Here's a fun fact, Dave. I studied under Chuck Norris for a few years and as a result ended up meeting Bruce Lee at a tournament. He signed his autograph, being on GH at the time. But my crazy OCD mother chucked that along with all my other valuable, such as some of the earliest Marvel comics. Btw, Dave, I am probably the only guy you'll meet on here who has literally thrown Chuck Norris over his shoulder. LOLOL
Oh my gosh!!! Thank you for this vlog I loved this show I hated that there wasn't alot of episodes plus had a big crush on Bruce Lee 😍🤗 Thanx Dave for another Great vlog😎💕
The two part episode(A Piece of the Action/Batman's Satisfaction) where Batman met the Green Hornet was a lot of fun to watch. I remember Roger C. Carmel played a Villain called Colonel Gumm(He also appeared on Star Trek as Harry Mudd). Bruce Wayne and Britt Reed knew each other in their Civilian Guises, which added a bit of levity to the episode. And the Finale, In which the Caped Crusaders fought the Hornet and Kato, was very entertaining, Even if it did end up as a Draw. Too bad the Green Hornet didn't appear on the Show more often, though he did show up briefly in another episode, In one of the Wall Climbing Sequences.
Hey Dave, You should do an entire Video about the Wall Climbing Scenes in Batman. A lot of Guest Stars in those Sequences, Everyone from Sammy Davis Jr. to Jerry Lewis. It might be fun if you mentioned every Actor that made an appearance.
I loved the serious tone of The Green Hornet. It was not intended to be Batman. The Batman episodes A Piece Of The Action/Batman’s Satisfaction was the first time I ever saw The Green Hornet. The Green Hornet and Kato made another appearance on Batman as a window cameo on one episode. The Green Hornet theme song can be heard on the television in Wayne Manor. Bruce Wayne mentioned that he wanted to watch The Green Hornet on his television before getting a phone call. It is worth noting that the 1940 serial starring Gordon Jones as Britt Reid and Keye Luke as Kato did a good job of presenting the character. Van Williams stated that a great portion of the show was stunts. Van Williams was in the L.A. County Sheriffs Department after he left acting and he was in the search and rescue division for many years.
The recent movies of the Lone Ranger and the Green Hornet killed their future potential. I love both characters and hate to wait for a proper reboot. On the brightside, I believe we are due for a Doc Savage movie.
I used to watch the "Green Hornet" with my mom when I was a kid...I've been a fan ever since, how they overlooked Bruce Lee's remarkable talent is beyond me! Paul Walker & Jet Li would have been perfect for the remake 💯👍✌️
Yes if Paul Walker didn't died like he did it would been great of seeing him & Jet Li it would of been a great reboot of the Green Hornet but was a big disappointment with Seth Rogan making a comedy out of a classic ass series I felt the same way with Disney's recent reboot of the Lone Ranger that starred Johnny Depp big ass letdown on both efforts I rather wait for next reboots hopefully would be better no more comedy humor BS neither!
Bruce Lee used to quip that he got the part of Kato because he was the only oriental in Hollywood who could pronounce the name "Britt Reid!" I often wonder if The Green Hornet TV series failed to find its audience _because_ it was produced by the same folks who brought Batman to television. Perhaps Batman fans tuned in expecting more camp and were disappointed, while other potential viewers -- those who would have enjoyed the serious drama -- never gave the Green Hornet a chance because of that same erroneous assumption. It was the success of The Green Hornet in the Hong Kong market that launched Bruce Lee to superstardom, paving the way for _The Big Boss, Fist of Fury, Way of the Dragon_ and of course _Enter the Dragon_ Sadly, his last and greatest film was released a month after his untimely death.
The fall ‘66 - spring ‘67 season (which “The Green Hornet was part of) was the first to air in color. I wonder why there hasn’t been a fifty-fifth anniversary celebration of it like there was for “Star Trek: TOS” or “Ultraman”.
I was reminded that in the 60's when color tv was new, the programs used to announce that the show was "in living color", of course to remind consumers that if they only still had a black & white tv that they were missing out!
There was a fan made short Green Hornet film on UA-cam about a decade or so ago which I enjoyed. A video of various scenes from it is still uploaded as “Green Hornet: Mass Destruction”. The actor portraying Kato moves a lot like Lee did.
I was in high school when this came out. I was absolutely blown away by Bruce Lee! Nobody in America had ever seen anyone move like that. Never missed a show!
The radio episode where the Lone Ranger met his nephew, (GH's Grandfather), was great. The Ranger gives him the Silver Mine, which he uses to start the Sentinel Newspaper. When you think about it, both characters were mistaken for crooks, and had ethnic sidekicks. The other similarity is their guns... Hornet had a non-lethal gas gun, and the Ranger used Silver bullets, so he'd be reminded that every time he drew his gun, that he could cost another man his life, (which is more precious than Silver). I wish with all of the "combined universes", they'd make a trilogy of connected movies. They also mention Lone Ranger in the LAST episode of GH radio show, (which ends with William Tell Overture). Hornet's dad finds out about Brit's secret identity, and tells him about his uncle ALSO being a crime fighter...
Recently I was watching The Green Hornet on the Heroes & Icons channel. There was a car chase and when the black beauty turned a corner I could have sworn the Mayberry courthouse was in the background!!
Was and an a avid fan of all the series , both the Batman and Green Hornet , from the movie serials to the Tv series , and although I too didn't mind the movie , I was amazed at the Easter Eggs in it paying homage to the original black beauty , the Lincoln zephyr in Britt Reid's garage .
it's only on pirate type disks (recorded from TV broadcasts). the licensing is why it's NOT out for distribution currently. it's either the Striker/Trendle or the Lee copyright holding it up I believe but don't quote me. it's NOT for a lack of interest i can tell you that.
One of those shows that you never saw in re-run's in the 70's! I think I have seen 1 Episode! That first clip has the wonderful Lloyd Bochner in it with his distinctive voice!
I liked the more serious tone of "The Green Hornet," and, yes, it should've been an hour long. I think it was the first program that left me shocked by it's cancellation. I just couldn't understand why they'd pull the plug on a show as cool as that.
