LONE-GREEN-CHALLENGE

Curated by

John F. Barber

Copyright (c)

Final Draft

Broadcast 18 July 2022

Lone-Green-Challenge
Season 10, Episode 06 of Re-Imagined Radio
Curated by John F. Barber

Broadcast 18 July 2022

Episode Synopsis
Re-Imagined Radio pays tribute to three uniquely connected radio drama series that demonstrate high quality radio storytelling. These series were produced and broadcast by the same radio station from the 1930s-1950s, using a handful of voice actors and announcers that cycled between programs.

These three series are The Lone Ranger, The Green Hornet, and The Challenge of the Yukon. We sample from "Horse Thieves Steal Silver," the February 2, 1938 episode of The Lone Ranger, "Words and Music," the May 30, 1939 episode of The Green Hornet, and "Meeting the Terms of a Contract," the May 28, 1943 episode of The Challenge of the Yukon.

COLD OPEN
SFX: SAMPLE FROM CURRENT EPISODE
MUSIC: RIR THEME, FADE IN, UP, AND THEN OUT UNDER THE FOLLOWING
SFX: PRE-RECORDED
ANNOUNCER
Welcome to Re-Imagined Radio, a program about radio storytelling. I’m Jack Armstrong. With each episode we combine dialogue, sound effects, and music to engage your listening imagination. This episode is no different, and here to tell you about it is John Barber, producer and host.
MUSIC: RIR THEME, FADE UP,THEN OUT UNDER THE FOLLOWING . . .
HOST
Thank you Jack . . . hello everyone . . . and welcome to Re-Imagined Radio. 
This episode of Re-Imagined Radio, “Lone-Green-Challenge,” pays tribute to three uniquely connected radio programs that demonstrate high quality radio storytelling.
Each was produced and broadcast by radio station WXYZ, Detroit, Michigan.
Each used a handful of voice actors and announcers that cycled between programs starring as wholesome, honest, larger than life characters.
Each was packaged with operatic overtures.
Each was intended for young audiences, but gained an adult following and today is among the best Old Time Radio programs.
What are these radio programs? Our episode title is a big hint. And here is another . . .
SFX: THE LONE RANGER TEASER
HOST
No doubt you recognize The Lone Ranger from its theme music, "The William Tell Overture.” This music was written by Gioachino Rossini as the overture for his 1829 opera William Tell. George W. Trendle, owner of WXYZ radio, felt that young listeners would benefit from exposure to classical music and so adopted The William Tell Overture as the musical theme for his new radio  program, The Lone Ranger. From 1933 to 1955, radio listeners enjoyed 2,956 episodes of The Lone Ranger. Let's listen now to "Horse Thieves Steal Silver," first broadcast February 2, 1938, and the earliest known surviving episode of The Lone Ranger  . . .
SFX: THE LONE RANGER "HORSE THIEVES STEAL SILVER" SAMPLE
MUSIC: RIR THEME
HOST
You are listening to Re-Imagined Radio. Our episode, “Lone-Green-Challenge,” is a tribute to three radio series produced and broadcast by WXYZ, Detroit, Michigan, 1930s-1950s. You just listened to "Horse Thieves Steal Silver," the earliest known surviving episode of The Lone Ranger. Earle Graser (GRAZER) voiced the part of The Lone Ranger. John Todd was Tonto. We'll listen to the second program in our tribute in just a moment . . .
MUSIC: RIR THEME, ESTABLISH THEN FADE OUT UNDER THE FOLLOWING
BREAK 1
HOST
(Speaking for Break)
This is John Barber, producer and host of Re-Imagined Radio. We partner with other radio programs, producers, and actors to bring you a variety of radio storytelling. One example is The Fusebox Show. Freeform, but focused, appropriate for all age groups and audiences, Fusebox shares observations and reactions to events that both stir our imagination and boil our blood. Here's a sample . . .
SFX: THE FUSEBOX SHOW TEASER
HOST
Learn more at The Fusebox Show website, www dot thefuseboxshow dot com.
MUSIC: RIR THEME,FADE OUT UNDER THE FOLLOWING
HOST
(Returning from Break)
This is Re-Imagined Radio and we are paying tribute to three radio programs produced and broadcast by WXYZ, Detroit, Michigan. You just listened to "Horse Thieves Steal Silver," the earliest known surviving episode of The Lone Ranger." Here is a hint about the second radio program of our tribute.
