# The Green Hornet (original) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 19, 2010, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-green-hornet-original/547178 "2010-07-19T01:05:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2010, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-green-hornet-original/547178/1 "2010-07-19T01:05:30Z")
When I was a wee’un, I liked [The Green Hornet](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuoNLnrPlFM). I don’t really remember it. The only thing I remember about it was the Black Beauty on the rotating floor. (I liked _Batman_ too, and I can remember more of it because of syndicated reruns.) Does anyone remember the show, and whether it was any good? ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2010, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-green-hornet-original/547178/2 "2010-07-19T01:24:49Z")
Well, the Green Hornet’s side kick was Kato, played by the real, actual Bruce Lee, so that counts for something. I think that storing your hot car upside down is going to cause a few problems with the oil draining out through the heads, and then coating the engine. But yeah it was cool. Don’t remember much else about it. Kato kicked ass a lot and the car was cool. It was one of the first US introductions to martial arts. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2010, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-green-hornet-original/547178/3 "2010-07-19T01:26:17Z")
Van Williams was a pretty handsome guy [Van 1](http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/sandraknight1969/vanwilliams9.jpg) [Van 2](http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/sandraknight1969/vanwilliams17.jpg) [Van 3](http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/sandraknight1969/vanwilliams6.jpg) [Van 4](http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y65/sandraknight1969/vanwilliams4.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2010, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-green-hornet-original/547178/4 "2010-07-19T01:43:30Z")
It was **Batman** but played straight. That was a mistake. **Batman** worked as camp comedy, but a straight version of **The Green Hornet** was unimpressive. Yes, Bruce Lee was in it, but the stories stunk. Imagine what **Batman** would have been like if it hadn’t been played for laughs. It was probably a mistake to have William Dozier do either, but he found a niche with **Batman**. I suspect the owners of the Green Hornet refused to let him do to their property what he did to Batman. Nice bit of trivia, though: The Green Hornet was, of course, Britt Reid. His father was Dan Reid – the Lone Ranger’s nephew, making the Green Hornet the Lone Ranger’s grand-nephew. The same producers created both radio shows. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2010, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-green-hornet-original/547178/5 "2010-07-19T13:02:16Z")
Oh, I thought this was going to be about the _original_ [The Green Hornet](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0031394/). Oh well. Factoid: Kato in the serial was played by [Keye Luke](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0525601), who later played Master Po on _Kung Fu_. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2010, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-green-hornet-original/547178/6 "2010-07-19T13:07:49Z")
I understand they always naturally escaped unharmed. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2010, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-green-hornet-original/547178/7 "2010-07-19T13:19:56Z")
Oh, one more difference between **The Green Hornet** TV show and **Batman** : GH went up against gangsters, bank robbers, etc. – the basic 30s urban criminals\*. Batman had the flamboyant supervillains. Kids were bored by it. \*Or the criminals in **The Adventures of Superman** , but that show wasn’t about Superman; it was about Clark Kent. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2010, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-green-hornet-original/547178/8 "2010-07-19T13:46:44Z")
One of the supporting gast was Walter Brooke, who played the DA. Solid actor who was in just about everything at one time or another. Uttered a well-known one-word quote from a certain move of that era: “Plastics” ---
**Author:** ![In\_Winnipeg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a8b319/32.png) [@In\_Winnipeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/In_Winnipeg)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2010, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-green-hornet-original/547178/9 "2010-07-19T13:47:31Z")
It was okay, but to a point. Unfortunately, Batman left it standing in the starters’ blocks. Strange that they thought the two shows could compete at the same time.