The Lone Ranger - Colour Episodes [DVD]

The dvds was in a very good condition and l like television western dvds

This is a good compilation from the 1950s TV series. These half-hour programmes started on US television in 1949 and were shot in black and white (for the very good reason that there was no colour TV in those days). The head of the original production company, a man called Trendle, reputed to have been one of the biggest skinflints in showbiz, was a budget-pairer par excellence. Under Trendle's regime expenditure was kept to the absolute minimum - and how it showed! But in 1954 Trendle sold his company; and the new owner, Jack Wrather, revitalised it all, upping the budgets, shooting all the exterior scenes on location instead of in the studio (good locations, too), and, for the first time, shooting in colour. The programmes on these discs are all of Wrather's colour episodes, thirty-nine of them, made for the 1956/1957 season. The digitisation has been done very well and the discs come in a nice presentation box with a booklet giving a brief story synopsis, the names of the supporting players and the writer and director for each episode. As for the programmes themselves they're uncomplicated, inoffensive fables in which the bad guys are straightforwardly bad and are always brought to book. They were intended to be didactic and edifying stories, but entertaining at the same time. Clayton Moore and Jay Silverheels weren't in the Academy awards league as actors but as the Ranger and Tonto they did a good job and had a kind of mystique which seemed to hold everything together. Highly recommended. (The two feature film spin-offs (1956 and 1958) are also available from the same publisher, equally well done. In conjunction with this five-disc set of the colour TV episodes they make a darn good collection for anyone who likes simple, colourful westerns with none of the modern excesses of violence and brutality.)

I can only agree with everything the previous reviewer has said, although I'd happily give this 5 stars. The programmes themselves are from a different age - and the attitudes are direct from the times these programs were made, but in this instance, it's a healthy (almost British, stiff upper lip style) goodness that comes over. The Lone Ranger was a good man - probably a bit too good to be real, but nonetheless these are fun, and you can't beat a Western where the good guy always wins. Great stuff.

First class series.

Excellent

Great

Wonderful nostalgia with great colour and excellent deep focus photography allowing the splendid on location landscapes, mountains and prairie to be fully appreciated. For its time these episodes are quality productions. Great entertainment for any child from 5 to 55.

I was very close to purchasing the U.S. box set of the Lone Ranger color episodes when I saw that one reviewer recommended this set instead. And boy, am I glad I got the U.K. one instead. Where the U.S. box set only contains 19 of the season 5 episodes, this version has all 39, and at a cheaper price. Plus it's a beautiful package that comes with a small, well produced info booklet, that actually contains the Lone Ranger creed. Unfortunately, there are no special features in this set. But if it's just the fantastic season 5 color episodes you want, this is the set for you. Highly recommended for any fan! And also for anyone who enjoys highly moral and and entertaining tales of the West. The Lone Ranger is just about as perfect a hero as you could ask for. Especially knowing that Clayton Moore, the actor, lived by the same moral code as the character he played. Each episode has a moral about tolerance, fairness, trusting the law, or giving someone who's made a mistake a second chance. Things that just don't seem to come up in modern stories. Great set! Would've given 5 stars if it contained some special features.