Clayton Moore first appeared as "The Lone Ranger" in 1949 when he was hired to appear in the television version of the long-running radio show and became famous, along with Tonto, on the small screen. He appeared as The Lone Ranger from 1949 to 1952, when he was fired in a salary dispute. After John Hart was his unsuccessful replacement, he was hired back to the series and remained as The Lone Ranger until the series ended in 1957, after 169 episodes. He appeared in two big-screen movie adaptations of the character, in The Lone Ranger, 1956 and The Lone Ranger and the Lost City of Gold, 1958 and continued to make commercials and personal appearances as "The Lone Ranger" until his death in 1999.