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Cowboys, Heroes, and Who Was That Masked Man?

By Pamela R. Blaine

As I child, I loved Saturday morning! This was the day that I looked forward to all week. I would hurry through my morning chores, finish my bowl of "Tony the Tiger" cereal (it's "GREAT!") and turn on our family's newly acquired television set.

Yes, it was Saturday morning in the late 1950s and life was good! There were a lot of good programs such as: Annie Oakley, Wild Bill Hickok, Zorro, Hopalong Cassidy, Lassie, Rin-Tin-Tin, Sky King, The Texas Rangers, Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, and Dale Evans, just to name a few.

Television was in black and white back then and sometimes it didn't come in very clear, in fact, I thought that it snowed in the desert until we got a better antenna with a rotary dial. I can still hear the steady "click-click" it made as it turned the antenna to the preferred direction.

The remote control had not made an appearance in the 50s, so we had to actually get up out of our chairs and trek over to the television and change the channel manually. As I turned the dial, searching for a Saturday morning favorite, it didn't take long to check out all three of the channels that were available. I wondered why they had all of those other numbers on the dial.

I would immediately stop at the channel where I heard the familiar sound of the "William Tell Overture" as the announcer would say:

"A fiery horse with the speed of light, a cloud of dust and a hearty hi-yo Silver. The Lone Ranger!"

"With his faithful Indian companion Tonto, the daring and resourceful masked rider of the plains led the fight for law and order in the early west. Return with us now to those thrilling days of yesteryear. The Lone Ranger rides again!"

After the programs were over it was time to pretend. Sometimes I would braid my hair like Annie Oakley, saddle my horse, and ride off down the trail. At other times I would pretend to be Dale Evans, Queen of the West.

My brother and I, along with the neighborhood kids, would imitate our heroes and call each other, "kemo sabe" (meaning trusted scout) and make silver bullets out of aluminum foil.

The programs on Saturday morning were mostly westerns and stories of rescue and heroism. Who can forget the Songbird flying through the sky as we heard, "Out of the clear blue of the western sky comes Sky King!" Whether it was Sky King, Lassie, or The Lone Ranger, the programs were wholesome and filled with a plot and a purpose. They taught us that crime doesn't pay. The stories showed us through the heroic cowboys and lawmen that it was best to make good choices by having good morals and values.

Our heroes gave us "the code of the West" that all good cowboys and cowgirls followed:

Hopalong Cassidy's "Creed for American Boys and Girls"

1. The highest badge of honor a person can wear is honesty,
be mindful at all times.

2. Your parents are the best friends you have. Listen to them and obey their instructions.

3. If you want to be respected, you must respect others. Show good manners in every way.

4. Only through hard work and study can you succeed. Don't be lazy.

5. Your good deeds always come to light. So don't boast or be a show off.

6. If you waste time or money today, you will regret it tomorrow. Practice thrift in all ways.

7. Many animals are good and loyal companions. Be friendly and kind to them.

8. A strong, healthy body is a precious gift. Be neat and clean.

9. Our country's laws are made for your protection. Observe them carefully.

10. Children in many foreign lands are less fortunate than you. Be glad and proud you are an American