By the mid-1930s, the program was being broadcast on Chicago's WGN and New York's WOR. That trio of stations (WOR-WGN-WXYZ) - along with WLW in Cincinnati - became the early Mutual Broadcasting Network. Soon after, the LONE RANGER show was picked up by the Don Lee Network in California. By 1940 or so, WXYZ's LONE RANGER was running on the NBC Blue network.

While there were several performers who portrayed the Lone Ranger in a few early broadcasts, James Jewell hired Michigan native Earle W. Graser and he became the radio Lone Ranger from 1933 through early 1941. Graser did his last LR broadcast on the evening of April 7, 1941. The following day, April 8, 1941, he fell asleep while driving and was killed in an automobile accident in Farmington, Michigan.

Tonto made his debut on the program on February 25, 1933 and was played by John Todd the entire run of the show. Tonto is best remembered for his oft repeated phrase "Kemo Sabe," which is supposed to mean "Faithful Friend."

When the Lone Ranger calls out 'Hi Yo Silver, Away' it is the voice of Earle W. Graser, the radio's Lone Ranger that is heard and not the voice of either Lee Powell or Billy Bletcher. His recording of this signature cry was used even after his death and Brace Beemer had become the Lone Ranger

In 1941, when Earle W. Grascr died in an auto accident, a nation mourned briefly, and 10,000 people attended his funeral. He stopped drawing his $150.00 a week. You may not remember when Earlc Grascr died, but if you are over 25 years old, you probably remember when the Lone Ranger's voice changed. In the story, the Masked Man was critically wounded and lay unconscious for days while Tonto carried on without him. As author-critic Charles Beaumont has observed in Playboy magazine, you always knew Tonto could do it all alone if he had to, even if he didn't have a mask and guns with silver bullets. You sometimes had the impressions that Tonto was the real brains of the outfit. After all, he gave the Lone Ranger his distinctive name, indirectly named the horse Silver, and it was always Tonto who picked up the trail of the rustlers and told the Lone Ranger which way to ride. Even his language was excused when years later the Masked Man pointed out that Tonto spoke many languages—several Indian dialects and Spanish among them—but somehow he just happened to have difficulty with pronouns in English.

Finally, Tonto was relieved of some of his responsibilities as the Lone Ranger grew stronger, being able to speak a few words here and there. The new voice was very similar to the one you had been hearing, but when at last it raised to full power you realized it was deeper, richer, sterner. A lighter, more easy-going naturalness was gone. Like a god, the Lone Ranger arose from death with his purpose intensified, a grimmer angel of vengeance.

The man behind the voice of the Lone Ranger was once again Brace Beemer, who, unlike Graser, was no stranger to horses and guns and feats of heroism in real life. Beemer served in World War I with the Rainbow Division in France. He was a big fellow, six feet two and over two hundred pounds. He had become a sergeant and led men into battle. Wounded in action, he received several decorations—though Beemer at the time was only 14 years old. (The Lone Ranger had told a lie—about his age.)

The radio show first aired in January 1933, with George Seaton as the hero. At least ten different men would later portray the Lone Ranger in various media, including Earle W. Graser, Brace Beemer, Lee Powell, Robert Livingston, and the legendary Clayton Moore, who died in 1999. John Todd played Tonto on the radio show through iis last airings in 1954. --

Sponsors climbed over each other to back such a popular, positive hero, and merchandise with his wholesome logo flew off the shelves. In 1935 radio voice Earle W. Graser offered a chance for kids to join the Lone Ranger Saiety Club, if they would agree in writing to tell the truth and look carefully before crossing streets. General Mills, one of 66 different licensed manufacturers of Lone Ranger products, handled the demand for more than 2 million Safety Club badges. At one point, the factory had to run 24 hours a day, sending out more than 500.000 Lone Ranger masks and 2 million Lone Ranger photographs to demanding children across the nation. The Lone Ranger Atom Bomb Ring remains the most popular prize ever offered. Its 1945 release drew well over 2 million requests.

Sources: The Great Radio Heros by Jim Harmon // The International Movie Debase (IMDd) // The Mythical West by Richard W. Slatta