I was a little sleepy last night when I wrote the text to lead into Today's Video Link. I know the difference between Edward Everett Horton and Charlie Ruggles but for some reason, my brain registered the wrong name. That's actually Mr. Horton voicing-over the commercial I said was Mr. Ruggles. Sorry, and thanks to the three million people (give or take 2,999,995) who sent e-mails to berate me.
Also, Anthony Tollin — who knows more about old radio than any mammal who walks the planet, suggests I clarify that while Fred Foy did do the traditional Lone Ranger opening like I said, it's someone else in the body of that commercial.
Fred was not the original announcer on the TV series. He'd only started announcing the radio series in 1948 and was apparently not yet considered a series fixture. The first season TV announcer/narrator was Gerald Mohr, best remembered for starring as Philip Marlowe on radio and the Lone Wolf in movies. (He also voiced Reed Richards and Green Lantern in 1960s Saturday morning cartoons.) Anyone know who announced/narrated the Lone Ranger TV series during the season when John Hart played the title role?
I believe the first network TV season to feature Fred Foy's introduction was Clayton Moore's last, the first and only season filmed in color (after Jack Wrather had purchased the series from George W. Trendle). A decade or two ago, a black & white version was struck off the color opening of that last TV season, and inserted into all the syndicated prints. Before that time, in many of the syndication prints, you'd see my friend John Hart rearing Silver in the opening while Clay Moore rode a different Silver up and later down the hill.
And I should toss in the interesting trivia note that Fred Foy was also Dick Cavett's announcer for most of Cavett's run on ABC. Or was that Charlie Ruggles? (No, it was Foy…)