The Green Hornet: The History and Origin 

The Green Hornet needs a respectful reboot.

I’m 63. The tv show with Bruce Lee was a shock. No one had ever seen anything like Bruce Lee. I don’t know why it didn’t do better. The cast was good. The writing was just ok, but like I said, Bruce Lee.

Van Williams needs to garner greater respect for his intense interpretation of the Hornet. Saw him at a Comic Con in Orlando in the late '80's. Very popular on the fan circuit. RIP, Nov. 2016.+

As The Green Hornet grinds ever closer to it's 100th anniversary, I am alarmed at how few people really know and appreciate the character. A few years ago I convinced my grandson we should go to a major Comic Con outfitted as the Green Hornet and Kato. We did it. Our characters were recognized by some, but overall, we were unknown to the vast majority of attendees. My grandson attracted a lot of attention in his Kato get-up (the full black-tie chauffeur), which he enjoyed. I did do a lot of explaining about the characters to inquiring attendees. And a few times, I even had lively discussions with Hornet fans. It seems like The Green Hornet is fading from the public consciousness. I hope that doesn't happen. Thank you for this video reflecting on the character's origins and history. I enjoyed this a great deal.

The Green Hornet remains my all-time favorite crimefighter. Loved the radio series and the TV show; still do. Hated the Seth Rogan movie. If anything new (movie or TV) is done with the Hornet, it needs to be done the right way. It would be interesting to see how the Green Hornet operates in the 2020s.

Great retrospective of the Green Hornet and Kato. Very useful, concise and a wealth of information for us GH fans. Well done all around.

Very enlightening! I never realized just how rich a backstory The Green Hornet had...

Fun fact; the opening/closing theme was "Flight of the Bumblebee" which would later be jazzed up for the 1960s TV series.

Now Comics showed the relationship between the Lone Ranger and the Green Hornet in 1989. I have almost the full run of the Now comics version of the Green Hornet. I also am a fan of the radio show.

Good video of the History of The Green Hornet here.

The classic tv series needs a DVD and Blu Ray release!

Any reboot of The Green Hornet needs to be played straight, like the TV show. Not a comedy like that mess with Seth Rogen.

The Hong Kong version implied that Kato had been the Green Hornet for centuries, and when Kato (who is half Chinese) travelled to America, he was the trainer of Britt Reid.

Nicely done. Thanks for letting us know which episode Britt tells his father that he is the Green Hornet. I found it on you tube and can't wait to hear it. The Now version of the Hornet was vastly superior to the Dynamite one which I have found disappointing with he exception of "Green Hornet Year One" and the Hornet Batman 66 team up. It's a shame we never saw Batman o the Green Hornet TV series. I would have liked to have seen Adam West's Batman in a more serious setting. I hope there will be a new Green Hornet movie although I would also welcome another TV series. The NOW series would be a good version to base it on.

Great video. I've loved the Green Hornet & Kato ever since getting my hands on a cassette tape with 2 radio episodes on it circa as a kid (the tv show had been over about a decade I think and not in reruns in my area.) . Until then he was just name/face in Captain Action ads in yard sale comics and Kato was just Bruce Lee in an occassional old photo among a million others. PS: Personally, I think the raspy voice is appropriately noir ;)

I feel there is a lot someone could do with a hero who pretends to be a villain and owns a media company.

I came to love the Green Hornet & Kato as a kid who learned of the stories from Dad! He used to read the Hornet's pulp adventures and listened to them on the radio. By the time the 60s TV series came along, he was right there watching! I didn't get to see that series until it was marathoned on cable shortly before the release of the Seth Rogen monstrosity. That show packed a lot into 30 minutes and truthfully it should have been an hour long show. That show was well cast and I loved hearing the theme song (Flight of the Bumble Bee). Van Willams and Bruce Lee were a great on screen pair! One day while listening to the radio it was mentioned that the Green Hornet was a descendant of The Lone Ranger, and I thought that was awesome! Too bad no mention of that made it in either the 60s series or even the last film. The only thing good about that film was Black Beauty. I hope the reboot will be more faithful to the characters.

A well researched piece. I have always been fascinated and thoroughly entertained by the Hornet and hope to see him and Kato return in the 21st century.

There's a Green Hornet crossover in the Joe Staton Dick Tracy daily strip, and it's pretty cool.

I recently rediscovered The Green Hornet tv series, I have thoroughly enjoyed the episodes and I enjoyed this origins story. Although I enjoyed the Green Hornet film, Seth Rogan was a poor choice for Reid. Two questions, what city is the Daily Sentinel published in? It does not seem to be mentioned. It can't be that far from Gotham City, as Reid and Wayne know each other, at least as far as the 1960s tv series would indicate. Secondly, in "Batman vs. Superman", Bruce Wayne asks Clark Kent about The Daily Planet, "Do I own this one or is that the other guy?" Was this in reference to Brit Reid?

