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The Lone Ranger (1949 –1957)
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Pow
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PostPosted: Fri Mar 20, 2020 10:19 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Have to say that I do have a problem with the LR's outfit.

This is a western after all and he really needed to be in some kind of western style duds.

Instead we see him wearing what appears to be a one-piece skin tight body suit like George Reeves Superman.

Works for Superman but not the LR.

Now Tonto's buckskins were cool.
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Eadie
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PostPosted: Thu Apr 09, 2020 2:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

My reply to this thread:


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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Sat Apr 18, 2020 5:08 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Pow wrote:
Have to say that I do have a problem with the LR's outfit.

This is a western after all and he really needed to be in some kind of western style duds.

Instead we see him wearing what appears to be a one-piece skin tight body suit like George Reeves Superman.

Works for Superman but not the LR.

It's ironic that you feel that Superman's suit (from the series) works well, but that the The Lone Ranger's does not.

Oddly enough, I have the opposite view; the suit George Reeve wears has some serious problems. The belt is too high, the fabric gets baggy at the knees, the "trunks" look silly, and the cape (which is attached on both sides of his neck) drops waaaaay down to his shoulder blades in the middle of his back!

Since the cape isn't attached further out on his shoulders, it hangs straight down behind him, and it's hardly visible from the front!

In spite of the fact that The Lone Ranger's shirt and pants are the same color, they are definitely not a one piece outfit, because in one episode which features a bad guy masquerading as The Long Ranger, we get to see the supposed "duplicate" LR outfit he wears. The pants and shirt are separate. (Obviously they just used the LR costume for those scenes).

Pow, the reason I think The Lone Ranger's outfit is appropriate for the character is because he's supposed be a combination of man and myth — a person who needs no home, sleeps out in the open, doesn't need much to survive, and never needs money.

Yes, I know he has a silver mine somewhere, and he supposedly goes back to it occasionally to make more bullets and get some silver to sell.

But he frequently puts on elaborate costumes and makeup to disguise himself. He apparently has the costumes and makeup kit with him . . . but where does he caring all that stuff? Shocked

So, Pow, we aren't supposed to think The Long Ranger is just a guy who rides around with Tonto and fights injustice (despite having no legal authority). If he was just a regular guy, he wouldn't be able to do amazing things like shoot the guns out of the bad hands every single time — even from a considerable distance away!

Heck, he rarely even \wounds a person, because he took a vow never to kill anybody.

In short, The Lone Ranger is a beloved "comic book superhero", just like Superman!

For that reason, your comparison of The Long Ranger to Superman is more accurate than you realize. He's supposed to (somehow) be more than just a regular guy who would have to do all those mundane things we all do every day: wash his costume, shave every morning, go into town to get a hair cut, have his white hat professionally dry cleaned twice a week! Laughing

If he just wore "some kind of western style duds" it would rob him of that implied "magic" which makes him so special. It would be like having Batman go around fighting crime . . . in a regular business suit!

With all that in mind, I think The Lone Ranger's outfit is just as appropriate (and much more impressive) than the Superman suit from the TV series.






But hey, that's must my opinion. Cool
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Last edited by Bud Brewster on Mon Sep 12, 2022 12:15 pm; edited 2 times in total
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Pow
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 19, 2020 5:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I will have to respectfully disagree with you Bud.

The LR's gun belt covered up the fact that his shirt & pants are not a one-piece outfit...but it still appears to be.

I realize he is a myth of the old west. I guess that's just the problem for me. The show lacks an interior logic.

He rides around with his good amigo,Tonto,and seems to have no other life outside being the LR.
I would think that just from a psychological aspect that could make one insane.

Britt Reid needs to be BR as an escape from his Green Hornet persona. Not just to run the Daily Sentinel his newspaper but to have a normal life.
To date,to be with friends,hobbies,relax,whatever.
To recharge his batteries so that he can perform at his best as the GH.

The LR had no such escapes from what was a dangerous & intense life in his chasing down criminals.

I realize also that he is a legend of the west but the duds still looked outlandish to me.

He is a product of the wild west and not a circus.

He should wear attire that fits the environment. It need not be the bland,routine clothing we see each week on Matt Dillon in Dodge City.

The ranger should have some style & flare beside wearing a mask.

However,a skin tight outfit just doesn't seem at all realistic in the setting. For me it takes me away from buying the character.

His disguises were nity but as you note just where did he keep all that stuff in his saddlebag?

I guess for me the LR just asked too many concessions regarding reality for me to fully accept the stalwart hero.

It just became difficult to willingly suspend my disbelief.