Bruce Lee was/is one of my favorites, a great martial artist, I remember renting, Chinese Connection, Fists Of Fury, Return Of The Dragon, Enter The Dragon & Game Of Death on vhs back in the 80's/90's, must have drove my parents crazy, between martial arts movies and Three Stooges shorts collections. lol Every weekend. lol Until I found some vhs for sale and bought them all. I still have them and upgraded to dvd eventually. Great video Dave!
They also made two feature films based on the show to cash in on Bruce Lee Mania. One was simply called the Green Hornet, The other one was called Fury of the Dragon. They're basically just episodes of the Green Hornet edited together. Only worth watching if you're a Bruce Lee Completist.
I was a fan of this show as a kid in the 60's. I was impressed with Kato's smooth karate moves which motivated me to enroll in the local karate school.
My favorite episode of Batman 66 is the crossover with Green Hornet. Absolutely iconic. Sadly I cannot find a dvd of the Green Hornet series that isn't "pirated". I was not aware of the comic series. Thanks for the info Dave.
Seth's movie wasn't bad, but my main feeling is, characters like the Green Hornet, the Shadow, and other Pulp Fiction Heroes should remain in their era.
Another challenge for the Green Hornet, his aide Kato, and their rolling arsenal, the Black Beauty. On police records a wanted criminal, the Green Hornet is really Britt Reid, owner-publisher of the Daily Sentinel; his dual identity known only to his secretary, and to the district attorney. And now, to protect the rights and lives of decent citizens, rides The Green Hornet!
To introduce The Green Hornet and Kato to TV audiences, they appeared in a Batman window cameo. In fact, Batman welcomed them to Gotham. When Kato battled Robin, seven year old me was team Kato.
I loved both the Batman TV show and the Green Hornet one of my favorite memories was Batman would come on in the afternoon after school and I would rush home to watch it when the green hornet crossover episode happened my best friend and I who is also a big Batman fan talked the whole next day about the show we got into a serious debate about who would win Batman or the Green Hornet he said he thought Kato would beat Robin but the Green Hornet and Batman would be a draw! Oh the memories of youth when things were simpler!still a big fan of the Green Hornet I like the series thanks for uploading these keep them coming
I remember watching reruns but they weren't run as often as a lot of other shows. I also remember liking it maybe it was the more serious aspect, even as a kid I liked things a little more serious and thought shows like Batman were kinda cheesy.
Van Williams was in one of the "Lamparski" books. He never had a great amount of interest in acting and he saved all of his money and started a business renting communications equipment to law enforcement after he finished his acting career. He was proud of "The Green Hornet" and worked hard to make it a good show, I remember the "Invasion from Outer Space" two-parter where Larry D. Mann steals an atomic bomb and beautiful Linda Scott in a gold outfit helps him.
The Segment Van Williams appears in is pretty funny. He's a TV Director filming Bruce Lee's Audition for the Green Hornet. Kato(Jason Scott Lee) is supposed to scare away some Bad Guys and rescue the Hornet, But Bruce Lee gets carried away and beats up the Stuntmen and makes a Shambles of the Set. William's Character is so blown away afterwards that he forgets to yell-Cut !
The Green Hornet also appeared in two movie serials back in the 1940's. The Green Hornet starring Gordon Jones as Britt Reed/Green Hornet, and the Green Hornet Strikes Again starring Warren Hull in the Title Role. Kato was played by Keye Luke in both serials(Master Po from Kung Fu).
Here's how the radio show made the connection between the Green Hornet and the Lone Ranger. The show introduced the long-running character of Lenore Case aka Casey, who became Britt Reid's secretary. She was actually sent by Britt's dad, Dan Reid, to report on how his son was running the newspaper. She accidentally discovers Britt's secret identity. Britt agrees to tell his father as long as Casey keeps his secret. When Britt reveals his alter ego, Dan Reid couldn't be prouder. He tells his son that as a boy, he rode with a vigilante "pioneer ancestor" who fought for justice in the old West. While telling Britt this, the William Tell Overture is played briefly in the background.
I loved the Green Hornet, especially the Batman crossover. But, oddly, I got a bit excited upon seeing the old floor model tv midway through the video. It looks like the old Curtis-Mathis we had growing up. It was a huge and heavy piece of furniture with dual honeycomb speakers, one on each side, and considered state of the art for it's time. My mom was soooo pleased with, and proud of that monster. Thanks for the side trip, Dave. Y'all have a good one out there in sunny CA.
I'm with you on making the show an hour long. More specifically 2 half hour segments with a cliffhanger at the end of part 1. I think this would have helped the ratings. Oh well. I guess we'll never know.
The Green Hornet was a completely different Show from Batman. Most of the episodes were played very seriously and the Stories were more realistic. The only far fetched episode they ever did(Besides the Batman Crossover) was the Two-Part Invasion From Outer Space, About Aliens from Mars Invading the City, and even that turned out to be a Fake, It was just a distraction created by Criminals in order to cover up a crime-There weren't any real Martians. Oddly enough, A very similar storyline would also turn up during the last season of Batman. In an episode called the Joker's Flying Saucer, The Joker fakes a Martian Invasion, Terrifying Gotham with a Fake Spacecraft, and he even uses makeup to pass off one of his henchmen as a Martian. Of course, Batman wrecks his Plans at the end. Both of these episodes seemed to have been inspired by Orson Welles War of the Worlds Radio Broadcast, In which he Infamously Pulled Off a Hoax about a Martian Invasion.
The Green Hornet with Bruce Lee in it certainly brought an awareness to Martial Arts. On the other network you had the Avengers with Patrick McNee and Diana Rigg as Emma Peel. A year before there's Ann Francis as Honey West. These shows brought an awareness mainly of Judo in the fight scenes. But these actresses couldn't fight like the way Bruce Lee did. With the Green Hornet Series this changed the way on how fight scenes would later be done in movies and TV. Bruce Lee was the 1st Action Hero for movies and TV. It would've been great if the Green Hornet Series would have a 2nd season. Bruce Lee was becoming more popular than Van Williams the leading star. Of course the producers of the show didn't want that because Bruce Lee was Asian. But Bruce Lee would later become a big star making Kung-Fu movies.