Really awesome video. I wish they would put the TV show out on blu ray or dvd,it deserves it. And yes the Green Hornet does need a reboot movie to do him justice,one that is more true to the character. If you haven't read it the masks comic is awesome

I just love the Green Hornet!! I also like Batman!!

In the Batman crossover the original script had Robin fight Kato and win but Bruce Lee was having none of that so it was rewritten and the fight ended in a draw.

Green Hornet, (and Lone Ranger) are my favorite Heroes... Thank you for being so thourough. It's a shame that recent cinematic efforts re-booting The Hornet, The Ranger, and the Shadow have been embarrassing...

Cool history on the green hornet

If you can hear it if you can find it that whole story arc culminating in the reveal of the lone ranger being the green hornets uncle is worth it completely

I had no idea that the Green Hornet fought crime in Chicago!

I think green hornet is a bad ass superhero

caught the old old tv seris before the one with bruce lee.. was actually pretty good

I would like to see a dark violent version (just barely get by with a PG-13 Rating) of the Green Hornet movie with a good storyline, script, director, and very good actors. Maybe even introduce The Shadow in the last 30 minutes of the movie. Takes place in the mid late 30's or early 40's in a alternate universe with today's modern scientific technology.

I first met Green Hornet in one of my Dad's Big Little Books, I think it was Green Hornet Strikes. I thought Kevin Smith's treatment of Green Hornet was best, he should've written for the movie. Hope the new one is better. It is like those pulp heroes that predate Superman.

When you mention the actors that played the Green Hornet and Kato, you skipped over Gordon Jones and Keye Luke, who played them in the 1940's serial version.

There is also a similar story between the Ranger/Tonto vs. the Hornet/Kato relationship in that John Reid saved Tonto's life when he found him injured as young boy. Tonto gave John a special ring to wear which he eventually wore on a chain around his neck. When adult Tonto found the site of the Texas Rangers ambush by the Cavendish gang and found ranger Reid still alive, he recognized the ring and nursed him back to health and declared him to be the sole survivor or, i.e. the lone ranger. This was portrayed in the 1949 TV series opener episode "Enter the Lone Ranger." Also, I read that Kato in the radio series was originally Japanese until after 12/7/1941 when his ethnicity was changed to Korean.

this is the best explanation of the relationship between honet/ranger

I am a big fan of the radio series. The movie serials and the TV series were fun. The recent big screen movie was horrendous.

Correct me if I am wrong~wasn’t the original Kato Japanese? After Pearl Harbor he was transformed into being a Filipino? I also believe that the Van Williams TV was renamed the “Kato Show” when it played in Hong Kong

This is awesome history and I love.thr lone ranger when i was a kid that and Zorro to know this is amazing and that movie definitely did a mockery of this legendary character

I have been a loyal fan for years

The Dinamite Saga,multigeneracional,conected to Lone Ranger as the original hero/vigilante,is the one i love most most.

Thank you! A great history of the show.

I'm a huge Green Hornet Fan. However, I think The Green Hornet, The Lone Ranger, Tarzan, Zorro, Dick Tracy, Sinbad the Sailor, The Shadow, and the Phantom are all passe Heroes where most modern/Millennial audiences don't relate to these characters. Only Batman really has stood the test of time as that type of Hero/Superhero from that genre. As much as I'm a fan of the 1966-1967 TV Series, it really didn't develop an audience in the mid-'60s as times were changing from the British Invasion and a Character wearing a Fedora with a suit and an overcoat wasn't going to attract viewers at that time. It should have been an hour, but William Dozier who produced Batman and The Green Hornet couldn't get ABC to commit to an hour for the show. According to Wikipedia, production costs were $143,000 an episode and ABC only budgeted $100,000 per episode. Dozier had to take the profits from the Batman Series to make up the loss. Definitely a formula for failure. If it came out in the late 50's or early 60's, it might have lasted a few seasons (that might have applied to the Batman series too). If the show was produced today with the # of viewers it had then, it would have lasted 5 to 6 seasons as Superhero shows today like CW's Supergirl only average around 2 to 3 million viewers an episode. Unfortunately, major networks wanted a large # of viewers for a show to survive in the mid-'60s. I think there would be enough interest to have a Cartoon of the Green Hornet. That would be a safer bet than a movie rebooting the series. If the Movie flops like Seth Rogen's 2011 bomb, that would be the end of the character altogether and no movie studio or network would ever produce another movie or TV Series again. It's a risk not worth taking because of the damage the 2011 movie did to the character. With today's political correctness, I wouldn't want to see a Black Green Hornet with a female Asian Kato or an LGBTQ Green Hornet with a Transgender Kato. To each his own, but not my preference. I also don't think rebooting the characters in that way would attract viewers to the movie or show. Even an Animated Movie would be good as opposed to rebooting it a live-action movie. Back in the mid to late 80's there was talk about a Green Hornet Movie to come out, especially after the 1st Michael Keaton Batman Movie, but look how long it took for an actual movie would be released in 2011. I hope that doesn't happen with this reboot. I hope it's released in the next 2 or 3 years with the popularity of the Marvel/DC Superhero Genre. Lastly, the Fan Film of the Green Hornet here on RU-vid from supposedly last year in 2018 is also a terrible short film. Again the quality is important when doing any movie, show, or cartoon about the Green Hornet Character. The fan film has a Kato and his sister as a female Kala/Kato in the Fan Film. I watched it and thought it was pretty bad. Thanks for reading and again this is only an opinion. . .

