Remembering Jay Silverheels

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Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame
Harry "Tonto" Smith was born on the Six Nations Reserve, Ohsweken, Ontario and was one of four brothers (Russell, Don, and Sydney) who played as a unit on several teams during the 1930's including the Hornell Bears, Toronto Tecumsehs, Akron Tornadoes, and the Atlantic City Americans.
Known as a swift runner, top scorer, and prolific checker, Harry joined the Hollywood Club in 1937 when an All-American pro league was formed; however, his playing days ended when he turned to acting under the stage name of Jay Silverheels.
 

You know the Lone Ranger and Tonto were amazing. They captured bad guys, protected the weak and innocent and generally brough law and order to the old west without even 1 swear word. If you look at any modern western or almost any modern film; that is truly amazing. NOT 1 SWEAR WORD!
 

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I've been watching some Lone Ranger reruns. I'm dismayed at how Tonto was treated as a character. Always referred to as "Injun" (which in itself is derogatory) by most characters other than the LR (they didn't even bother to ask his name) and spoke pidgin English despite having at least average intelligence and having been around white people long enough to learn better grammar (Him bad man, Kemo Sabe. Me get marshal). Well, maybe it was how thing were in the late 1940s and early 50s. Most Native Americans were presented this way in TV and movies.
 
debodun said:
I've been watching some Lone Ranger reruns. I'm dismayed at how Tonto was treated as a character. Always referred to as "Injun" (which in itself is derogatory) by most characters other than the LR (they didn't even bother to ask his name) and spoke pidgin English despite having at least average intelligence and having been around white people long enough to learn better grammar (Him bad man, Kemo Sabe. Me get marshal). Well, maybe it was how thing were in the late 1940s and early 50s. Most Native Americans were presented this way in TV and movies.
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Yap! I have been watching about 50 of those Lone Ranger films. Poor Tonto was forced to talk rather stupid, "What we do now, Keno Sabe? The Lone Ranger was always smarter and would say, "Tonto, I have a plan." No once did Tonto have a plan. I guess that the white guy was smarter than the red man but hey, that was the 40s and 50s. What did we know? We never had the poltically correct mafia to put us in our place and let the truth be known. Today, of course, Tonto would be replaced with a female character. If The Lone Ranger did have a male partner today, it most certainly would be a coloured guy! Two white guys together! Oh, oh, that would be very bad and today, it just can't happen!
 
debodun said:
I've been watching some Lone Ranger reruns. I'm dismayed at how Tonto was treated as a character. Always referred to as "Injun" (which in itself is derogatory) by most characters other than the LR (they didn't even bother to ask his name) and spoke pidgin English despite having at least average intelligence and having been around white people long enough to learn better grammar (Him bad man, Kemo Sabe. Me get marshal). Well, maybe it was how thing were in the late 1940s and early 50s. Most Native Americans were presented this way in TV and movies.
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Well at least in that respect, it was authentic. These days, everything is sanitised.
 
Write your own Lone Ranger script:

A, An:
1. outlaw gang
2. rich citizen
3. corrupt lawman
4. greedy banker

plots to:
1. acquire land with valuable minerals
2. hold up a stagecoach carrying an important passenger or a gold shipment
3. kidnap an influential citizen's loved one for ransom
4. write phony documents

to get what that want.

The Lone Ranger and Tonto outwit the villain by:
1. wearing convincing disguises
2. setting up an ambush
3. posing as outlaws
4. enlisting the help of a deputy, the citizen in trouble, or an old prospector

the Lone Ranger finally triumphs by having:
1. a fist fight
2. a horse chase
3, a stagecoach chase

and overpowering the villain.
 
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"Him plenty bad, Kemo Sabe." :giggle:
And NO ONE ever got shot or killed on that show (I think). And William Tell's Overture was perfect for the soundtrack.

The Lone Ranger and Tonto went camping in the desert. After they got their tent set up, both men fell sound asleep.
Some hours later, Tonto wakes the Lone Ranger and says, “Kemo Sabe, look towards sky, what you see?”
The Lone Ranger replies, “I see millions of stars.”
“What that tell you?” asked Tonto.
The Lone Ranger ponders for a minute then says, “Astronomically speaking, it tells me there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets. Astrologically, it tells me that Saturn is in Leo. Time wise, it appears to be approximately a quarter past three in the morning.
Theologically, the Lord is all-powerful and we are small and insignificant. Meteorologically, it seems we will have a beautiful day tomorrow.
What does that tell you, Tonto?”
“You dumber than buffalo shit. It means someone stole our tent.”
 

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