SFX: SAMPLE FROM "THE GREEN HORNET"
Music and voice
Announcer: He hunts the biggest of all game, public enemies who try to destroy our America. With his faithful valet Kato, Britt Reid, daring young publisher, matches wits with the underworld, risking his life that criminals and racketeers within the law may feel its weight by the sting of The Green Hornet!
HOST
After successfully establishing The Lone Ranger series, WXYZ radio began producing and broadcasting The Green Hornet. The series ran from 1938 to 1952. Like The Lone Ranger, The Green Hornet began with an operatic overture, in this case "The Flight of the Bumblebee" composed 1899-1900 by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov for his opera The Tale of Tzar Saltan. Let's listen to "Words and Music," the May 30, 1939 episode of The Green Hornet. . .
SFX: THE GREEN HORNET AUDIO
MUSIC: RIR, FADE OUT UNDER THE FOLLOWING
HOST
This is “Lone-Green-Challenge,” an episode of Re-Imagined Radio. You just listened to "Words and Music," the May 30, 1939 episode of The Green Hornet. Albert Hodge voiced the part of The Green Hornet. Rollon Parker was Kato. This is John Barber. I'll be right back with our third program in just a moment . . .
BREAK 2
MUSIC: RIR THEME, TRANSITION, FADE OUT UNDER THE FOLLOWING . . .
HOST
(Speaking for Break, Upcoming Episodes)
Excellent radio series like The Lone Ranger and The Green Hornet showcase skilled use of spoken voice, sounds, music, and imagination.
Upcoming episodes of Re-Imagined Radio will follow this lead. We plan a Columbia Workshop Tribute, a look at four radio stories that may have inspired "The War of the Worlds," and more. Please join us as we share these interesting stories.
HOST
(Returning from Break)
You are listening to “Lone-Green-Challenge” an episode of Re-Imagined Radio that pays tribute to three radio programs produced and broadcast by WXYZ, Detroit, Michigan. You have listened to The Lone Ranger and The Green Hornet. Here is a hint about our third program . . .
SFX: SGT. PRESTON OF THE YUKON WITH DONNA DIANA OVERTURE
Yukon King: Barks
Announcer: It's Yukon King, swiftest and strongest lead dog in the Northwest, blazing the trail for Sergeant Preston of the Northwest Mounted Police, in his relentless pursuit of law breakers!
HOST
The third program in our tribute is The Challenge of the Yukon.
Like The Lone Ranger and The Green Hornet, The Challenge of the Yukon uses an operatic overture as its musical theme. In this case, it is the overture to Emil von Reznicek's comedic opera Donna Diana first performed in 1894.
The Challenge of the Yukon radio series was broadcast from 1939-1947 when it became a television series which continued until 1949. In 1950 the series returned to radio and was renamed Sergeant Preston of the Yukon. Episodes were broadcast until 1955.
Let's listen to "Meeting the Terms of a Contract," first broadcast May 28, 1943, the earliest known surviving episode of The Challenge of the Yukon . . .
SFX: THE CHALLENGE OF THE YUKON AUDIO
MUSIC: RIR THEME, FADE UP AND THE OUT UNDER THE FOLLOWING . . .
HOST
You are listening to “Lone-Green-Challenge," an episode of Re-Imagined Radio paying tribute to three radio programs that enjoyed a number of interesting connections. You just listened to "Meeting the Terms of a Contract," an episode of The Challenge of the Yukon. Jay Michael voiced the part of Sergeant Preston. This is John Barber. I'll be right back with concluding remarks after this short break . . .
BREAK 3
MUSIC: RIR THEME, FADE OUT UNDER THE FOLLOWING . . .
HOST
(Speaking for break, Support Community Radio)
