VLVL2 (14): The Lone Ranger

[Paul Nightingale]

My recollection of the Lone Ranger series is slight but I think he chose
to operate, in effect, 'outside the law' because he no longer had any
faith in 'the system'. As a maverick, a bit like Dirty Harry, perhaps,
although the link Tim posted assures us he never killed anyone: this
suggests his role was that of a catalyst.

Who should claim his mantle? Well, on 270-271 we have a brief account of
Brock's relationship with Roscoe, "whom he [ie Brock] imagined as a sort
of less voluble Tonto". Roscoe is prepared to accept the role on his own
terms. Interesting that Pynchon repeats this particular reference in the
space of a few pages.

The first reference derives from the amount of dialogue Tonto was given
(ie very little). The second from the fact that what he was allowed to
say ("Kemo Sabe") became important as a signature. On 295 Hector has
just bemoaned his fate and that of "colleagues" who "got the blade" as a
result of "reorganisation": he therefore sees himself as a kind of
(lone?) survivor.

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-pynchon-l at waste.org [mailto:owner-pynchon-l at waste.org] On
Behalf Of Tim Strzechowski
Sent: 10 April 2004 14:32
To: Pynchon-L
Subject: VLVL2 (14): The Lone Ranger

295:  "li'l . . . piece of foam there on your lip, Hector . . . nah,
it's OK, I -- I know what you're goin' through, Keemosobby."
 
 
The Lone Ranger was typical of the first wave of Westerns to hit TV in
the early 1950's. Characters and plots were simple--good guys vs. bad
guys--and there was none of the character development that marked the
later "adult" Westerns. [...]  Although the Lone Ranger never killed
anyone (sometimes his adversaries killed themselves and each other),
there was plenty of action, and the show was a great favorite with the
younger audience. Parents liked it too, because of the lack of overt
killing and the hero's faultless grammar--which in itself was unique for
the Old West. [...]  
The Lone Ranger was created by George W. Trendle and Fran Striker, who
were also responsible for The Green Hornet, and there was an unusual
link between the two programs. John Reid's nephew Dan was supposed to be
the father of Britt Reid, who became the avenger of crime in another era
as The Green Hornet. 
Clayton Moore was the best-known TV Lone Ranger (he also filled the role
in two feature films made in the late 1950's), but the character was
also played by veteran actor John Hart for a couple of seasons. Tonto
was always played to poker-faced perfection by Jay Silverheels, a
mixed-blood Mohawk Indian who in later years became quite successful as
a horse breeder and racer. 
http://www.skypoint.com/members/joycek19/ranger.htm
 
 
Interestingly, by calling Hector "Keemosobby" (sic) Zoyd places himself
in the role of Tonto to Hector's Lone Ranger.  Isn't Zoyd the morally
upstanding, "lone" one here?
 
Tim