I watched these shows on out little B&W TV when both they and I were new:
http://tinyurl.com/luw3kbf (http://tinyurl.com/luw3kbf)
That is so cool! I believe there were two distinct styles of mask worn by Clayton Moore. A smaller mask used in the TV series early years and one that covered more area near the time John Hart was to take over the role. It is surmised that the hope was the larger area mask would blur the audience's ability to tell there was a change in actors.
As a big time fan and a collector of LR memorabilia I would call Clayton Moore's pistols and holster the "Ultimate Collectible".....just me sayin'.....
Quote from: bigbud on October 19, 2013, 06:15:51 PM
As a big time fan and a collector of LR memorabilia I would call Clayton Moore's pistols and holster the "Ultimate Collectible".....just me sayin'.....
I thought about that, too. But all of the cowboys had pistols. Even his distinctive clothing with the piping was not totally unique. There were a lot of his silver bullets...
But his face-hugging mask was his alone - and only 3 were made.
His mask and his whispery-intimate voice stand out as the things I remember most about him.
That understated, slightly raspy voice was Brace Beemer's, which Moore was told to imitate.
Quote from: Wich2 on October 19, 2013, 07:29:14 PM
That understated, slightly raspy voice was Brace Beemer's, which Moore was told to imitate.
Brace Beemer had an impossibly low voice that never sounded as intimate.
When Beemer died unexpectedly, the radio show was forced to replace him with another actor. Knowing that no one could convincingly imitate Brace's amazing basso profundo timbre, they pulled one of the greatest switches ever.
The writers did a script where the Lone Ranger was shot in the throat and unable to speak at all. Little by little over the next few weeks, the Ranger regained his voice. By the time his voice was full strength again, some people had forgotten exactly what his voice used to sound like. Others just accepted that his injuries had altered his voice slightly.
It was a lot better than telling the kids in the audience that the original actor had died!
(Old radio is so much fun.)
Interesting factoid I was never aware of, good knowledge!!
Quote from: jimm on October 20, 2013, 01:29:46 PM
Interesting factoid I was never aware of, good knowledge!!
I used to belong to an old radio club in the pre-computer days.
Wow!! That would be a centerpiece in ANY pop culture collection!!
>Brace Beemer had an impossibly low voice that never sounded as intimate. When Beemer died unexpectedly, the radio show was forced to replace him with another actor. Knowing that no one could convincingly imitate Brace's amazing basso profundo timbre, they pulled one of the greatest switches ever.<
You've got your wires a little crossed, MOS.
The auto accident death of the earlier ranger, Earle Grasser, was how company member Brace Beemer got upgraded to the lead radio role, which he played for many years.
And the producers of the TV show most definitely tried to tie it in with the radio series - in fact, Beemer lost weight and lobbied for the role there, too! Moore was told to try to sound like Beemer (just listen to Moore's voice in his earlier films, to hear the difference), and radio narrator Fred Foy was used for the TV show.
-Craig
Yeah I got them switched.
Brace Beemer only appeared as the Lone Ranger at personal appearances at first, because the other actor did not look the part he was playing.
That radio club I belonged to was before anyone had home computers. I guess my memory is fading.
Thanks
Quote from: Monsters For Sale on October 22, 2013, 09:47:57 AM
Yeah I got them switched.
Brace Beemer only appeared as the Lone Ranger at personal appearances at first, because the other actor did not look the part he was playing.
That radio club I belonged to was before anyone had home computers. I guess my memory is fading.
Thanks
Back then, you didn't have Wikipedia, to check on when you needed to be misinformed about something.