The Lone Ranger is a 1938 American Republic Movie serial based on the radio program of the same name.

In 1865, Captain Mark Smith of the Confederate Army leads a band of deserters to conquer Texas and rule it as a dictator. In one of his first actions, he captures and assumes the identity of Texas' new Finance Commissioner, Colonel Marcus Jeffries, after having the real man murdered. When a contingent of Texas Rangers enters the territory, Snead, one of Smith's men, leads them into an ambush by Smith's "troopers". The Rangers are apparently wiped out, although one injured survivor is left. The survivor, nursed back to health by Tonto, swears to avenge the massacre and defeat "Colonel Jeffries" and his men.

When he is not operating as the Ranger, he appears under an assumed identity as one of a group of Texans resisting Smith's rule. Smith, through a henchman, has narrowed the field of suspects down to five specific members of the resistance. One of these five, Allen King, Bob Stuart, Bert Rogers, Dick Forrest, and Jim Clark, actually is the Ranger, but only Tonto, and the other four Texans, know which one it is. Together, they operate as an effective team attempting to end Smith's rule.

Stars Lee Powell as the Lone Ranger, Chief Thundercloud as Tonto, Hal Taliaferro as Bob Stuart, Lynne Roberts as Joan Blanchard, and Silver King as Silver (the horse).

text from wikipedia