Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Johnny Depp is Tonto

This is topic Johnny Depp is Tonto in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 12-03-2010, 12:24 PM:

According to IME, Johnny Depp will play Tonto in a Disney re-boot of The Lone Ranger to be directed by Gore Verbinski, director of the Pirates of the Carribean films.

I think this could be big.

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 12-03-2010, 09:05 PM:

Isn't Johnny Depp getting to be a little old and hefty to play a character like Tonto?

Posted by Jonathan M. Crist (Member # 413) on 12-03-2010, 11:39 PM:

Tonto in Spanish means fool or stupid.

And according to Lone Ranger lore, in respone for being called stupid, Tonto nick named the masked man Kemo Sabe - which is supposedly a bastardization of the Spanish "qui no sabe" and literally translated means "he who knows nothing" or "clueless".

And so ends our trivia lesson for the day.

Posted by James Westbrook (Member # 3690) on 12-04-2010, 03:05 PM:

The way I hear "stupid" pronounced in Spanish here it seems to have another syllable on it. "Ton-Tito."
One of my Hispanic co-workers called his mom inquiring how it was spelled. "Why do you want to spell THAT word?" "I'm making a Valentine card."
If she knew, she didn't tell him how to spell it.

Posted by Chris Slycord (Member # 4239) on 12-04-2010, 04:55 PM:

quote: James Westbrook
The way I hear "stupid" pronounced in Spanish here it seems to have another syllable on it. "Ton-Tito."

As a noun referring to a person it is "tonto" and as an adjective it is "estúpido."

Posted by James Westbrook (Member # 3690) on 12-05-2010, 01:45 AM:

I bet I'm probably hearing the latter word, then.
I also recall Bill Cosby commenting about The Lone Ranger and Tonto, where Tonto would be sent to town and Tonto gets beaten up. A lot. The punch line was "Tonto, go to town." "Kemo Sabe, Go to HELL."
Why would anyone want to make this movie? Seriously?

Posted by Martin McCaffery (Member # 37) on 12-05-2010, 12:26 PM:

"To perform an unnatural act"
--- Lenny Bruce
[Wink]

Posted by Chris Slycord (Member # 4239) on 12-05-2010, 04:08 PM:

quote: Jonathan M. Crist
And according to Lone Ranger lore, in respone for being called stupid, Tonto nick named the masked man Kemo Sabe - which is supposedly a bastardization of the Spanish "qui no sabe" and literally translated means "he who knows nothing" or "clueless".

FYI:
The guy who first directed the show came up with the name. It came from a "Kamp Kee-Mo Sah-Bee" that his father-in-law started. Apparently the name is thought to come from a Ojibwe/Chippewa term (giimoozaabi) that can mean either "he who peaks" or "one who sneak." And since the camp was located in Michigan, the Chippewa source seems likely.