@joe gongora “The Wild, Wild West” is actually the first Occidental television program to feature a character (albeit a guest star) who was an expert in Kung Fu in the season one episode entitled “The Night of the Dancing Death” which aired on the fall of 1965. Diana Rigg”s “Emma Peel” utilized Karate initially. Her predecessor on “The Avengers”, Honor Blackman’s “Cathy Gale” used Judo. Blackman was a real life expert in the art and can also be seen performing it on Sean Connery in “Goldfinger”. Rigg switched to Kung Fu in the sixth season of the series which began airing in the fall of 1967, no doubt due to Lee’s popularity on “The Green Hornet” earlier that year.
The Green Hornet Series had quite a few impressive guest stars-James Best(Dukes of Hazzard) played a Heavy on the Show, as well as Richard Anderson(In his Pre-Oscar Goldman, Six Million Dollar Man Days), John Carradine appeared in a very spooky episode called Alias the Scarf, where he played a Serial Killer, and finally Mako(Conan the Barbarian) appeared in one the Show's most famous episodes-The Preying Mantis, In which he played the Leader of a Chinese Tong. This installment was a Precursor to what would follow in most of Bruce Lee's career, The finale features a Martial Arts Duel between Kato and Mako's Character, One of the first ever seen on Television.
Talking about "connections": Phillip Jose Farmer, noted SF author, wrote a series of books connecting just about EVERY "hero", super or otherwise, in one way or another. Even SUPERMAN! Doc Savage, the Green Hornet, the Lone Ranger, Captain Nemo, Batman, Tarzan, John Carter, and far too many others for me to remember!
Me and my mom love the Green Hornet. If they only did not but it on a Friday night. It would have last it more than just one season. But on show back then on a Friday night was a suicde . People went out ,also it was up against some great shows on NBC and CBS.
I read somewhere in a interview with Burt Ward he said that he was good friends with Bruce Lee and did some training at his Dojo. I liked the TV show, didn't care much for the movie.
I loved the green hornet tv series classic show Dave I love the lone ranger show to I didn't know green hornet was a spin-off from the lone ranger then you have Batman the series with Adam West all three were similar in some way the green hornet had great gadgets and weapons it's hard to beat these classic shows Dave Bruce Lee was great as Cato to thanks for the facts and sharing Dave great video 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
Interesting! A couple of things I picked up on regarding "The Green Hornet": 1.) I was surprised the go-to Hollywood car customizer George Barris did NOT fabricate The Black Beauty, and 2.) Burt Ward is no Bruce Lee but he was (maybe still is?) an avid martial arts practitioner. I would hope shooting that scene between Kato and Robin got more spirited between the two actors than it appeared.
I loved the video! You're right in that the show should have been renewed for a second season, and that each episode should have run for an hour! I will point out that the The Black Beauty was customized by George Barris, not Dean Jeffries.
" Holy Messed Up Title, Batman " Thanks Dave, too funny! I preserve the past in my own ways, I make folk toys, and have a miniature diorama of an 1800's woodworkers shop I'm working on... my friends call me an "archivist". You are cut from a similar cloth. Pop-culture Historian/Archivist. We make sure the good stuff survives the ravages of time.
Regarding Seth, at least they didn't ruin it. I agree they didn't capture the magic. I recently got to watch the old Green Hornet serial, with Gordon Jones, and Keye Luke (number one son). Priceless. I watched it on another UA-cam channel, Old Time Movies and TV. If you've never seen it, give it a go! The channel specializes in 'colorizing' old movies. Thanks again Dave
You're right. The movie is not a complete waste of time. I've watched it a couple of times and I always walking away thinking that it was an interesting effort that just didn't quite capture the magic of the 60s TV show.
The Green Hornet movie with Seth Rogen was a FAN movie. This wasn't like the Avengers were you could walk in cold to the fandom and still figure it out. With movies like Green Hornet or my favorite Speed Racer you had to know a little bit more about the shows because walking in cold to this type of movie you would be so lost you couldn't enjoy the movie.
Bruce Lee!! Bruce was THE reason I watched The Green Hornet. The Black Beauty came in a close second (and I'm a car guy!). That being said, I'm sure you can guess the main reason I watched Batman...
I never watched this show; I don’t think I watched much TV on Friday nights. Didn’t know of the Lone Ranger connection. (It was about 50 years after first seeing “Nevada Smith” on a 60’s Late Show that I learned it was a Prequel to “The Carpetbaggers”.)
According to Wikipedia, Kato was Japanese in the radio version and Korean in the first movie serial. I think it's just best to say that Kato is of Asian decent. 🙂
Roku has a Green Hornet channel where you can easily watch all the episodes. My wife and I did last year. It really is a good series. In some ways more engaging than Batman which I also love. I agree with the other commenter that a movie combining some of these yesteryear heroes in a period piece move that was done seriously with just a hint of humor would be a great idea to revitalize these characters. Seth Rogan's Green Hornet was not satisfying. Too broad. He should have cast someone else besides himself. Thank you for your videos Dave!
Did it ever occur to you what would happen to an automobile engine if you turned the car upside down (like the Black Beauty was hidden in Brett's garage??) LOL
I liked the Green Hornet because it was played straight, and avoided the Campiness that ruined a lot of the Shows from that Era. Even though most of the plots were a bit familiar, the majority of episodes were entertaining and exciting, and Kato always provided cool action scenes. I wish there had been more shows like It. The Green Hornet was ahead of It's time.
I think there's room for both types of shows and people clearly loved and still loved the campiness of shows like Batman and others. Tv is best when it doesn't just do one thing like most tv does now. But I would suggest you check out I Spy if you want another sixties action show that played it straight but still had a wonderful sense of humor and just had amazing locale, writing and acting.
Loved Bruce Lee he was more of a partner than a side kick. The show was fun to watch the movie was garbage and seemed like they never watched the show at all. Thanks Dave, this was a good one.
