Following the success of the sixties Batman TV show, the producer
William Dozier wanted a spin off series and The Green Hornet was chosen.
It starred Van Williams as Britt Reid and Bruce Lee as Kato.
Like the radio series the premise followed the adventures of
millionaire publisher Britt Reid and his crime fighting alter ego, The Green
Hornet, although the Daily Sentinel offices (which do look like a model made from a cereal packet) also have a television news studio.
He is aided by his oriental manservant and martial artist, Kato who chauffeurs
the pair in The Black Beauty, a gadget laden sedan packed with crime fighting
surveillance devices and weaponry.
Aside from Kato, two other characters know Britt Reid’s
secret identity, his secretary at The Daily Sentinel, Lenore ‘Casey’ Case,
(played by Wende Wagner) and the District Attorney, Frank Scanlon (played by
Walter Brooke)
Another regular character is Daily Sentinel Police Reporter,
Mike Axford (played by Lloyd Gough)
As in the radio drama, The Hornet is perceived as a wanted
criminal, a status he uses so he can work undercover against the villains.
However, the transition from radio and film serial to TV
series did have some minor differences.
In the radio series, The Hornet works with the Police
Commissioner, obviously as Batman did the same; this was changed to the
District Attorney.
In the film serials and comics of the time, The Green Hornet
wears a full face mask, and Kato wears goggles. In the new show both the actors
wear eye masks moulded to their faces.
Producer William Dozier wanted The Green Hornet to be played
straight, rather than the campy style of the TV Batman, as he was apparently
keen to avoid comparisons , in spite of this Dozier did do the narration during
the weekly title introduction, immediately reminding the viewer that this is from the same people who brought you Batman.
There's further evidence of bending that rule. A clip of Batman and Robin climbing a skyscraper appears in
The Green Hornet episode, ‘Ace in the Hole’, and just to keep the balance, The Green Hornet and Kato get
a cameo in the Batman episode, ‘The Spell of Tut’.
A clip of the Batcave showing the Batmobile is also seen in The Green Hornet episode, 'The Secret of The Sally Bell', when a villain is watching Batman on TV. There's also some prominent Batman incidental music heard.
Indeed, a whole two-part Batman story features a cross over
with The Green Hornet and Kato, along with The Black Beauty. The second season episodes are ‘A Piece of The
Action’ followed by the episode ‘Batman’s Satisfaction’.
While Batman had the legendary Batmobile, The Green Hornet
had the more solid looking and stealthier, Black Beauty, a high
tech, high speed, crime buster. It had
front firing rockets, and a flying surveillance drone which launched from the
truck .The Black Beauty, a 1966 Chrysler Imperial Crown sedan, carries the
number plate V194, and was customised by Dean Jeffries, the man who was first approached to create the Batmobile, He built two cars for
the series, which still exist today. Jeffries went on the create the Monkeemobile for the Monkee's TV show.
,
The Black Beauty was secretly stored upside down under the
floor of Britt Reid’s garage. Kato would operate a control which would clamp
Britt’s everyday car. The floor would revolve revealing the Crime Fighter’s
black sedan.
The Green Hornet had his own personal arsenal. His Hornet Sting, a telescopic wand-like
device, able to send out destructive ultrasonic sound waves, and a
gas gun rendering it’s victims unconscious.
Apart from his martial arts skills, Kato also uses green
coloured darts which he keeps in his sleeve.
The Green Hornet TV series aired in America between
September 1966 and March 1967. A single season of 26 episodes was made.
Although the show was cancelled after just one season, its
connection with TV’s Batman and a co-starring role for Bruce Lee has meant that
The Green Hornet’s cult TV status is assured.
In part 3 of this series I take a closer look at Bruce Lee's involvement in The Green Hornet.