I'm John Barber, producer and host of Re-Imagined Radio. While I have your attention, let me remind you that Re-Imagined Radio is heard on local, regional, and international community radio stations. If you would like to support programs like Re-Imagined Radio please contact your community radio station and learn how to donate. Every donation helps your station provide interesting and thought provoking programs like Re-Imagined Radio. If you already support community radio through your generosity, thank you. If not, please consider supporting this and other community radio stations. Your support is valuable and much appreciated.
MUSIC: RIR, TRANSITION
HOST
(Returning from Break)
(With this episode of Re-Imagined Radio we pay tribute to three radio programs: The Lone Ranger, The Green Hornet, and The Challenge of the Yukon. Each was produced and broadcast by WXYZ radio in Detroit, Michigan, between the 1930s and the 1950s.)
The Lone Ranger was the first and was intended originally for younger audiences. But the adventures of The Masked Man, Tonto, and their two magnificent horses soon attracted a following of adult listeners.
The success of The Lone Ranger led to a new adventure series, The Green Hornet which copied much of its format and framework from the earlier series.
The Lone Ranger and The Green Hornet also shared family connections. Breitt Reid, young newspaper publisher and secretly The Green Hornet, is The Lone Ranger’s great-nephew.
Recall The Lone Ranger origin story . . . Captain Dan Reid, his younger brother, John, and other Texas Rangers, were ambushed at Bryant Gap by the Butch Cavendish Gang. Dan and John, when not on duty with the Rangers, shared a secret and very rich silver mine. Mortally wounded in the ambush, Dan Reid extracted a promise from John: that if he survived he would work the silver mine and share its riches with Dan's wife and young son, Dan Reid, Junior.
John Reid survived with the help of Tonto. As The Lone Ranger, John Reid cared for his nephew Dan, as he promised. Dan’s son, Breitt Reid, became The Green Hornet.
In addition to family, there are other connections. Both The Lone Ranger and The Green Hornet wore masks. Both used non-lethal means for dealing with the villains. But where The Lone Ranger had the magnificent horse Silver, The Green Hornet had Black Beauty, the fastest car in the world.
The Challenge of the Yukon carried these components forward with Sergeant Preston dispatching claim jumpers, crooks, and bushwhackers with the help of his black horse Rex and Yukon King, "the swiftest and strongest lead dog in the Northwest." In fact, the program was also known as Yukon King because the dog figured so prominently in many plots.
Produced by George Trendle, owner of WXYZ radio, and written by Fran Striker, The Lone Ranger, The Green Hornet, and The Challenge of the Yukon are examples of pioneering radio storytelling. Through voices, music, and sound effects we are there as the The Lone Ranger, The Green Hornet, and Sergeant Preston keep the criminals in check. They each stand for something, and never back away from their guiding principles.
The larger than life characters, the adventurous plots, even the classical music themes have all contributed to making The Lone Ranger, The Green Hornet, and The Challenge of the Yukon among the best of all Old Time Radio programs.
(Conclusion)
Script adaptations and dramaturgy for this episode of Re-Imagined Radio by John Barber.
Music composition, sound design, and post production by Marc Rose of Fuse.
Our presence on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram is provided by Regina Carol Social Media Management.
Graphic design by Holly Slocum Design.
Our announcer is Jack Armstrong.
This is John Barber, producer and host. Thank you for listening.
MUSIC: UP, THE DUCK UNDER THE FOLLOWING
SFX: PRE-RECORDED
ANNOUNCER
This is a production of Re-Imagined Radio. Our radio broadcasts are heard on local, regional, and international community radio stations.
For on demand streaming, point your browsers to our website, reimaginedradio (all one word, no punctuation) DOT net. While there, subscribe to our snappy email Program Guide.
Thank you so much for listening, and please, join us again for another episode of Re-Imagined Radio where we will continue our exploration of radio storytelling.
MUSIC: WILLIAM TELL OVERTURE, TO END