Midnox / Nope, Bruce Lee as Kato was more popular than Van Williams, the Green Hornet when we were kids. The episode in which he fought Mako was a BIG DEAL at that time. After this show, he become better known as Bruce Lee the fighting instructor on the TV series "Longstreet." Though still, it was another supporting role. Too bad he had to move overseas to play starring roles. He did, however, launch lifetime careers for a number of fighters and actors.
That’s exactly how all this went down I was a Bruce Lee fan before I even knew he was on a Batman episode this totally blew my mind when I was 10 years old and I figured this one out
Good guys fighting good guys is a waste of time. There are more than enough bad guys out there to keep any crime fighters busy. I would have liked to have seen Green Hornet and Kato fight Batman's enemies! One time Robin decided to go at it alone vs three bad guys. They beat him up bad. I would have liked the following episode showing Kato going up against the same three bad guys (while Robin would be tied up in chair watching). After Kato beats the living daylights out of all three of them and the three bad guys are all on the ground knocked out cold ... Kato tells Robin "You see Robin ... That's how it's done!" LOL!!!!!
Which is why I would have liked to have seen more Green Hornet at this time period then Batman. Batman was too damn silly and outrageous, and appealed to children and the generation at the time that was inhaling LSD and other drugs like so much candy. Green Hornet was a more serious show, and I would have liked to have seen it continue. If it would have come on ten years later, it may very well have been on the air longer and had a good run. I was glad that Batman returned to his comic roots and became his darker, moody self in the nineteen-eighties. Every time I see this version of Batman on TV today when I flip the channel I cringe.
Bruce lees Kato would take out batman and robin so fast they would die of embarrassment, and I would own that comic and read it every night before bed.
+Joshua Osborne In real life, yes. But they´re acting. In batman´s reallity, batman and robin are also a martial arts masters in a peak of human athlete capacity. Despite that, is cool to see bruce lee interacting with such great comic heroes like batman and robin.
+Joshua Osborne The fact that Robin landed a punch on Bruce Lee was amazing. I know, make believe. Everyone knows Bruce Lee could have torn the heads off of everyone in that room. ALONE. But check out the screen text Ward did to get the part- not shabby at all.
i dont know what you people are looking at, the fight scenes are corny and you can see punchs and kicks missing by a foot. bet if you didn't know b/l was in this you would say look at those corny 60,s t.v fight. they should have watched a bruce lee movie before filming this crazy fight scene. these actors are the pits.
After these many years and countless movies later..this is the standout moment of the Batman franchise, where the Caped Crusader and Robin team up against and alongside a real world super hero. RIP Bruce and Adam. I paid my respects in Seattle last year where Bruce and Brandon were laid to rest. :( The year before, I got to see Adam West in person before he passed away.
Van Williams had a wonderful acting career and if he had been jealous of Bruce we would have never heard of him so it’s quite hard to be harsh to him who helped Bruce speak better English in the 60s or we would never have seen him on here and they were lifelong friends!🙏😇😃🤩🇺🇸
Its amazing how Green Hornet & Kato were cool guys even looking back - even their suits were stylish... Look at how clownish Batman & Robin looked, in those pyjamas oufits of theirs.
I was just thinking the same thing. The Green Hornet and Kato looking all badass in their suits and masks and in comes Batman and Robin wearing essentially, underoos. I know they were going for the whole cheesy comic book vibe but still, you'd think they'd try to get his costume to look a little more hetrosexual being the 1960's and all.
Well this version. The fact is that comic Batman and the rest of the Bat Family are kind of cheaply superhuman and dodge between automatic gunfire and are masters of 100's of martial arts =w=
So they really expect us to believe that Robin could go toe to toe with Bruce Lee...I mean I know I'm supposed to suspend my disbelief by damn it I have to draw the line somewhere!
I forever wanted revenge for Kato with my 8 year old eyes when this episode was originally broadcast. Even at such a young age, I knew Kato was far superior than Robin. Six years later at the age of 14, because of Bruce Lee, I started my first karate class and have not look back ever since. Thank you Kato. I never would have taken any martial arts classes if I had never seen Bruce.
