First Lone Ranger! 4 of 4
This is a re-enactment of the first-ever Fran Stryker script for the Lone Ranger that was broadcast in 1933!
A message from the program's Director: In 1983, I was called into my bosss office, General Manager of WEBR in Buffalo NY. I was doing a nightly Jazz program and was fairly out of the loop with the rest of the station. This I didnt mind.
The reason for my summons was a letter from a fellow named Fran Striker, Jr. explaining that he was the son of Fran Striker who was a former Program Director at WEBR. Striker Sr. was also the brains, and pen, behind an Ol West program years earlier that he wrote, and called Covered Wagon Days to be aired locally with local actors.
Fran Sr. figured out that he could make a buck by sending his scripts to radio stations around the country and they would pay for them.
He was contacted by executives from Detroit station WXYZ, who were looking for a specific type of western drama for their station. Striker reworked a script with certain changes, it aired on 1/31/1933, and the rest is history.The Lone Ranger.
I told you that, to tell you this. Striker Jr. and family were planning a 50th anniversary of the Ranger and wondered if we, as the originating station, would be interested in re-enacting the script that would become the first episode of The Lone Ranger for air on WEBR. My boss thought Id be just the guy to pull it off.
And I was!
I set out to make this thing happen. The site of the anniversary was at the family farm in Strykersville (no relation), N.Y., about 40 miles from Buffalo. We were to air the drama live on the air, so the phone company was called in.
Then there were actors needed. I prevailed upon our news department, a group of talented young people who thought this might be fun. In reality, they were news reporters not actors. It turns out that they did a remarkably good job.
Who would play the Lone Ranger and the star of the show? Me!
I got a wild idea..wouldnt it be amazing if I could get the original announcer from all of the radio & TV episodes to voice the opening announcements.
I called Fred Foy at the network and asked him for his help. He readily agreed. I sent a script and received a little three inch tape with that unforgettable voice in the mail about a week later.
To make a long story less long, after about 3 months of preparation we all schlepped out to the farm and performed the first episode of The Lone Ranger from the rear porch of the house in which Fran Striker wrote it, we did it live on WEBR and before a crowd of about 200 fans and collectors from across the country.
What you are about to hear is a recording of that event, a bit scratchy after traveling about 40 miles back to Buffalo via a phone line and broadcast on a 5,000 watt AM radio station.The Lone Ranger Rides Again!
Al Wallack
