The Lone Ranger and The Legion of the Black Arrow

The Lone Ranger character was created for radio, but like many popular comic page characters, "The Masked Rider of the Plains" not only outgrew his original medium, but became a piece of American Folklore.

Even though the stories and characters are sometimes criticized by modern audiences for a less than accurate portrayal of life in the Old West, there can be little doubt that writer Fran Striker was a student of Western History.

Most of the Lone Ranger radio episodes were stand alone stories, with the occasional two and three part stories or short serials lasting a couple of weeks. A notable exception came between Oct 13, 1941, and the end of February 1942, when the Lone Ranger and Tonto fought the evil Legion of the Black Arrow.

The Black Arrow cycle actually begins in the halls of power in Washington. Word reaches the President that a conspiracy has arisen on the frontier by men who want to create their own "despotic empire". The President takes his secret train to St Louis, the gateway to the West, and sends out the word (through actual Western heroes like Buffalo Bill Cody and Bill Hickok) that he needs the help of the Lone Ranger. The President explains the situation to the Ranger (becoming one of the few people to see the Ranger unmasked) and commissions him to take the fight to these enemies of democracy.

When the President returns to Washington, he takes one further step to help ensure the Ranger's success. He commissions "The Girl", an agent who has served her country in the past, to secretly aid The Masked Man and Tonto. The Girl does not appear in every episode of the Black Arrow Series, but when she does, she proves herself to be a worthy companion to the Lone Ranger. (Not that there would ever be a romantic interlude where Silver might see it.)

The Black Arrow series also takes place throughout real locations of the West, like the canyon lands of Arizona, Utah and the geysers of Yellowstone. Real situations and events from history are also used. These include the Pony Express, the Transcontinental Railroad, the Black Hills Gold Rush, and the cattle drives to Dodge City.

The Lone Ranger/Black Arrow series is not a substitute for a sixth grade history lesson. Nor is it a tightly plotted serial which demands the listener's rapt attention from episode to episode. It is terrific entertainment with one of Old Time Radio's best loved characters.

This collection is part of the larger extensive Lone Ranger collection.  See also: Western Adventures with Historical Figures