Dennis Williams Dick Grayson is the guy who took over the mantle of batman in the comics. He is as well trained as batman, and he can fight just as well as batman. SO FUCK NO, Batman and Robin side by side can't go toe to toe with Lee.
+Dingo D. Manhunter So wrong. Batman schools Bruce Lee. Alone. Without any gadgets. Bruce Lee's fast alright but Batman can keep up with him. And he has a much greater tolerance for pain as well as being able to put more power into his blows. If Lee gets hit even once, he's done for.
Julian Seguin This batman and this robin climb walls on the sides of buildings, dance flamboyantly and may be in the closet homosexuals. Batman before the age of the Frank Miller inspired dark neo noir vigilante. Be a fanboy all you want, but don't tell me the sitcom batman has a chance against lee. Funny thing is that 80's robins had alot of attributes of Bruce Lee's Kato, they went from completely braindead morons to badasses....even that annoying jackoff Jason Todd became super cool. Kato is the reason why we have a nightwing.
Dingo D. Manhunter Ah, apologies. If we're talking about the sitcom, then of course Bruce Lee takes this. But that's like comparing hedgehog to a lion.
According to Van Williams, Bruce Lee was pissed about the fight scene ending in a draw and made his feelings known before the scene was filmed. Williams said that Burt Ward was scared sh$%less that Bruce was going to unload on him during the take!!
It was not a draw. Green Hornet and Kato made it very clear prior to the battle that they were going to "use good judgement" so as not to make Batman and Robin suffer. So it should be clear that they were not trying to beat up Batman and Robin. Green Hornet and Kato on purpose made it seem like a draw.
Bruce Lee was a bit of a prankster. So he decided to play into his "displeasure" over the fight scene between him and Ward. And yes, Ward was scared sh$%less b/c he didn't know exactly what was going on. But Lee himself laughed it up.
***** Lee had never fought Norris, in or out of the ring. But if you're speaking of the arena fight in "Way of the Dragon", that scene didn't happen until 1972, about 6 years after the Green Hornet's cancellation.
Juanma Railgun There are Tim Allens who haunt videos on Bruce Lee and Muhammad Ali to demean them without the possibility if being face to face during their primes. Its a waste of time trying to reason with them. They are Trolls. Best to regard their poats as litter.
@@adamlone5548 good one. Some people have to put Van down to pump up Bruce. Both were very good in this show. Van went on to become a reserve deputy with the LA County Sheriffs Department, a real hero.
Damn this is amazing... Never new they did a cross over.. Cant believe I'm watching this.. Wow wow thanks a million for uploading this... Thanks RU-vid for keeping it up
I read that Bruce Lee played a joke on his friend Burt Ward (Robin) during the shooting of this episode. Bruce spent the whole day acting pissed at Burt. When it came time to do the fight scene, Bruce acted like he wasn't gonna hold back. Burt, despite being a black belt martial artist himself, started freaking out. Right before they started shooting, Bruce smiled at Burt, letting him know he was kidding
I believe it. Bruce played a lot of jokes on his friends, like one who I forgot the name of was looking at Bruce's personal library which had a sign that said, "do not touch", and Bruce was hiding behind the corner waiting until his friend was real close looking at the books then shouted, "hey!" at the same time threw a foam 3 linked weapon smacking him in the face and he thought he actually got hit by a real weapon lol And of course Bruce told him he could pick up and look at any book he wanted. Great guy.
Tengo 53 Años!!.. Sigo disfrutando estas escenas del Avispón Verde y Batman' en Paz descansen el Actor Van Williams, Adam West y Bruce Lee' - Exelentes series' Se activa mi Niño Interior!.. Después de años de pasar esta serie por televisión, Gracias!! por Compartir!. Saludos!!!...
I'm privileged to have seen these episodes when they were first broadcast.I remember that kato was the star of the green hornet..Bruce Lee went on to shock the world.Adam West and Burt Ward never got past type casting..But they were a big deal to us kids back then.
Kato to GH: "It's a good thing those guys are on our side! Even though they don't know it!" (Fighting continues) Robin to Batman (in response): "It's a good thing those guys are not in town every week!" LOL!🤣🤣🤣 That's thrilling entertainment right there y'all!
