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| Director: William A. Fraker
Actors: Klinton Spilsbury, Michael Horse, Christopher Lloyd, Matt Clark, Juanin Clay
Studio: Family Home Ent
Buy Used: $9.99
New (2) Used (9) Collectible (2) from $9.99
Rating:  28 reviews
Sales Rank: 1774
Format: Closed-captioned, Color, Hifi Sound, Ntsc
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Media: VHS Tape
Number Of Items: 1
Running Time: 98 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.4
Dimensions (in): 7.3 x 4.2 x 1.1
ISBN: 6303451144
UPC: 012232759038
EAN: 9786303451145
ASIN: 6303451144
Theatrical Release Date: 1981
Release Date: June 27, 1995
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Original Factory Tape only in Good Condition in Protective Case. No box With Artwork . All items Guaranteed.
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| Customer Reviews:
 He couldn't take Clayton Moore's place, but who could? September 4, 2002
8 out of 9 found this review helpful
There are few movies that come to mind that receive such a bashing as this one. The musical score/narration is almost painfully campy and some of the dialog is as wooden as the delivery by the actors. However, there is still a great deal to enjoy in this film. Some film characters are icons that simply must be experienced by a child and the Lone Ranger is one of them. Klinton Spilsbury is no Clayton Moore, but who could be? Clayton Moore IS the Lone Ranger as much as Basil Rathbone IS Sherlock Holmes. When one thinks of the Lone Ranger, who comes to mind except Moore and Jay Silverheels as Tonto? Who can live up to an icon like that? Anyway, Spilsbury and Michael Horse do the best they can, but unfortunately this film was received so badly, it probably killed any chance of a new Ranger film ever being made again. With the classic Clayton Moore adventures all but impossible to come by (AND THAT NEEDS TO BE REMEDIED!) in watchable condition, this is an enjoyable and (for now) available addition to the Ranger's screen adventures.
Time for a re-evaluation November 1, 2005
RET407 (Clermont, GA USA)
8 out of 10 found this review helpful
Granted, this film could have received better treatment if Clayton Moore had been treated a little better. Now that he has passed, let's look at it from another perspective. It actually was a better than average flick. Spilsbury's acting was a little amateurish. Over-dubbing his voice really showed a lack of confidence in his abilities. It's time to release it on DVD so a new generation can express their opinions.
 More bronze than Silver November 11, 2006
Trevor Willsmer (London, England)
8 out of 11 found this review helpful
The early Eighties saw a slew of Westerns greenlit by studios, many hoping to ride on the coat-tails of the anticipated success of Heaven's Gate (who knew it would become a by-word for box-office disaster?) - The Long Riders, Cattle Annie and Little Britches, Barbarosa and this attempt by Lew Grade's ITC to start a new screen franchise. On paper it wasn't without promise. Legendary cinematographer William A. Fraker had directed the excellent Lee Marvin-Jack Palance Western Monte Walsh, while co-writers Ivan Goff and Ben Roberts had written a number of James Cagney films (including the classic White Heat) and William Roberts had written the wonderful comic Western The Sheepman as well as contributing to The Magnificent Seven. It even boasted a John Barry score.
The result was a massive and critically reviled box-office disaster in its day, not least because of one of the greatest PR fiascos in film history when the producers outraged America by taking out a court order to stop original Lone Ranger star Clayton Moore from wearing his mask at charity events. The stink was so great that even the same producers' Raise the Titanic grossed more. So, a quarter century on, is this little-seen, never revived Western really that bad?
Not exactly: it's just not very good, slow and pedestrian for much of its running time. It takes nearly an hour of drawn-out backstory for John Reid to don his mask and become the Lone Ranger, and once he does, he doesn't exactly do much. Indeed, there's little action in the film - a stagecoach robbery at the beginning, a good canyon shootout in the middle and a lot of explosions at the end. Unfortunately, it doesn't find that much interesting to fill in the gaps with.
Part of this is down to the leads. Klinton Spilsbury is inoffensive but defiantly unmemorable as The Lone Ranger - I've got furniture with more personality - while Michael Horse's Tonto fares little better. Jason Robards phones in his performance as Ulysses S. Grant, the great Richard Farnsworth has nothing to do as Wild Bill Hickok and Juanin Clay's romantic interest is dropped no sooner than she is established. Only a restrained Christopher Lloyd makes an impression as the evil Butch Cavendish.
Today the film is more interesting for its very obvious influence on the plot of the so very much better The Mask of Zorro - as in Martin Campbell's film, the hero adopts a mask and a disguise to avenge the death of his brother at the hands of a disgraced officer who plans to turn his province into a small country. There's even a scene between the Lone Ranger, disguised as a priest, and his romantic interest in a church confessional, a la Zorro. But what's missing here is the panache: everything is workmanlike and uninvolving. Even John Barry's score, hampered by Merle Haggard's unfortunate title song and some persistent rhyming narration, seems to be just going through the motions.
It's watchable and it's certainly not the war crime contemporary critics made it out to be, but it's still a missed opportunity.
On the plus side, though listed as 4:3 fullscreen, the UK DVD is actually letterboxed in the full original 2.35:1 widescreen ratio. No extras, but the reasonable price and the decent widescreen transfer helps compensate.
 A beauty April 10, 2000
Melanie
7 out of 8 found this review helpful
I am so very "fond" of this movie ! I was seven when I first saw The Legend of the Lone Ranger. Me and my brother watched it over and over and over again, we never got tired of it. Thus the entire aspect of the movie, especially the soundtrack and narration stir up pleasant memories of my childhood, sounds strange I know but because we'd get it out every so often from the video club, until I was about ten, I grew to know it so well. I won't bother to explain what the movie is about because the other reviewers have done that already but I'd like to add that this is more of a children's movie than an adults movie, adults can certainly enjoy it too but that depends on weather or not adults want to put away their cynical side for the duration of the movie. I saw the Lone Ranger as an adult a decade later on TV, when I was in University far away from home and I really had to smile, it was comforting in a way to see and hear the story especially the beautiful scene where the Lone Ranger tames Silver. This movie got trashed by critics but SO WHAT. I have watched some so called Oscar worthy stuff and thought to myself :"What utter nonsensical garbage " This is a movie that I know I can let my children watch one day. I was at such an impressionable age at the time that I watched this movie it single-handedly instilled alot of respect in me for the Native American people. That's a very worthy achievement.
Good Western, Great Horse! December 3, 2005
Thirdeyenine (California)
7 out of 9 found this review helpful
Come on, this was a fun action movie, worthy of at least Good "B Flic" status. Just the horse scenes alone are worth making a nice DVD release. Thirdeyenine.
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