I had some Green Hornet Bubble Gum cards and full sized stickers. I liked the Green Hornet and Kato better than Batman and Robin. You're right, it certainly deserved at least a second season.
The reason the show ended was a dispute on whether to do a full hour or keep it at a half. They didn't get it resolved in time to do either. Also? Burt Ward was scared to death of Bruce Lee who pretended he wanted to kick his butt.
Loved this as a kid, was super bummed that there was only one season. Agree that 30 minutes was just to short. I have always thought that all shows should be an hour long. I have not seen the movie version with Seth, perhaps some day.
I didn't see the Green Hornet apart from the appearance from Batman until I rented the DVDs through Blockbuster probably 15 years ago. It was not as over the top as Batman. The Green Hornet movie dragged a bit. It took too long for Seth Rogen as Brit Reed to become the Green Hornet. Anyway I like my super heroes to be more OTT.
There was also a roomer that Bruce Lee was going to kill Burt and that was why they changed it to a draw. I know that the roomer happened, but I don't know if it was true or if that was the reason they changed the outcome of the fight.
I LOVED the Green Hornet! The Green Hornet deserved many seasons. I always felt cheated that it was gone after only one amazing season. They definitely pulled the plug way too soon. I agree with you about the Green Hornet movie. It was a nice try but it missed the charm and charisma of the TV show. Dave I am still on vacation and I did make to Utah and as usual Utah did not disappoint! Utah is the GOAT!
I loved the crossover episode with Batman and Robin. My friends and I all laughed when they squared of to fight. As kids myself and my friends thought Batman vs Green Hornet fight would of been even. However we all agreed that Kato would of made short work of Robin.
Loved this show; I was eleven. Still love to see the reruns. The Seth Rogan remake blew chunks. Not a proper treatment of the character, or the hero's origin.
Love how Van really went to bat for Bruce. True friends, Nice one Dave!
So true! I loved your video on that. For those folks who haven't seen it, here's the link: ua-cam.com/video/p0qFZGBu-QA/v-deo.html
Here's a fun fact, Dave. I studied under Chuck Norris for a few years and as a result ended up meeting Bruce Lee at a tournament. He signed his autograph, being on GH at the time. But my crazy OCD mother chucked that along with all my other valuable, such as some of the earliest Marvel comics.
Btw, Dave, I am probably the only guy you'll meet on here who has literally thrown Chuck Norris over his shoulder. LOLOL
I watch the reruns every Sunday morning at 5 AM. Can't get enough! Love the Batman/Green Hornet cross-overs, too.
Oh my gosh!!! Thank you for this vlog I loved this show I hated that there wasn't alot of episodes plus had a big crush on Bruce Lee 😍🤗 Thanx Dave for another Great vlog😎💕
The two part episode(A Piece of the Action/Batman's Satisfaction) where Batman met the Green Hornet was a lot of fun to watch. I remember Roger C. Carmel played a Villain called Colonel Gumm(He also appeared on Star Trek as Harry Mudd). Bruce Wayne and Britt Reed knew each other in their Civilian Guises, which added a bit of levity to the episode. And the Finale, In which the Caped Crusaders fought the Hornet and Kato, was very entertaining, Even if it did end up as a Draw. Too bad the Green Hornet didn't appear on the Show more often, though he did show up briefly in another episode, In one of the Wall Climbing Sequences.
Hey Dave, You should do an entire Video about the Wall Climbing Scenes in Batman. A lot of Guest Stars in those Sequences, Everyone from Sammy Davis Jr. to Jerry Lewis. It might be fun if you mentioned every Actor that made an appearance.
@Robot B9
A compilation of all the window cameos is uploaded to UA-cam.
Thank you Dave, I actually preferred this show over Batman. It was more serious and and the villains were deadlier.
I loved the serious tone of The Green Hornet. It was not intended to be Batman.
The Batman episodes A Piece Of The Action/Batman’s Satisfaction was the first time I ever saw The Green Hornet. The Green Hornet and Kato made another appearance on Batman as a window cameo on one episode. The Green Hornet theme song can be heard on the television in Wayne Manor. Bruce Wayne mentioned that he wanted to watch The Green Hornet on his television before getting a phone call.
It is worth noting that the 1940 serial starring Gordon Jones as Britt Reid and Keye Luke as Kato did a good job of presenting the character.
Van Williams stated that a great portion of the show was stunts.
Van Williams was in the L.A. County Sheriffs Department after he left acting and he was in the search and rescue division for many years.
This show truly deserved a one hour format and ABC made a serious mistake in keeping it to thirty minutes.
@raymond kizer
Check the comments, Commander Straker is one of Dave’s viewers!
The recent movies of the Lone Ranger and the Green Hornet killed their future potential. I love both characters and hate to wait for a proper reboot. On the brightside, I believe we are due for a Doc Savage movie.
While I think both movies dampened enthusiasm, I still think we’ll see a new Green Hornet movie within the next few years.
Doc Savage: The Man of Bronze (1975) - IMDb
ua-cam.com/video/Tk1Q-5M2-qA/v-deo.html
@@jdsundstrom otherworld tv series ever seen it it's on UA-cam basically a 80s version of land of the lost 🙃
@@darrelljohnston8676 I know. That movie killed Doc Savage.
Bruce Lee! 🔥
The man, the myth, the legend!
I used to watch the "Green Hornet" with my mom when I was a kid...I've been a fan ever since, how they overlooked Bruce Lee's remarkable talent is beyond me! Paul Walker & Jet Li would have been perfect for the remake 💯👍✌️
I would have loved to have seen those two cast in a Green Hornet movie!
@@jdsundstrom it was bitter sweet watching that movie...I love your "Channel" Great Memories ‼️👍
Yes if Paul Walker didn't died like he did it would been great of seeing him & Jet Li it would of been a great reboot of the Green Hornet but was a big disappointment with Seth Rogan making a comedy out of a classic ass series I felt the same way with Disney's recent reboot of the Lone Ranger that starred Johnny Depp big ass letdown on both efforts I rather wait for next reboots hopefully would be better no more comedy humor BS neither!
