By Edward Master
I often watch YouTube movies mainly for entertainment. This one, done recently, rekindled some memories.
The film was “The Lone Ranger and the Lost City of Gold.” I believe my first viewing of this movie was at the Knox Theater, (today) just up the street from the Carriage Inn. Back then, it may have been the Underwood Hotel. At one time, the Friendly Tavern used to sit next to the theater. My dad claimed a person had to be on social security and retired to go in that establishment. He also said that it was a favorite haunt by my Grandpa Master for Sunday dinner.
I once saw the Lone Ranger and Tonto live at the Allegheny County Fair in South Park, Allegheny County. The duo rode out, respectively, on Silver and Scout from behind a stage. I recall the Lone Ranger was in blue and Tonto in buckskins. My brother, Jack, was lost somewhere at the fair with our cousin, Bobby Dunkle. We all caught up later. I know I went to more than one movie in Knox; I remember seeing a vampire movie once and I remember serials, but not the serials’ subjects; they may have been Flash Gordon or Superman.
The movie also rekindled some memories of bygone Saturday morning television. The Lone Ranger was joined by My Friend Flicka, Sky King, Annie Oakley, and Roy Rogers. Long before Roy’s hamburgers and chicken, we enjoyed tales with Trigger, Buttermilk, Bullet, Dale Evans and Nellie Belle. Sky King had niece Penny; Annie Oakley had a brother (or cousin) named Tag.
I never had any paraphernalia associated with Lone Ranger. I did have a Coonskin cap (Davey Crockett/Fess Parker), along with a longish plastic musket that used caps. I also owned a sword, a mask, and cape from the Zorro (Guy Williams?) collection. My Captain Gallant cap (Buster Crabbe) had an attached sun screen flap.
My affliction with Saturday morning didn’t end with childhood. It somehow extended into my late teenage years when I should have grown out of that cycle, but did not.
I became a fan of the Beatles cartoons because I liked the music. At one time I had posters of the Banana Splits in my dorm room at CUP’s Wilson Hall. I also enjoyed HR Puff n’ Stuff and Land of the Lost. I watched those shows with my younger sisters in the summer and when I was off from college. Once in college, the Theta Xi fraternity sang the Banana Splits theme song, and it turned out to be a big hit that night at Greek Sing.
Were they the good ‘ole days? Well, those days were good for that time. I really don’t think I’d go through them again.
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