TV Cowboy: Clayton Moore was TV’s “The Lone Ranger” from 1949-56 and starred in 221 episodes.
He missed one season when he was replaced by another actor after a studio salary dispute. His famous cry: “Hi, Ho, Silver” (the name of his horse – often as he sped away).
Moore also starred in a number of films for Republic Pictures as well as two “Lone Ranger” films in 1956 and 1958. He was born in 1914 in Chicago and was part of a flying trapeze act in a traveling circus. He moved to Hollywood in 1938, worked as a stuntman and extra and played the bad guy in some films with Roy Rogers and Gene Autry.
After the TV series ended, Moore remained under contract to portray the “masked man” for Dodge car commercials. Then in 1979 a court ordered him to stop wearing the trademark mask and Moore was forced to make special appearances in a pair of sunglasses. He is remembered for the deep resonant voice behind the mask.