The Legend of the Lone Ranger(1981)

Klinton Spilsbury’s one and only movie role, and his voice was dubbed over by an uncredited James Keach.

POOPER
Cavendish takes President Grant hostage to use as a bargaining chip. He wants the US Congress to void the treaty that allowed Texas to be annexed into the United States, making it an independent country again, and he will be it’s new leader. The Lone Ranger and Tonto, along with the US Cavalry, rescue Grant and capture Cavendish. Despite no longer needing to remain anonymous, John Reid decides to keep wearing the mask and he and Tonto ride off into the sunset to help others who seek justice.

LONG VERSION
Set near Del Rio, Texas in 1854, a young Comanche boy named Tonto is being chased by bandits. He is saved by a young boy named John Reid. The bandits then leave and turn their attention to a nearby ranch, which is John’s home. He runs back, only to find the ranch in flames and both of his parents dead. Tonto then takes John to his village, where he learns the ways of the Comanche. Later, John’s older brother Dan (John Bennett Perry) collects John and tells him he is going to live in Detroit with an aunt. Before he leaves, John and Tonto become blood brothers and Tonto gives John an amulet to wear around his neck.

Many years later, a now-adult John (Klinton Spilsbury), freshly graduated from law school, returns to Del Rio to start his practice. On the same stagecoach to Del Rio as John is Amy (Juanin Clay), the niece of the owner of the the town’s newspaper. John and Amy strike up a relationship, but it’s tested when Amy’s uncle is killed by several outlaws after he wrote about them and their actions. Dan, now a Texas Ranger, says that they are a part of a larger group of outlaws led by former Union Army officer Butch Cavendish (Christopher Lloyd), and a fellow Ranger named Collins knows where they are hiding. Dan, Collins, and several other Rangers are on their way to apprehend them, and John wants to come with. Dan reluctantly allows him to join the posse, but first he is sworn in as a Ranger and given a badge.

As the posse enters a canyon, Collins rides ahead to scout the area. Collins is actually a member of Cavendish’s gang, and he signals them to begin the ambush of the Rangers. In the resulting gunfight, all of the Rangers, including Dan, are killed, while John is severely wounded and left for dead. Some time later, a Comanche warrior rides into the canyon and sees the dead Rangers. As he is collecting valuables from them, he sees one is still alive. As he is about to finish him off, the warrior sees the man is wearing a familiar-looking amulet. The warrior recognizes it and realizes this is John Reid, and the warrior is a grown-up Tonto (Michael Horse). Tonto takes John back to the Comanche village and nurses him back to health, even though the village elders are against this. Tonto tells them that if John is now an enemy of the Comanche, he will kill him.

While John is recovering from his wounds, Tonto is showing him more of the Comanche way of life. He also teaches him to use silver bullets when shooting his gun (they are more accurate), and later John is able to tame a wild white horse he names Silver. When John is fully recovered, he wants to go after Cavendish and his men, and Tonto will go with him. He also says that if Cavendish finds out that John Reid is still alive, he could go after those he cares about. So he’ll let everyone, including Amy, think John Reid is still dead, and he will wear a mask and go by the name The Lone Ranger.

While searching for Cavendish, The Lone Ranger and Tonto help many people who are seeking justice, since the town’s sheriff is ineffective and all of the nearby Rangers were killed. As for Cavendish, he is planning his next act. A train carrying President Ulysses Grant (Jason Robards), as well as General George Custer, Buffalo Bill Cody, and Wild Bill HIckok, are riding through Del Rio. The plan is to separate the President’s private car from the rest of the train and take him hostage in order to use him as a bargain chip for his grand plan. It succeeds, and Grant is now Cavendish’s prisoner. Cavendish then tells Grant that grand plan: he wants the US Congress to void the treaty that allowed Texas to be annexed into the United States, making it an independent country again, and Cavendish will be it’s new leader.

While all this is happening, The Lone Ranger and Tonto find Cavendish’s hideout, where they discover cases of dynamite. They plant the dynamite around the compound, then rescue the President. After hiding him away, they set off the dynamite, which kills several of Cavendish’s men and they start a gunfight. Many of them are killed, but soon The Lone Ranger and Tonto realize that they are about to be overwhelmed. Just then, the US Cavalry arrives, led by Custer, Cody, and Hickok. They are able to either kill or apprehend the rest of the men, but Cavendish is getting away. The Lone Ranger chases after him and catches him. After a fistfight, Cavendish is defeated and begs The Lone Ranger to kill him. He thinks about it, because John would then have his revenge against the man who killed his brother, but decides not to and takes him into custody instead.

With Cavendish in custody, President Grant asks the masked man to reveal his identity so he can be properly honored. Despite no longer needing to be anonymous, he refuses to reveal his identity, and he and Tonto ride off, with Grant asking, “who was that masked man”? The movie ends with The Lone Ranger and Tonto riding off into the sunset, looking to help others who seek justice.