But hey,that's just me my friend.
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Gord Green
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 19, 2020 6:28 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I think the LR's shirt and neckerchief were OK, but the tight linen pants are the stretch. He should have worn Levis or some tougher denim to be more realistic. Earlier incarnations of the Ranger, and many who came after him, were more realistic. As great as Clayton Moore's depiction was it WAS more a visual icon than a realistic depiction. In other words it was more the "image" than the reality being portrayed.

A early version of the Ranger:





Keep in mind that Superman's costume is patterned on a circus "strongman" or acrobats outfit. Both wore capes when they came onstage but removed them to perform. Superman's outfit became the template for all the other super folk who came after him.



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Krel
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 19, 2020 9:41 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Gord Green wrote:
I think the LR's shirt and neckerchief were OK, but the tight linen pants are the stretch. He should have worn Levis or some tougher denim to be more realistic.

Cowboys DID N0T, WOULD NOT wear blue jeans, they considered them only for miners. They wore wool pants, as did farmers, ranchers and townspeople who also considered them for miners only.

Useless trivia. Shoulder holsters were popular with farmers when working in the fields. They found they didn't get in the way a regular holster would. They were also popular with townspeople who didn't want to look armed.

David.
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Gord Green
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 20, 2020 12:16 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Krel wrote:
Cowboys DID N0T, WOULD NOT wear blue jeans, they considered them only for miners. They wore wool pants, as did farmers, ranchers and townspeople who also considered them for miners only.

Which is why they were always scratchin' their crotch! (Along with few and far between bathing as a factor!)
Did you ever wear woolen pants? What were they thinking? Cotton blends were available and were so much more comfortable! Plus, few men used belts to hold them up! Braces or "suspenders" were the norm. Ever wonder why they were so mean?

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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 20, 2020 11:35 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Pow wrote:
I will have to respectfully disagree with you Bud.

The LR's gun belt covered up the fact that his shirt & pants are not a one-piece outfit...but it still appears to be.

I must respectfully correct your inaccurate statement, Mike.

First of all, the gun belt was not worn at the division between the shirt and pants, it was worn several inches below the pants belt, with the shirt clearly tucked into the pants. So, I'm not clear on how the gun belt figures in the issue of separate garments.

____________

Second, in the first few episodes of season 1, the pants were actually a bit darker than the shirt (check episode 2 and 3 on YouTube), which also made it obvious that the pants and shirt were separate garments.

And even though his outfit fits very well, it isn't quite "skin tight" (which is why the knees don't bag like Superman's costume).

The point of the outfit (and his less-than-normal lifestyle) was to present a live action "comic book superhero" — and we all know there's absolutely nothing realistic about those guys. So, your objections seem unfair to the intended character.

Batman, Green Arrow, and other superheroes live in modern times, so I guess they're easier to accept.

But let's be fair. Is the outfit below really practical for a vigilante crime fighter? Seems a bit tight for someone who needs to move freely, plus the fabric would be hot as hell, and that mask wouldn't really hide her identity, would it?

___________

But it LOOKS good — and that's the whole point. Very Happy

However, a superhero in the old west is apparently not something everybody can swallow. I respect your opinion, Mike, and if I hadn't grown up watching the The Lone Range and Superman in the 1950s, I'm sure maintaining my suspension of disbelief would be difficult.

My point is that The Lone Ranger was a bigger-than-life hero for kids, not just a regular Joe running around in a cowboy outfit. And when you consider just one of Roy Rogers outfits, The Lone Ranger seems almost conservative!

___________

So, adults in the 1950s watched Gunsmoke. But wide-eyed, comic-book reading kids watched Superman and The Long Ranger. And those kids thought both guys were terrific, just the way they were. Cool

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Last edited by Bud Brewster on Mon Sep 12, 2022 12:21 pm; edited 2 times in total
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Krel
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 20, 2020 2:07 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Gord Green wrote:
Did you ever wear woolen pants? What were they thinking? Cotton blends were available and were so much more comfortable! Plus, few men used belts to hold them up! Braces or "suspenders" were the norm. Ever wonder why they were so mean?

Wool was more durable than a cotton blend, and held up better under the rough methods used to clean the pants. One reason suspenders were used was because most pants didn't have belt loops. I suspect that they were also more comfortable than a belt with the work they did. I once ended up with a pinched something in my back from my belt while doing yard work.

A question to ponder. Were vests so popular because they could be used to conceal the suspenders?

David.
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 20, 2020 2:12 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I loved both "The Lone Ranger" and Roy Rogers TV shows. I have the two Clayton Moore Lone Ranger movies on DVD, fun films.

Bud, if you want to see some rough westerns, then watch the early, half hour "Gunsmoke" episodes. They did some brutal things in the show.

