'The Lone Ranger' may soon ride again (Possibly With Female Tonto)

Reuters via Yahoo! News ^ | March 6, 2001

[PJ-Comix]

LOS ANGELES(Reuters) - Hi-yo Silver, the Lone Ranger may soon ride again -- but this time Tonto may wear a dress.

Columbia Pictures, the studio owned by Japanese electronics giant Sony Corp (news - web sites)., has purchased feature film rights to the 70-year-old legend of the masked lawman who rode a white horse named Silver and fired silver bullets, a studio spokesman said Wednesday.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but entertainment trade paper Daily Variety said Columbia agreed to pay six figures up front to acquire the rights and $1.5 million if the film gets made.

Columbia said no actors have been cast and a script has yet to be written, although the studio intends to remain faithful to the original story. But Variety cited an unnamed source as saying the role of the Lone Ranger's faithful, loyal Indian companion, Tonto, could end up being played by a woman.

The latest motion picture version would be brought to the screen by "Gladiator" producers Doug Wick and Lucy Fisher, the entertainment trade paper said.

Meanwhile, the WB television network, a unit of AOL Time Warner Inc., is developing a "Lone Ranger" pilot for a new TV series that would air sometime next season, a network spokesman said.

For the small-screen project, young actor Chad Michael Murray, who has appeared on the WB series "Dawson's Creek (news - Y! TV)" and "Gilmore Girls (news - Y! TV)," will assume the title role most famously played on TV and film by the late Clayton Moore. Newcomer Nathaniel Arcand has been cast as Tonto, the role originally portrayed by Jay Silverheels.

Both projects are based on the "Lone Ranger" saga first created for radio in 1933, about a Texas Ranger who survives an ambush and is left for dead at the hands of outlaw Butch Cavendish, only to be rescued and nursed back to health by an Indian scout and childhood friend, Tonto.

Donning a mask to protect his identity, the Lone Ranger returns with Tonto to avenge the deaths of his comrades and battle outlaws throughout the West, with an endless supply of silver bullets forged from the silver mine he had discovered with his brother, one of the slain Rangers. Tonto called the masked man "kemo sabe," which meant "trusty scout."

First on radio, and later on television (1949 to 1957) and in movies, "The Lone Ranger" was introduced by a few bars of Rossini's "William Tell Overture" and the words, "A fiery horse with the speed of light, a cloud of dust and a hearty 'Hi-yo, Silver!.' The Lone Ranger!"

The last big-screen adaptation was the 1981 film "The Legend of the Lone Ranger," which starred Christopher Lloyd as Cavendish.

[PJ-Comix]

The last big-screen adaptation was the 1981 film "The Legend of the Lone Ranger," which starred Christopher Lloyd as Cavendish.

Hollywood is really missing the boat here. They don't have to toss out big bucks to make a new Lone Ranger movie. All they have to do is remove the dubbing on "Legend Of The Lone Ranger" and re-release it as a camp comedy flick.

What happened is that the guy who starred as the Lone Ranger in that movie, Klinton Spillsbury, had a very effeminate voice so they had to dub in a masculine voice for him. What they should do is remove the dubbing and re-release "Legend Of The Lone Ranger" with Spillbury's effeminate voice.

Imagine the laughs from hearing the Lone Ranger saying something like:

"Oh Thilver! You thilly horsey! You went and did doo-doo on the prairie! How very gauche of you!"

[areafiftyone]

Its a shame Hollywierd doesn't have any imagination or talent anymore and has to keep remaking old tv shows and movies. Even the musice industry does this. This will bomb at the boxoffice like every other remake. Besides the young actors and actresses in Hollywierd have no talent and are just stick figures with pretty faces.

[PJ-Comix]

Besides the young actors and actresses in Hollywierd have no talent and are just stick figures with pretty faces.

Jennifer Lopez as Tonto (or is it "Tonta")?

[Grit]

Salma Hayek gets my vote.

[Gatún(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)]

If Tonto (translation: imbecile, idiot) is recast as a woman, they will have to name her Tonta.

[Joe Brower]

"Tonto" means "dumb" en Espanol.

[Mr. Thorne]

Think Tonto-ette will have any comments about the size of the Lone Ranger's gun?

[stainlessbanner]

This is not right! The Lone Ranger cannot sleep with Tonto - this is wrong. Hollywood is so messed up.

[PJ-Comix]

Think Tonto-ette will have any comments about the size of the Lone Ranger's gun?

It all depends on the size of the load of silver bullets he can shoot off.

[Mr. Thorne]

mmmmmm, kemo sabe, that one was ON TARGET, rowwwwr!

