclined to try to follow in the hoofsteps of Silver and hike the path taken by the Lone Ranger, it can be done, although at times the thick brush makes it difficult. The trail where Clayton Moore and Silver rode through the Iverson Gorge has been preserved as public land, an unmarked section of Garden of the Gods Park on the east side of Redmesa Road in Chatsworth. As long as you stay below the condos, you should have only the rattlesnakes, poison oak, dense overgrowth and slippery slope to worry about.
The 1956 reshoot, done when the show transitioned to color for its final season, is essentially new footage. However, a large portion of the new opening closely replicates footage from the original version filmed seven years earlier, in 1949. The color version is often seen "retrofitted" to black and white, including for syndication and home video packages. Many viewers — including myself — have probably watched the two versions of this footage countless times without realizing it's from two different shoots, seven years apart.
This is the version of the opening that may be the most familiar to fans of the TV show:
1956 opening to "The Lone Ranger" — shot entirely on the Iverson Movie Ranch
Along with new video, this new 1956 version features a new arrangement of the "William Tell Overture" — although it's hard to tell them apart until about 12 seconds in, when the familiar "deedle-eet, deedle-eet, deedle-eet-deet-deet" part, now synonymous with the Lone Ranger, kicks in. (If you play the 1949 clip and pay attention to the music, you may be surprised to find that the "deedle-eet" section is missing from the first half of the clip — but it does come in around the 34-second mark, and accompanies the ride into the Lower Gorge.)
In the new video, Clayton Moore again guides Silver along the same
trail through the Iverson Gorge that he traversed in 1949, and again the horse rears up next to
Lone Ranger Rock.
The backstory on this version is that the opening was completely reshot, in color, in 1956, for the fifth and, as it turned out, final season of the series — the only season of the show that aired in color. This new color version of the opening sequence, shot entirely on the Iverson Movie Ranch, was then "decolorized" for use on subsequent airings and repackages of seasons one through four of the TV show — in reruns, in syndication, on videotape, and eventually, on cable and DVD.
The climactic moment for most fans probably comes about halfway through the clip, soon after the familiar cry of "Hi-Yo Silver!" is heard, when Clayton Moore rides up to the rock we now know as Lone Ranger Rock and rears up on Silver. It is because of this sequence that the rock came to be known as Lone Ranger Rock, and it remains the most famous rock on the former site of the Iverson Movie Ranch.
Here's a side-by-side view of two different "rearing up" sequences shot at Lone Ranger Rock — the original 1949 version on the left and the 1956 reshoot on the right.
One quick way to tell the two shoots apart is by looking at the shadows on Lone Ranger Rock during the rearing-up sequence. In the 1949 footage, much of the rock is in shadow, while in the 1956 update, the rock is largely in sunlight.
color episode "Breaking Point" (shot in 1956)
Even though Lone Ranger Rock was not yet known by that name, the people behind the TV show clearly understood the rock's importance — which explains why they made a point of refilming the opening in the exact same location and why they shot scenes at the rock for the show's final season.
One element distinguishing the 1956 opening — although it goes by quickly — is a white gate that appears briefly in the background at about the 17-second mark, immediately before the cry of "Hi-yo Silver!"
Here's the same screen shot from 1956, with the gate noted. In a later edit of the 1956 opening, which you can see below, the gate has been edited out and a few other minor changes have been made.
Here's a shot of the Lone Ranger just before he arrives at Lone Ranger Rock, taken from the 1956 reshoot. This shot can be compared with a similar shot from the original 1949 shoot, which is posted higher up. The next three photos spotlight some of the details in the two shots.
This is the same 1956 shot with a few key details pointed out. Other than Sticky Bun, which was concealed behind foliage in the 1949 sequence, these same features are also seen in the 1949 version.
Here's another look at the comparable moment in the 1949 sequence, with key details noted. Sea Leopard is the nickname I've used in my research to indicate the large rock seen at the right in both shots. While all of the noted features remain in place today, Sea Leopard is virtually impossible to find because it is now hidden under a tree. The other features seen here remain relatively easy to find.
