Clayton Moore’s daughter remembers her dad, The Lone Ranger.
THE MAN BEHIND THE MASK STOOD TALL AS A ROLE MODEL FOR HIS FANS, FRIENDS AND FAMILY
Who was that Masked Man? Dawn Moore knew him as “Dad.” “He was naturally kind and gentle,” the daughter of actor Clayton Moore, better known as the Lone Ranger, tells Closer. “You always felt safe around him because he was a man who took charge of difficult situations.”
Clayton took the responsibility of embodying the Western hero seriously. “When he was working or around fans, he would never drink alcohol, smoke, use slang or even eat junk food,” recalls Dawn, whom Clayton adopted with his second wife, Sally Allen, shortly after The Lone Ranger’s 1949 to 1957 TV run ended. “This is how he brought out the best in others — by example.”
But when the mask came off, Clayton let his guard down. “He was a complete goofball,” says Dawn, who’s hoping to sell a show about her dad to PBS. “He loved to kid around, play harmless practical jokes and generally have a good time.”
Clayton was loyal to his friends, including Jay Silverheels, who played his TV sidekick, Tonto. “Dad loved Jay and had tremendous respect for him,” Dawn says. “He honored Jay every chance he got.”
Born in Chicago, Clayton worked as an acrobat, model and stuntman, but once he was cast as the Lone Ranger, “I didn’t want any other role,” he said. He died after suffering a heart attack at 85 in 1999, but his memory lives on. “His legacy lies in the thousands of fan letters that flow with gratitude from policemen, firemen, teachers and even spiritual leaders who write to say they chose a career of service because of his example — not just as an actor but as a human being,” Dawn says. “I still get those letters today.” — Bruce Fretts, with reporting by Amanda Champagne-Meadows