[general_re]

Salma Hayek gets my vote.

I think I will concur.

Ahh, what the hell. If it's yanked, it's yanked.

I meant "if the post is yanked" ;)

[Gatún(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)]

I suppose the liberal/socialists are going to get involved with their politically correct speech. How can one call an Indian-American a tonto or tonta?

Kimo sabe.

[Churchillspirit]

Frisky this morning, aren't we?

[discostu]

And that's the right name for him. As Cosby pointed out long ago what did Tonto always do? Went to town, got some information then got beat up. Over and over, every episode. Kind of a dumb guy.

Isn't the real Lone Ranger dead? I thought he died a bit ago.

[general_re]

Coffee's finally kicking in ;)

[Gatún(CraigIsaMangoTreeLawyer)]

If that is all what El Tonto did, he sure was an idiot.

[discostu]

Well he usually managed to tomahawk a bad guy in the climactic final battle. Sometimes he'd dress Masked Man's wounds. But in general he snuck into town to find out about the bad guys and got beat up.

[PJ-Comix]

Isn't the real Lone Ranger dead? I thought he died a bit ago.

So did Tonto. His last words were "Kemo-Therapy."

[RnMomof7]

So will Tonto be Native American? Or Black? Or Asian?

If Tonto is a woman does this mean a R rating?

Inquiring minds want to know

[Joe Brower]

Yes, the fellow who played the Lone Ranger, died on 12/28/99, God rest his soul.

From what I have read, naming the Indian "Tonto" was a deliberate slight to American Indians, just as Tonto's nickname for the LR, "Kemosabe", is supposedly a mispronounciation of the Spanish "Lo Que Sabe" -- "He Who Knows". I don't know if this is an urban legend or not.

[PJ-Comix]

So will Tonto be Native American? Or Black? Or Asian?

He/She will be transgendered and renamed Tonto/Tonta.

[hattend]

Yep, Salma gets my vote, too.

[fish hawk]

Keeping up with the times. The Lone Ranger would have to be black and Tonto would have to be Lesbian. But the good thing is there could be Killing and Blood all over the place. No problem, as long as the Lone Ranger did everything Tonto told him to do. PC-TV

[gnarledmaw]

See #21, a relative?

[gnarledmaw]

The Lone Ranger may soon ride again (Possibly With Female Tonto)"

Oh goody, and any word on what form of far eastern martial arts will she be an expert in?
Everyone in every action movie these days is some kind of ninja...

[CWRWinger]

A female Tonto?

That means in order to keep this film 'moral' the Lone Ranger will have to be a sodomite.

[breakem]

I welcome the return of the masked man, but I hope we don't see endless scenes of him shooting the gun out of the bad guy's hands. Saddle up, Tonto.

[mamelukesabre]

That means in order to keep this film 'moral' the Lone Ranger will have to be a sodomite.

~~~~~~~~

Does anyone remember if the original lone ranger was gay? I might be thinking of the original batman, I can't remember for sure.

[discostu]

Sounds like an urban legend to me. Back when the names were assigned (for the original radio show) people didn't learn ferrin languages much, they probably just came up with something that "sounded injun" and that was it. In the land of PC BS over analysis Lone Ranger was pretty progressive, having an indian as the second banana was huge (even if all he did was get beat up), and they almost never had indian bad guys.

[Mr. Thorne]

Me got information, information say "Tonto no go to town."

[hobbes1]

If Tonto is to be female, Should TLR, ride Her ?

[sjt]

the lone ranger and silver picture is great. does anyone know if it is copyrighted? thanks, sjt

[Junior]

I guess nothing really is sacred.

[Larry Lucido]

[PJ-Comix]

If Tonto is to be female, Should TLR, ride Her ?

I think her name would be Tanta.

[Ciexyz]

There's always an audience for a remake of anything. Whereas if the producers had to build up a film from scrathch, there's no guarantee the film would ever find an audience.

[Ciexyz]

Kids today don't know what they're missing, as far as TV westerns go. I grew up watching Daniel Boone, Davy Crockett, Gunsmoke and Paladin (Have Gun Will Travel). I remember chewing candy cigarettes and playing cowgirl with my holster and capgun.

[Publius6961]

"Kemosabe", is supposedly a mispronounciation of the Spanish "Lo Que Sabe" -- "He Who Knows". I don't know if this is an urban legend or not.

As to the urban legend, I don't know either; but the translation is incorrect.

El que sabe is "he who knows"; Lo que sabe, is "what he knows".

[PJ-Comix]

Maybe it's Quien sabe?.