Ah Man I love this show!

NICE!

Curious as to when Lenore and Scanlon learned of Britt's identity. In the serials she didn't know, but in the series she did. (Scanlon was nowhere in the serials.)

Your channel is Electric!!!!! Could you do a video on the History of “SHAFT”.... From his creation as a Pulp Novel Det. To Film to his short lived TV series new films and Comic Books.. Can you Dig it....

I enjoyed everything and ur voice ain't bad don't worry.Happy holidays happy 2020.

Love the green hornet the classic. and the 66 version with Bruce Lee the coming of the dragon .

I grew up hearing about Green Hornet. But only his three appearances on Batman. I really wish there could be a serialized television show, but nowadays, it would suck.

The real Lone Ranger was black and his name is Bass Reed:

All time classic

One of my favorite hero's

Very good. My fave heroes!!

Some day I have to check out this character, maybe the Year One book is a good place to start?

That actor playing Scanlon looks like Mike Bloomberg.

I didn't mind your voice quality at all. (And as a paid professional public speaker at an Internationally known NYC attraction, I know what I'm talking about.) I did get confused in your writing though. The Uncle, Great Uncle, Great Great Uncle...all named Britt Reid was confusing. It's as confusing as the Alternate Universes of Batman. Maybe there's no way around it. As I write this, I've read all the comments and your responses. "Bite Me" really isn't appropriate or effective, then again "To each his own." is a little cliche', so I advise just ignoring the comment (A skill I'm working to master myself and fail at too often.) I enjoyed the backstory and I learned alot. I didn't know Richard Scanlon (SPOILER ALERT!) betrays Britt Reid. I thought that was just one of the inventions of the Seth Rogen film that really annoyed me. So, knowing that now, it seems the only thing that really bothered me about the Seth Rogen film, was...well...Seth Rogen, and maybe the miscast Edward James Olmos as Mike Axford. ( Change the character's name and back story or change the actor.) The confused playboy has to grow up? Okay. Drunk Hal becomes Henry the V. The obnoxious stoner element was just Seth Rogen being stoned obnoxious Seth Rogen with all the acting range of "A" to "A.0000001" . I thought Jay Chou was great, and the Bruce Lee Easter egg tribute was classy. Cameron Diaz was fine also, as pretty much the rest of the rest of the cast but trying to carry the weight of the stone of the stoner was too heavy a lift. The TV show car by Dean Jeffries was better than the movie version's pale imitation of it, but using a more modern common limo/black car (say a modern Lincoln or a stretched Dodge Charger or Chrysler 300) would have demonstrated creativity. Actually I love that customized Lincoln Zephyr used in the movie serials. It's one I hope to replicate. William Coxe has great videos on RU-vid of his creation of it and the Jeffries TV car as well. I really recommend watching them if you haven't already. I'd like to see a re-set of the characters in a film set in the 30's or the 60's or in some vague post WW II timeless period like they did with "Batman, The Animated Series" I wouldn't mind an animated version. What are your thoughts?

The new black beauty should be a Chrysler 300C with a hellcat Demon underpinnings and updated capability paying homage to the rolling arsenal from the 1960's and the stealth Zephyr from the 1940's , the Rogan film had some good points like featuring the Zephyr in the garage , but the Fifty Cal guns were not in canon ( no pun ) . And too campy , like Batman The Green Hornet should have been more serious.

I can see a Green Hornet show with a Tv MA rating with a similar look and feel to that of the show Gotham or Fargo

This is where DC can put a DAM GOOD MOVIE TOGETHER, BATMAN AND OF COURSE THE GREEN HORNET MAKES MORE THAN A CAMEO APPEARANCE , BUT THEY REALLY HAVE TO PUT IT TOGETHER WITH JET LI OR ?????? AS KATO DAM IT CAN BE GOOD!

Much in the way that his ancestor The Lone Ranger was inspired by wild west Dime Novel characters like Deadwood Dick/Masked Avenger. The Green Hornet was of course, inspired by Pulp Magazine characters like The Spider.