David.
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PostPosted: Mon Apr 20, 2020 3:33 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

________________________________

David, I think we've come a consensus! Very Happy

There were Western series for adults, and there were Westerns series for kids. The ones for grownups were more authentic, dramatic, gritty, and believable — like Gunsmoke.

And then there were Western series for kids which wildly optimistic, emotionally uplifting, general happy, and . . . much less believable.

The 1950s included shows for the kids like Wild Bill Hickok, Roy Rogers, Hopalong Cassidy, Space Patrol, Captain Midnight, and Rocky Jones.

The Lone Ranger falls into that second category, so naturally he wore a flamboyant outfit, never got his costume dirty, always shot the guns out of the bad guy's hands, and somehow managed have everything he needed without ever having to buy it from someone else!

He always looked exactly the way his young fans wanted him to look: handsome, well-dressed, brilliant, infallible, and cool as hell.

Asking The Lone Ranger to dress in frumpy 19th cowboy clothes is like asking Clark Kent to wear an oversized suit to cover that lumpy bulge in his back from that wadded up cap, and size 13 shoes so his boots would fit inside them! Shocked

David, superheroes have an unshakable "fashion immunity" which allows them to look good without any practical considerations! Your criticism of The Lone Ranger's cool costume strikes at the very heart of every superhero who ever fought crime in tights and colorful outfits, with a flowing cap and a dramatic mask!

Sir, I urge you to re-evaluate your thinking and realize that The Lone Ranger is not restricted by the mundane concerns of everyday folks like you and I! He's a man on a mission — an individual charged with serving justice — and he can't be concerned with laundry bills and shopping trips to the general store! Cool

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Is there no man on Earth who has the wisdom and innocence of a child?
~ The Space Children (1958)


Last edited by Bud Brewster on Sat Sep 23, 2023 12:19 pm; edited 2 times in total
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Pow
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 21, 2020 3:35 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

By gosh, Bud, you are correct about the LR's gun belt not covering up his pants belt in that photo.

My apologies . . . still don't care for his clothing.

However, why do you write that the only alternative was for him to don "frumpy 19th century cowboy clothes?"

The producers had other choices and I wrote that he should not wear a simple Matt Dillon outfit.

As a longtime devotee of westerns there have been numerous TV shows where I thought that the cowboys western duds were really sharp looking if not wholly accurate to the era.

One of my favorite westerns was "Laredo" which ran on NBC from 1965~'67 and covered the rollicking and funny adventures of 4 Texas rangers.

Chad Cooper played by Peter Brown wore a cool looking blue bib shirt with pin-stripe pants.

Joe Riley as played by William Smith had a really sharp looking buckskin shirt with Indian designs on it.

Cameron Mitchill who played Buck Cannon on another fav western of mine, "The High Chaparra, "wore all black along with a dark blue and unusually long vest.

So there truly were choices for the ranger's clothing that would have been great and not mundane if the production had wished to do so.
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Krel
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 23, 2023 12:17 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

The Lone Ranger and Tonto were the heroes of the show, and so had to standout from the normal folk. Common in TV shows and movies then, and even today.

Think of all the shows and movies were the hero(s) have a special wardrobe, dwelling, vehicle, weapon or appearance.

The Lone Ranger theme, Hi-Ho Silver: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vavK9JFQfVw

There was a TV sitcom with Malcolm McDowell where he played a college professor. In his introduction, he said he was an intellectual. He said that an intellectual was someone who could listen to the William Tell overture, and not think of the Lone Ranger. Laughing

Well I'm not an intellectual (big shock, huh?), but I can listen to the William Tell overture and not think of the Lone Ranger.

BUT! I choose to think of the Lone Ranger when I do. Razz

David.
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Bud Brewster
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 23, 2023 12:27 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Krel wrote:
The Lone Ranger and Tonto were the heroes of the show, and so had to standout from the normal folk. Common in TV shows and movies then, and even today.

Think of all the shows and movies were the hero(s) have a special wardrobe, dwelling, vehicle, weapon or appearance.

My sentiments exactly, sir! Cool
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orzel-w
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PostPosted: Sat Sep 23, 2023 1:34 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Bud Brewster wrote:
However, the closing scene in practically every episode is obviously designed to have the last line delivered by a character who was in the story, and that character always includes the title of the series.

"Who was that masked man?"

"Why, EVERYBODY knows him! He's . . . The Lone Ranger!"


Don't forget the lines in-between...

"Who was that masked man?"

"I don't know, but he left this silver bullet."

"A silver bullet? Why, that was The Lone Ranger!"

And while we're discussing authentic western garb vs (super)hero costumes, think of the Cisco Kid...



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