Tonto the 11th episode of the radio show, which originated on the Detroit, Michigan, radio station WXYZ. Though he became well known as the Lone Ranger's friend, Tonto was originally created just so the Lone Ranger would have someone with whom to talk. Throughout the radio run (which spanned 21 years), with only a few exceptions, Tonto was played by American actor John Todd. Jay Silverheels portrayed the (arguably best-remembered version) in "The Lone Ranger" television series. This was the highest-rated television program on the ABC network in the early 1950s and its first true "hit". Ivan Naranjo, a Blackfoot/Southern Ute
Jay Silverheels player. From the late 1940s, he played in major films, including "Captain from Castile" starring Tyrone Power, "I Am an American" (1944), "Key Largo" with Humphrey Bogart (1948), "Lust for Gold" with Glenn Ford (1949), "Broken Arrow" (1950) with James Stewart, "War Arrow" (1953) with Maureen O'Hara, Jeff Chandler and Noah Beery Jr., "The Black Dakotas" (1954) as Black Buffalo, "Drums Across the River" (1954), "Walk the Proud Land" (1956) with Audie Murphy and Anne Bancroft, "Alias Jesse James" (1959) with Bob Hope, and "Indian Paint" (1964) with Johnny Crawford. He made a brief appearance in "True Grit" (1969) as