I was 11 years old when this episode aired. I was like .....wow this has got to be the best match up of all time! I recall 6 of us at school bet who would win. We bet our pizzas from our lunch. I chose Batman and Robin would win. Because I thought Batman would use his utility belt and have something to render the Greet Hornet useless. I and another kid won, because technically the Green Hornet ran for the door from the fight. But years later I realized if this was a real fight. Even Batman used his utility belt, it would be no match against Bruce Lee! May Bruce Less, Adam West & Van Williams rest in peace in heaven. Thank you for so many years of entertainment! And also Burt Ward among the living!
When the fight scene was originally written Batman and Robin were suppose to win the fight. Bruce Lee told the writers he would not do the show so it was changed to be a draw .
That's baloney. The network and producers knew that'd be suicidal for both shows. This was NOT a popular face-off for most fans then, including me, who knew which team would've outright won, not this "Mex stand-off" crap. Many fans hoped GH would not sink into Batman's camp universe, but the stain was cast. It was hard for Hollywood to think of GH done straight since.
d hart I suppose being in a racism driven industry and having all his ideas under mind...... Bruce Lee draws the line at losing a fight to a man in elf shoes and short shorts
Grew up in Brooklyn, me and my brothers and friends banged on the door of the only family in our apartment in building that had a color TV, forced our way in and commandeered their TV to watch this episode. All to watch Bruce Lee kick ass!
Oh my, that was awesome! But something tells me that fight scene between Kato and Robin was choreographed, and Kato could have kicked his arse in real life ;)
Fernando Hatsumura in the comic the way they make batman and robin I'm sure Bruce Lee wouldn't be a match Bcuz Batman is so strong he can bench 1000 pounds and he mastered every martial art giving that to Robin he'd be just as capable so yeah Robin would be faster starter and way stronger but their meant to be like that cuz their comic book characters
Sure, I agree with you. After all, they are super heroes! But watching this video from 4:35 we can see clearly that Burt Ward is no match for Bruce. Anyway, I always loved this show. For me the 1960s Batman and Robin is great fun! Cheers.
I don't give a rat's ass how strong Batman is. Greater strength or bigger size doesn't guarantee that you'll win a fight. However, I'm not arguing about how Bruce Lee (a real person) would do in a fight against a fictional comic book character. That's a pointless arguement, haha.
Indeed. In the days after the original airing of this episode, that fight was the talk of the schoolyard. Most of us boys knew that Kato would have (and should have) wiped the floor with "The Boy Wonder".
Yes, I too remember back in elem school talking about what villain Batman would face the following week, and when they said Batman and robin would face the green hornet and kato, that is all we talked about for the whole wk. What an episode!
I saw in on of the many documentaries on Bruce Lee that before he showed up to start filming this crossover, Burt Ward was apparently boasting about how he could beat him. Burt Ward changed his mind shortly after filming began, lol.
Burt Ward and Bruce Lee were very good friends in real life. They both lived in the same Apartment block with their then wives. They would often all go for dinner and lunch as a group of 4. Burt and Bruce often trained and boxed. Burt was a black belt in Karate. So no sissy either. Unfortunately in the 60's neither Bruce nor Burt could show to much realistic and violent action fights. Even with mild fight choreography many shots were edited out to water them down further. Both shows were shot at 20th Century Fox and all the shows being shot at that time 1966-67. Had the crew and cast go to each others sound stages to look at filming while they were on breaks. Batman, Green Hornet, Lost In Space, Voyage to the Bottom of the sea, Daniel Boone, Time Tunnel, to name just a very few in the golden age of TV.
Burt Ward supposedly was boasting about how he knew karate but he didn't really want to fight Bruce because he knew in a REAL fight he would have had his ass handed to him. Originally, Robin was supposed to beat Cato, but Bruce said it would never happen so the script was changed.
Edgar Wiley Oh your quite right there. Bruce just trained and was so much more disciplined. But in TV and films they can script some character or actor to beat 10 fierce black belts not knowing anything about fighting. Just through staging,camera angles,edit, either way the studio would not allow Burt and Bruce to go at it full on. Burt could handle himself against most. But not Bruce lee I'm sure.