Chris Evans or Chris Pine as Brit Reid aka. Green Hornet and Simu Lui as Kato are my current picks.
@@ManWiThOutFEAR1982 Actually I think John Cho would be a perfect Kato. He's also a really cool dude too.
Bruce Lee used to quip that he got the part of Kato because he was the only oriental in Hollywood who could pronounce the name "Britt Reid!"
I often wonder if The Green Hornet TV series failed to find its audience _because_ it was produced by the same folks who brought Batman to television. Perhaps Batman fans tuned in expecting more camp and were disappointed, while other potential viewers -- those who would have enjoyed the serious drama -- never gave the Green Hornet a chance because of that same erroneous assumption.
It was the success of The Green Hornet in the Hong Kong market that launched Bruce Lee to superstardom, paving the way for _The Big Boss, Fist of Fury, Way of the Dragon_ and of course _Enter the Dragon_ Sadly, his last and greatest film was released a month after his untimely death.
He's at peace now 🐉☯️🙏
One thing I appreciated about The Green Hornet, on how Bruce Lee's character was treated with respect and as an equal.
As he should be treated! 🙂
@@jdsundstrom agreed...
Which they obviously got from the great I Spy with Robert Culp and Bill Cosby.
"The Green Hornet" in color. I'm glad it was in color or it would have just been called "The Hornet".
Back then, being “In Color” was quite the thing!
The fall ‘66 - spring ‘67 season (which “The Green Hornet was part of) was the first to air in color. I wonder why there hasn’t been a fifty-fifth anniversary celebration of it like there was for “Star Trek: TOS” or “Ultraman”.
Good show and good fun facts on it. Thanks.
You’re welcome, SinCity Jim!
I was reminded that in the 60's when color tv was new, the programs used to announce that the show was "in living color", of course to remind consumers that if they only still had a black & white tv that they were missing out!
There was a fan made short Green Hornet film on UA-cam about a decade or so ago which I enjoyed. A video of various scenes from it is still uploaded as “Green Hornet: Mass Destruction”. The actor portraying Kato moves a lot like Lee did.
I loved this show! I was really bummed when it got cancelled.
Thanks for the comment, Don. It definitely deserved a second season.
When I saw the first picture of Batman & Green Hornet, I recognized Ross' tallent Instantly.
Bruce was absolutely gorgeous! And the Green Hornet was OK too!
Another great job, Dave! Love, love, love the surprise at the end! ❤
I’m glad you enjoyed the little clip at the end, P Watson!
Can the uploader talk about the 70s tv series welcome back kotter 😊
I was in high school when this came out. I was absolutely blown away by Bruce Lee! Nobody in America had ever seen anyone move like that. Never missed a show!
The radio episode where the Lone Ranger met his nephew, (GH's Grandfather), was great. The Ranger gives him the Silver Mine, which he uses to start the Sentinel Newspaper. When you think about it, both characters were mistaken for crooks, and had ethnic sidekicks. The other similarity is their guns... Hornet had a non-lethal gas gun, and the Ranger used Silver bullets, so he'd be reminded that every time he drew his gun, that he could cost another man his life, (which is more precious than Silver). I wish with all of the "combined universes", they'd make a trilogy of connected movies. They also mention Lone Ranger in the LAST episode of GH radio show, (which ends with William Tell Overture). Hornet's dad finds out about Brit's secret identity, and tells him about his uncle ALSO being a crime fighter...
I need to track down those old radio episodes. Thanks for the great comment, Michael!
Check out Old Time Radio you'll find him (G.H.) there.
Love this show 😊
A very well researched and informative video, Dave. My Compliments.
You can catch the original series on weekends on heroes and icons TV channel
Thanks again! And yes, more, more, more!
Recently I was watching The Green Hornet on the Heroes & Icons channel. There was a car chase and when the black beauty turned a corner I could have sworn the Mayberry courthouse was in the background!!
Watching a black and white Green Hornet from 1940 on Roku and you pop up.
Green Hornet today could be called the Kato show today. 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩
Was and an a avid fan of all the series , both the Batman and Green Hornet , from the movie serials to the Tv series , and although I too didn't mind the movie , I was amazed at the Easter Eggs in it paying homage to the original black beauty , the Lincoln zephyr in Britt Reid's garage .
I loved The Green Hornet. Wish it was on longer than just one season. Wish it was out on DVD.
it's only on pirate type disks (recorded from TV broadcasts). the licensing is why it's NOT out for distribution currently.
it's either the Striker/Trendle or the Lee copyright holding it up I believe but don't quote me. it's NOT for a lack of interest i can tell you that.
One of those shows that you never saw in re-run's in the 70's! I think I have seen 1 Episode! That first clip has the wonderful Lloyd Bochner in it with his distinctive voice!
He was in the first episode.
@@loanaoftheshellpeople5627 I am going to see If I can download the first episode. I think Lloyd was also on Dynasty back in the 1980's lol
Awesome, thanks!
You’re welcome Tammy.
I liked the more serious tone of "The Green Hornet," and, yes, it should've been an hour long. I think it was the first program that left me shocked by it's cancellation. I just couldn't understand why they'd pull the plug on a show as cool as that.
Bruce Lee was/is one of my favorites, a great martial artist, I remember renting, Chinese Connection, Fists Of Fury, Return Of The Dragon, Enter The Dragon & Game Of Death on vhs back in the 80's/90's, must have drove my parents crazy, between martial arts movies and Three Stooges shorts collections. lol Every weekend. lol Until I found some vhs for sale and bought them all. I still have them and upgraded to dvd eventually. Great video Dave!
They also made two feature films based on the show to cash in on Bruce Lee Mania. One was simply called the Green Hornet, The other one was called Fury of the Dragon. They're basically just episodes of the Green Hornet edited together. Only worth watching if you're a Bruce Lee Completist.
@@darkwolf-22 I'll have to look those up, I've seen a few episodes but not all.
I was a fan of this show as a kid in the 60's. I was impressed with Kato's smooth karate moves which motivated me to enroll in the local karate school.