Here's a comparison of the Sea Leopard sightings in the 1949 and 1956 shots, focusing on one of the key differences between the two shots. Notice how much more foliage appears around and in front of Sea Leopard in the 1956 version, with the native vegetation having grown significantly in just seven years. Today this growth surrounds and towers over the rock, effectively making it impossible to see.
I'm including a bonus version here — It's the same footage seen above in the 1956 version, but a shorter edit, omitting the ride down the Gorge after the Lone Ranger leaves Lone Ranger Rock. This clip also happens to run too fast, but I'm including it because the picture quality is better than on the clip above.
Here's the speeded-up 1956 version, which provides a better look at the gate and other details:
1956 "bonus version" — runs fast, but the picture is better
While this clip runs a little too fast (or a lot too fast, depending on your
tolerance level), it has the best picture
quality I've been able to find for this version of the opening. It runs
about 30 seconds and was filmed — and it was film, not video, in those
days — entirely on the Iverson Movie Ranch, in 1956.
This next clip is one of a number of variations that have been created of the opening with minor edits. It represents a significant evolution from the first 1956 version in that it deletes the apparently unwanted (and initially overlooked) appearance of the white gate.
Edited 1956 version of the opening to "The Lone Ranger," eliminating the gate (shot entirely on the Iverson Movie Ranch)
This version contains a number of additional edits of the footage found in the first 1956 version, besides deleting the brief shot of the gate. One key difference is that in this version, after the cry of "Hi-yo Silver!," the Lone Ranger fires three shots before riding up to Lone Ranger Rock. That's edited down from the five shots he fires in the first 1956 version.
It should be noted that the various openings are not presented here in the chronological order in which they first appeared. But here's the 1956 reshoot as it was intended, in color:
The clip I've posted here is truncated, but it's the best I could find. It does not include any footage after the "rearing up" sequence at Lone Ranger Rock, so it excludes the ride down the Gorge. However, this clip matches the black-and-white 1956 version in that this original color clip also includes the brief glimpse of the white gate, and it also has the Lone Ranger firing five shots after the cry of "Hi-yo Silver!"
Here's the original appearance, in color, of that pesky white gate. This is part of the first segment of the reshot opening, which takes place on the Upper Iverson. In this color clip, the Upper Iverson segment lasts about 17 seconds, right up to the cry of "Hi-yo Silver!," where the scene shifts to the Lower Iverson for the ride past Sea Leopard, the ascent up to Lone Ranger Rock and — had it been included — the eventual ride down into the Lower Gorge.
Another screen shot from the portion of the color 1956 opening that was filmed on the Upper Iverson, this frame includes Pyramid Peak in the background, behind the Lone Ranger's head, along with the Line of Trees. The Line of Trees marked the western boundary of the Upper Iverson, with neighboring Brandeis Ranch on the other side of the trees. The Brandeis Ranch was also a filming location for a period of time in the 1930s and 1940s.
Here's what the opening looks like — and more to the point, sounds like — in Spanish:
Spanish version of the opening to "The Lone Ranger": "El Llanero Solitario"
One of the most interesting things about this Spanish version is that it uses a completely different recording of the "William Tell Overture." I like this one better than either of the two arrangements used on the U.S. versions, as the horns have a more dynamic sound — this one cries out to be cranked up. The video footage seen here is the same footage from 1956, shot entirely on the Iverson Movie Ranch. Here again, we see the white gate, and here we again have five shots ring out after the cry of "Hi-yo Silver!" Of course, we also have a completely different voiceover here, in Spanish, along with a "Spanish-sounding" guy yelling "Hi-yo Silver!"
The above examples are by no means an exhaustive collection of the many openings to the TV show. A virtually unlimited number of variations exist, but I tried to hit on the main differences here without going overboard. If you watch your own "Lone Ranger" episodes, you will undoubtedly discover other variations.
The rarely seen original 1949 opening to "The Lone Ranger" begins with this shot of a flag promoting General Mills, the show's original sponsor. For more about this and other "Lone Ranger" openings, click here.
Below are some links to various DVD packages of the TV show "The Lone Ranger" that are available on Amazon — I have the 75th Anniversary set, which contains complete seasons one and two, and I can vouch for its great Iverson Movie Ranch content — but it has gone up in price since I bought it.