The fact that Hollywood had Lee and didn't appreciate what they had is one of the greatest tragedies of western entertainment. More skill than anyone, good actor, understood film, pacing, framing, choreography... and dripping with charisma. Morons to not see that.
In reality Burt Ward was terrified in doing the scene. I know this first hand because I know someone that worked on the set. Once Bruce showed Burt his incredible control it actually calm Burt down. They were all amazed at the skill level of Bruce Lee.
@@carliay3680 Well, Ward made a lot of dubious claims. Lee never mentioned knowing him, no one in interviews ever substantiated Ward's claim and there are no photos of the two of them socializing.
Man have we change in our television viewing needs...that used be one of my favorite shows,and I always loved Batman poetry and philosophy what a sap I must be....dah...
all the boys in my tenement building and in school talked about and imitated Kato. It was always about Kato, and not the Green Hornet, Batman, or Robin. And we all practiced moves. Then when Bruce Lee's movies were in theaters, it seemed like everybody came out doing flying sidekicks! How do you think Carl Douglas came up with "Everybody was Kung Fu Fighting"? Then when we were in our teens in the '70's many actually did become students of the Martial Arts. The influence was and is still a global phenomenon, and Bruce Lee is still the leading iconic master.
No he was not a talented actor. Bruce's performance in the short lived show reshaped the identity of the green hornet. it became the running theme that Kato was actually the hero and the green hornet was the sidekick. It actually made the characters more interesting and less like batman and Robin.
I feel so bad for Bruce Lee: a reasonable acting experience but he's so slumming it, especially when he has to pretend to be Robin's 'equal': as Kato or Bruce Lee, he'd kill him with a hard stare and a hard punch.
if it was the comic book version of Robin, namely Dick Grayson the now adult aged Nightwing, then maybe, *maybe* he could be a match for Bruce Lee. Burt Ward's Robin, circa 1966, sorry no. does not compute. do not pass go, do not collect $200. well, you know what I mean...
Eugenio Fernandez and yet people still say, "but you guys, Burt was Bruce's student!" ok, that doesn't change the fact that with one punch, Bruce would have liquefied his spine.
It is absolutely hilarious in every definition of the word to see Adam West and Burt Ward throw a right at Bruce Lee under the situation it’s their show, because that whole room could have come at Lee and he would have only yawned.
That’s Batman and robin versus green hornet with Bruce Lee? Oh so it is Bruce Lee I seen that before😊😇💯🥋👍🏼✅🔥💪🏼🥊🙏🏼 I love Batman and robin and Bruce Lee green hornet😎
4:10 Kato speaking to The Green Hornet:: "Its a good thing those guys are on our side even though they don't know it!" 4:20 Robin to Batman: "It's a good thing those guys aren't in town every week!"
I remember when this was first televised every kid in America was glued to the television and would not dare miss it. it was the talk of every school in America the next day and everybody was trying to imitate Kato that's when the whole martial arts craze started. with this broadcast
Absolutely. In the days after the original airing of this episode, that fight was the talk of the schoolyard. Most of us boys knew that Kato would have (and should have) wiped the floor with "The Boy Wonder".
Batman might be the world's saviour, but this TV show is the saviour of Batman's destiny with the hugh popularity... they in DC almost "closed down" this character before Adam West cs bring em up again.. greatest thanks n condolence for Adam West..
🎶 Oh ho ho ho, Kato was Kung-fu fighting. That cat was fast as lightening, and it is a little bit frightening how he fought with expert timing 🎵 My favorite song from the 70s. I still have the original 45 record in storage.
Batman was brilliant, the first and the original. The writers of this were very clever men. All the tongue in cheek humour was brilliant and the actors played their roles so fantastic. I was a child when it was shown in the UK. I wanted to be Batman like nearly all the children who watched it did. 🦇 😁
It's well documented by Van Williams (Green Hornet) that Bruce Lee was almost ready to walk off the set if they were to be portrayed as "beat" by Batman & Robin.. Then, the directors decided to call it a draw.. Bruce Lee even in is own words in this clip, said KUNG FU is not child's play!!! He took it seriously. The show was not serious of course...
I don't think Van felt that way , it was just a job to him, not to Bruce though. Van knew the show was pretty much cancelled at this point, this appearance on Batman was their last shot at renewal.