The late 1980's Comic Books were EXCELLENT!!!!
My favorite episode of Batman 66 is the crossover with Green Hornet. Absolutely iconic. Sadly I cannot find a dvd of the Green Hornet series that isn't "pirated". I was not aware of the comic series. Thanks for the info Dave.
Seth's movie wasn't bad, but my main feeling is, characters like the Green Hornet, the Shadow, and other Pulp Fiction Heroes should remain in their era.
@The Blind Dyslexic
Ironically, your comment exhibits a lot of clear vision.
Another challenge for the Green Hornet, his aide Kato, and their rolling arsenal, the Black Beauty. On police records a wanted criminal, the Green Hornet is really Britt Reid, owner-publisher of the Daily Sentinel; his dual identity known only to his secretary, and to the district attorney. And now, to protect the rights and lives of decent citizens, rides The Green Hornet!
Love it, mcmax571!
DAVE, MY FAVORITE Show EVER!!! Like any 1960's shows, I saw it in Spanish in Puerto Rico!! LOVE the show!!
El Avispon Verde.
@@loanaoftheshellpeople5627 YUP, I remember it well!! I was 5 years old in 66
@@loanaoftheshellpeople5627 and back then, we didn't have a Color TV, but my Grandpa did, so I would go to his house to see the show in Color!!
Those TV bumpers are awesome! Thank you Dave. This was fun 😎
Glad you enjoyed them, Tracy! As always, thank you for your support.
To introduce The Green Hornet and Kato to TV audiences, they appeared in a Batman window cameo. In fact, Batman welcomed them to Gotham. When Kato battled Robin, seven year old me was team Kato.
I love your videos!!
I watched some reruns of that show,I always liked Bruce Lee.I saw them on the Batman TV show.
I loved both the Batman TV show and the Green Hornet one of my favorite memories was Batman would come on in the afternoon after school and I would rush home to watch it when the green hornet crossover episode happened my best friend and I who is also a big Batman fan talked the whole next day about the show we got into a serious debate about who would win Batman or the Green Hornet he said he thought Kato would beat Robin but the Green Hornet and Batman would be a draw! Oh the memories of youth when things were simpler!still a big fan of the Green Hornet I like the series thanks for uploading these keep them coming
Dude...we share the same memories!
@@jdsundstrom how old are you? I and 57. Back in my day you had to watch a show when it came on!
I remember watching reruns but they weren't run as often as a lot of other shows. I also remember liking it maybe it was the more serious aspect, even as a kid I liked things a little more serious and thought shows like Batman were kinda cheesy.
Great video Dave awesome good stuff hay that green hornet comic book is on my wishlist
You need a Green Hornet comic on your wall!
Van Williams was in one of the "Lamparski" books. He never had a great amount of interest in acting and he saved all of his money and started a business renting communications equipment to law enforcement after he finished his acting career. He was proud of "The Green Hornet" and worked hard to make it a good show, I remember the "Invasion from Outer Space" two-parter where Larry D. Mann steals an atomic bomb and beautiful Linda Scott in a gold outfit helps him.
He also had a cameo as a Film Director in the movie-Dragon-The Bruce Lee Story.
The Segment Van Williams appears in is pretty funny. He's a TV Director filming Bruce Lee's Audition for the Green Hornet. Kato(Jason Scott Lee) is supposed to scare away some Bad Guys and rescue the Hornet, But Bruce Lee gets carried away and beats up the Stuntmen and makes a Shambles of the Set. William's Character is so blown away afterwards that he forgets to yell-Cut !
Linda Gaye Scott also appeared in an episode of Batman. She played the Riddler's Henchwoman Moth.
I've never seen any episode of this show. I'll have to give it a go.
It’s hard to find...but the next time, it airs on MeTV or H&I, you should definitely check out an episode or two.
Anybody remember the Green Hornet from the late 30's early 40's? When Hornet's Japanese chauffeur instantly became Philippino after Dec 7th?
The Green Hornet also appeared in two movie serials back in the 1940's. The Green Hornet starring Gordon Jones as Britt Reed/Green Hornet, and the Green Hornet Strikes Again starring Warren Hull in the Title Role. Kato was played by Keye Luke in both serials(Master Po from Kung Fu).
That show definitely deserves a reboot someone should make show or movie about this character and go for Netflix daredevil type of scenery
Here's how the radio show made the connection between the Green Hornet and the Lone Ranger. The show introduced the long-running character of Lenore Case aka Casey, who became Britt Reid's secretary. She was actually sent by Britt's dad, Dan Reid, to report on how his son was running the newspaper. She accidentally discovers Britt's secret identity. Britt agrees to tell his father as long as Casey keeps his secret. When Britt reveals his alter ego, Dan Reid couldn't be prouder. He tells his son that as a boy, he rode with a vigilante "pioneer ancestor" who fought for justice in the old West. While telling Britt this, the William Tell Overture is played briefly in the background.
I loved the Green Hornet, especially the Batman crossover. But, oddly, I got a bit excited upon seeing the old floor model tv midway through the video. It looks like the old Curtis-Mathis we had growing up. It was a huge and heavy piece of furniture with dual honeycomb speakers, one on each side, and considered state of the art for it's time. My mom was soooo pleased with, and proud of that monster.
Thanks for the side trip, Dave. Y'all have a good one out there in sunny CA.
Thanks for the comment, Faith. It's sunny today...but I'm in Utah so it's a bit colder than I wish it were.
I'm with you on making the show an hour long. More specifically 2 half hour segments with a cliffhanger at the end of part 1. I think this would have helped the ratings. Oh well. I guess we'll never know.
