Clayton Moore
Forest Lawn Glendale
With a thunder of hoofbeats and a hearty,
"Hi Yo, Silver!," Clayton Moore is best known at the one and only Lone Ranger.
Moore started his career as a circus acrobat and aerialist, and performed at
the 1934 World's Fair in Chicago. Moore then went to New York City, where he worked
as a model. In 1938, Moore headed to Hollywood, where he worked as an extra and a stuntman
in films, primarily Westerns. In the early 1940s, Moore began to appear in larger roles
in films including "The Son of Monte Cristo" (1940), "Perils of Nyoka" (1942), "Black
Dragons" (1942), "The Crimson Ghost" (1946), "Jesse James Rides Again" (1947), "Marshal
of Amarillo" (1948) and "Sheriff of Wichita" (1949).
In 1949, Moore first donned the mask
of "The Lone Ranger" in the long-running television series, with his horse, Silver,
and his faithful Indian companion, Tonto, played by Jay Silverheels. For three years,
For the next 20 years, Moore made personal appearances as
"The Lone Ranger," urging a new generation of young fans to follow the "The Lone
Ranger Creed" of good behavior. In 1979, the Wrather Corp., which owned "The
Lone Ranger" television series and the rights to the character, obtained a court
order to stop Moore from appearing in public dressed as "The Lone Ranger,"
specifically prohibiting him from wearing the ranger's signature mask. The Wrather
Corp. intended to produce a new "Lone Ranger" film, and didn't want fans to be
confused. Instead, fans were incensed about the treatment of Moore, and circulated
petitions to allow him to wear the mask again. Moore continued to make appearances,
however, wearing wrap-around sunglasses instead. When the film, "The Legend of
the Lone Ranger" (1981), starring Klinton Spilsbury, was released, it was a huge
critical and commercial failure. The Wrather Corp. gave in to public pressure in
1984, and allowed Moore to wear the mask again. When Moore died in 1999, the
company arranged for the saddle Moore used as "The Lone Ranger"
to be displayed at his memorial service.
Moore was so closely identified with "The Lone Ranger" that his
star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame identifies him as "Clayton Moore - The Lone Ranger."
It's the only star on the famous walk that includes both the name of a performer
and a character.
Moore is buried next to his first wife, Sally Angela Moore (1912 - 1986).
Moore was born Jack Carlton Moore on Sept. 14, 1914 (some sources
say 1908), in Chicago, IL. He died on Dec. 28, 1999, in Los Angeles, CA.
1914 - 1999
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