The Lone Ranger is a 1938 American Republic Movie serial. It was the ninth of the sixty-six serials produced by Republic, the fourth western and the first of 1938. The serial was unseen for a long time after its original release but an authentic re-creation was assembled and released in DVD form in 2009 using sound and picture elements from existing foreign versions by Eric Stedman of the Serial Squadron, an organization which restores classic cliffhanger serials. In 1865, Captain Mark Smith of the Confederate Army leads a band of deserters to conquer Texas and rule it as a dictator. In one... of his first actions, he captures and assumes the identity of Texas' new Finance Commissioner, Colonel Marcus Jeffries, after having the real man murdered. When a contingent of Texas Rangers enters the territory, Snead, one of Smith's men, leads them into an ambush by Smith's "troopers". The Rangers are apparently wiped out, although one injured survivor is left. The survivor, nursed back to health by Tonto, swears to avenge the massacre and defeat "Colonel Jeffries" and his men. A contract between Republic and George W.
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| Release date: | February 12, 1938 |
| Directed by: | William Witney, John English, Stuart Heisler |
| Runtime: | 85 Minutes |
| Producer: | Sol C. Siegel |
| Screenplay by: | Fran Striker, Ronald Davidson, George Worthing Yates, Franklin Adreon, Lois Eby, Barry Shipman |
| Estimated budget: | $160,315 |
| Genre: | Western, Adventure, Action |