The Green Hornet was a completely different Show from Batman. Most of the episodes were played very seriously and the Stories were more realistic. The only far fetched episode they ever did(Besides the Batman Crossover) was the Two-Part Invasion From Outer Space, About Aliens from Mars Invading the City, and even that turned out to be a Fake, It was just a distraction created by Criminals in order to cover up a crime-There weren't any real Martians. Oddly enough, A very similar storyline would also turn up during the last season of Batman. In an episode called the Joker's Flying Saucer, The Joker fakes a Martian Invasion, Terrifying Gotham with a Fake Spacecraft, and he even uses makeup to pass off one of his henchmen as a Martian. Of course, Batman wrecks his Plans at the end. Both of these episodes seemed to have been inspired by Orson Welles War of the Worlds Radio Broadcast, In which he Infamously Pulled Off a Hoax about a Martian Invasion.
The Green Hornet was AWESOME and needs a new show or film that continues its serious themes! Com'on Hollywoood! 🎬🎬💚💚
The Green Hornet with Bruce Lee in it certainly brought an awareness to Martial Arts. On the other network you had the Avengers with Patrick McNee and Diana Rigg as Emma Peel. A year before there's Ann Francis as Honey West. These shows brought an awareness mainly of Judo in the fight scenes. But these actresses couldn't fight like the way Bruce Lee did. With the Green Hornet Series this changed the way on how fight scenes would later be done in movies and TV. Bruce Lee was the 1st Action Hero for movies and TV. It would've been great if the Green Hornet Series would have a 2nd season. Bruce Lee was becoming more popular than Van Williams the leading star. Of course the producers of the show didn't want that because Bruce Lee was Asian. But Bruce Lee would later become a big star making Kung-Fu movies.
@joe gongora
“The Wild, Wild West” is actually the first Occidental television program to feature a character (albeit a guest star) who was an expert in Kung Fu in the season one episode entitled “The Night of the Dancing Death” which aired on the fall of 1965.
Diana Rigg”s “Emma Peel” utilized Karate initially. Her predecessor on “The Avengers”, Honor Blackman’s “Cathy Gale” used Judo. Blackman was a real life expert in the art and can also be seen performing it on Sean Connery in “Goldfinger”.
Rigg switched to Kung Fu in the sixth season of the series which began airing in the fall of 1967, no doubt due to Lee’s popularity on “The Green Hornet” earlier that year.
Wasn't that Lloyd Bochner in the TV clip? He was in the episode of the twlight zone , to serve man.
Great Actor. He was in the first episode of the Green Hornet, called The Silent Gun.
The Green Hornet Series had quite a few impressive guest stars-James Best(Dukes of Hazzard) played a Heavy on the Show, as well as Richard Anderson(In his Pre-Oscar Goldman, Six Million Dollar Man Days), John Carradine appeared in a very spooky episode called Alias the Scarf, where he played a Serial Killer, and finally Mako(Conan the Barbarian) appeared in one the Show's most famous episodes-The Preying Mantis, In which he played the Leader of a Chinese Tong. This installment was a Precursor to what would follow in most of Bruce Lee's career, The finale features a Martial Arts Duel between Kato and Mako's Character, One of the first ever seen on Television.
Holy detailed video 😃
Glad you liked it!
Talking about "connections": Phillip Jose Farmer, noted SF author, wrote a series of books connecting just about EVERY "hero", super or otherwise, in one way or another. Even SUPERMAN!
Doc Savage, the Green Hornet, the Lone Ranger, Captain Nemo, Batman, Tarzan, John Carter, and far too many others for me to remember!
Me and my mom love the Green Hornet. If they only did not but it on a Friday night. It would have last it more than just one season. But on show back then on a Friday night was a suicde . People went out ,also it was up against some great shows on NBC and CBS.
I read somewhere in a interview with Burt Ward he said that he was good friends with Bruce Lee and did some training at his Dojo. I liked the TV show, didn't care much for the movie.
Very cool! Thanks for sharing, Harley.
I loved the green hornet tv series classic show Dave I love the lone ranger show to I didn't know green hornet was a spin-off from the lone ranger then you have Batman the series with Adam West all three were similar in some way the green hornet had great gadgets and weapons it's hard to beat these classic shows Dave Bruce Lee was great as Cato to thanks for the facts and sharing Dave great video 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
The green hornet remake with Seth rogen was pretty hilarious though can't touch the series Dave
Agreed. I didn’t mind the remake...but I’m not sure Seth was the right guy.
Same Dave I didn't mind it either yes Seth was to silly and goofy for the green hornet wasn't serious enough but yes
Hey Dave check out afterlife of the party on Netflix with Victoria justice
The lone ranger remake with armie hammer and Johnny depp was pretty good but also cant touch the lone ranger series
Interesting! A couple of things I picked up on regarding "The Green Hornet": 1.) I was surprised the go-to Hollywood car customizer George Barris did NOT fabricate The Black Beauty, and 2.) Burt Ward is no Bruce Lee but he was (maybe still is?) an avid martial arts practitioner. I would hope shooting that scene between Kato and Robin got more spirited between the two actors than it appeared.
For years, I had always thought that Barris was the guy who designed the Black Beauty. Frankly, I’m surprised he wasn’t.
A great series!
I loved the video! You're right in that the show should have been renewed for a second season, and that each episode should have run for an hour! I will point out that the The Black Beauty was customized by George Barris, not Dean Jeffries.
I’m glad you enjoyed the video, Eric.
Hey Dave good talking to you live last night are you doing the Sunday social ty
Thanks Lance. No Sunday Social this week....but we’ll have a watch party on Wednesday.
The Seth Rogan movie: "🤦🤦🤦". So disappointed 😔
But I loved the 60’s version!
As always… Great video Dave!
Loved the show, especially the black beauty
" Holy Messed Up Title, Batman " Thanks Dave, too funny! I preserve the past in my own ways, I make folk toys, and have a miniature diorama of an 1800's woodworkers shop I'm working on... my friends call me an "archivist". You are cut from a similar cloth. Pop-culture Historian/Archivist. We make sure the good stuff survives the ravages of time.
That is awesome, William! Thanks for sharing...and for keeping "the good stuff" alive.
No mention of the theme song? A number one hit song by a number one artist.
They also made an appearance in a Batman wall climbing scene.
Ok Dave see you Wed my friend
See you Wednesday!
Regarding Seth, at least they didn't ruin it. I agree they didn't capture the magic. I recently got to watch the old Green Hornet serial, with Gordon Jones, and Keye Luke (number one son). Priceless. I watched it on another UA-cam channel, Old Time Movies and TV. If you've never seen it, give it a go! The channel specializes in 'colorizing' old movies. Thanks again Dave
You're right. The movie is not a complete waste of time. I've watched it a couple of times and I always walking away thinking that it was an interesting effort that just didn't quite capture the magic of the 60s TV show.
The Green Hornet movie with Seth Rogen was a FAN movie. This wasn't like the Avengers were you could walk in cold to the fandom and still figure it out. With movies like Green Hornet or my favorite Speed Racer you had to know a little bit more about the shows because walking in cold to this type of movie you would be so lost you couldn't enjoy the movie.
Well said, Elizabeth. BTW, I enjoyed Speed Racer as well. 🙂
Interesting.
I wish they would release this show on DVD and Blu-ray.
Bruce Lee!! Bruce was THE reason I watched The Green Hornet. The Black Beauty came in a close second (and I'm a car guy!). That being said, I'm sure you can guess the main reason I watched Batman...
I never watched this show; I don’t think I watched much TV on Friday nights.
Didn’t know of the Lone Ranger connection.
(It was about 50 years after first seeing “Nevada Smith” on a 60’s Late Show that I learned it was a Prequel to “The Carpetbaggers”.)
I understand that in the radio version of "The Green Hornet" Kato was from the Phillipines.
According to Wikipedia, Kato was Japanese in the radio version and Korean in the first movie serial. I think it's just best to say that Kato is of Asian decent. 🙂
@@jdsundstrom 😊interesting
Ks
They changed Kato's nationality after Pearl Harbor
Roku has a Green Hornet channel where you can easily watch all the episodes. My wife and I did last year. It really is a good series. In some ways more engaging than Batman which I also love. I agree with the other commenter that a movie combining some of these yesteryear heroes in a period piece move that was done seriously with just a hint of humor would be a great idea to revitalize these characters. Seth Rogan's Green Hornet was not satisfying. Too broad. He should have cast someone else besides himself. Thank you for your videos Dave!
Thanks for the tip on the Green Hornet channel!
@@jdsundstrom You are very welcome!
The Batmobile and The Rolling Arsenal The Black Beauty in Action Together would have made a timeless classic episode.
Did it ever occur to you what would happen to an automobile engine if you turned the car upside down (like the Black Beauty was hidden in Brett's garage??) LOL
Like #311... Loved this show and the "Black Beauty", still enjoy Van Williams Son Treat Williams on the tube ';-)
Thanks for throwing another "thumbs up" in the like column!
I liked the Green Hornet because it was played straight, and avoided the Campiness that ruined a lot of the Shows from that Era. Even though most of the plots were a bit familiar, the majority of episodes were entertaining and exciting, and Kato always provided cool action scenes. I wish there had been more shows like It. The Green Hornet was ahead of It's time.
Well said, Captain Action! Yep, it was definitely ahead of its time.
I think there's room for both types of shows and people clearly loved and still loved the campiness of shows like Batman and others. Tv is best when it doesn't just do one thing like most tv does now. But I would suggest you check out I Spy if you want another sixties action show that played it straight but still had a wonderful sense of humor and just had amazing locale, writing and acting.
Loved Bruce Lee he was more of a partner than a side kick. The show was fun to watch the movie was garbage and seemed like they never watched the show at all. Thanks Dave, this was a good one.
I had some Green Hornet Bubble Gum cards and full sized stickers. I liked the Green Hornet and Kato better than Batman and Robin. You're right, it certainly deserved at least a second season.
The reason the show ended was a dispute on whether to do a full hour or keep it at a half. They didn't get it resolved in time to do either.
Also? Burt Ward was scared to death of Bruce Lee who pretended he wanted to kick his butt.
I really wish the full series would get a release on DVD.
As for the film, it was good for a Friday night with popcorn but not worth a second view.
Bruce Lee put the "kick" in sidekick !
I love that!
The Green Hornet movie was a bomb
👏👏👏👍
Loved this as a kid, was super bummed that there was only one season.
Agree that 30 minutes was just to short. I have always thought that all shows should be an hour long.
I have not seen the movie version with Seth, perhaps some day.
I highly recommend the Green Hornet movie-If you happen to have a really bad case of Insomnia.
I didn't see the Green Hornet apart from the appearance from Batman until I rented the DVDs through Blockbuster probably 15 years ago. It was not as over the top as Batman. The Green Hornet movie dragged a bit. It took too long for Seth Rogen as Brit Reed to become the Green Hornet. Anyway I like my super heroes to be more OTT.
I understand that Burt Ward was a karate black belt, so he MIGHT have been able to survive a couple rounds with Lee...might have.
I find it annoying how new TV shows are expected to become instantly popular
I find that annoying as well, Marigen!
There was also a roomer that Bruce Lee was going to kill Burt and that was why they changed it to a draw. I know that the roomer happened, but I don't know if it was true or if that was the reason they changed the outcome of the fight.
Without a doubt, Bruce would have gotten the best of Burt.
Who better than Lee to put the kicking in “Holy butt-kicking, Batman!”
@@nortondumont9711 That's right
I LOVED the Green Hornet! The Green Hornet deserved many seasons. I always felt cheated that it was gone after only one amazing season. They definitely pulled the plug way too soon. I agree with you about the Green Hornet movie. It was a nice try but it missed the charm and charisma of the TV show. Dave I am still on vacation and I did make to Utah and as usual Utah did not disappoint! Utah is the GOAT!
I'm glad you enjoyed Utah, Mac!
I loved the crossover episode with Batman and Robin. My friends and I all laughed when they squared of to fight. As kids myself and my friends thought Batman vs Green Hornet fight would of been even. However we all agreed that Kato would of made short work of Robin.
Loved this show; I was eleven. Still love to see the reruns. The Seth Rogan remake blew chunks. Not a proper treatment of the character, or the hero's origin.
I know that Seth was a fan of the show...but the movie just tried too hard to be funny.