A generational hero. Like Lee Falk's Phantom. I was a hardcore fan of the 1960's show. But the 1960's Batman camp...& the 2011 Seth Rogen buffoonery...Heaven spare us.

Bruce Lee first start in acting and entertainment played kato Green Hornets sidekick crime fighter with martial arts action and drove Chrysler car Black Beauty tv show 1966-1967.

What's the connection between crimson avenger and Wing. both crimson avenger is a masked avenger who acts has Asian sidekick who is his valet.

Veddy innnnterrresssting….

Great info. One the radio series, Kato was a Filipino. Why do you think they change the character's nationality to Chinese?

Let's "K.O" all of our tortured enemies and keep the newspapers of justice flying off the presses everytime we reconnect with our unstoppable marital arts team. Stay safe everyone!

Interesting 🤔

Koto in the movie with Seth Rogan was the best

the movie was nothing short of a disappointing money hustle

love the green hornet the radio show the serial the tv show and movie i give it 20000 star

It's a bit confusing with all of the rights being bought and sold.

@Daniel Sparks

I really see why I watched this.

also DELL/GOD KEY had a short lived comic book

The narration went too fast for me and yes, I agree that it needs a reboot.

A modern version needs a budget. Keep Seth Rogan out of it.

The actor starring as Kato steals the show, it would have been better with him only!

The cough is due to a hornet sting, a Green Hornet sting.

Did Bruce Lee accurately do any of the driving of the Black Beauty? I ask because I heard that Bruce was near sighted!!!!!

A hero in a mask pursued by the cops for fighting corruption and crime. A good complicated premise but I don't remember the T V series ever going that way. It was just Batman in a green overcoat. Maybe the comic book versions did the same. Why can't these ideas have the courage of their premises? The book Thunder Agents was the same. Starts as a novel idea, becomes just more costumed bozos just fighting.

I Liked the French Version of the G.H. on Youtude.

I agree if they going to reboot the Green Hornet play him just like the original TV show😐 not that movie crap👎😡 even that movie Black Beauty car sucked.👎😝

I actually really enjoyed the 2011 green hornet film

How can a nephew and uncle be in different era. wild west n present day

Who knows what evil lurked in the hearts of men? Orson Welles the voice of The Shadow thats who

What happened to Kato when Britt Reid gave up being the Green Hornet? I can't believe he remained the faithful valet/chauffer.

In reference to the recent bomb in which Seth Rogaine (ha ha) woefully decided to spoof Green Hornet: I personally have no objection to the use of weed or portrayal of such in a movie as it has been proven that it's not the gateway as previously believed. I don't even care how many sub- commitees he pleads his case before for the ''American people''. That's MY personal tolerance level. Even in private, one should use the stuff responsibly. Remember though, these are characters being played by actors working according to a written script (and watched by children sucked in by super hero violence).However, this guy can't seem to overcome that influence in his acting. Anything I've seen him in. A middle-aged hipster, an over-enthusiastic clodbin a failed attempt to act as he thinks a 16 year old might (or, he COULD be mental as some ''creative geniuses'' are mistakenly dubbed). You just can't get giddy over eating a can of beans unless you're starving. I won't attempt to explain that analogy. Jeezus H! Is he on a perpetual acid trip or woofing Preludin? Drink of choice? MGD! YAY! But kids who've never seen any of the series or read the comics could not in any way understand the assinine way in which Brit was portrayed in this movie. The themes were supposed to instill good vs. evil and the bad guy loses. And yes, I realize it's just a story and not real anyway. I believe studios write out a lot of creativity in contract, whether in script or in execution. Nowadays, that either diminishes or defeats the original thinking behind the comics code (thrown away) from the beginning (Marvel and DC included), and everybody (writers and producers) sells out to the likes of Sony, Disney and WB in the name of ratings and money. I'd much rather hear Cagney say ''Rats!'' than Tony Stark say ''SOB'' (how many times?). I blame the FCC, the ''new world order'' and other media controllers (internet and fake news) for progressively altering the rules to allow people like Rogan to influence good, bored people into reaching too high a tolerance level. I do feel good about RU-vid allowing retro viewing of said (ancient to the young) programming from when TV was in it's infancy of lascivious behavior and language. Yay, RU-vid! I now buy boxed sets and quit cable when my daughter was born in '92. Both my kids graduated college. One with asaociates, One with bachelors. To this day, they'd rather read a good comic than watch Netflix. I still believe if TV should influence anything, it should be values, not lifestyle. That includes this ''alphabet soup'' also. It's a type of brainwashing we should guard against. Not let the 'tube babysit. Where ARE you parents, anyway? The series with Van Williams in it was by far and away the best one. The youth today ate sharp as a tack and not the last one on the card! I encourage young parents to set that patental control and keep the code to yourself even if you have to encrypt it!

The Lone Ranger was Bass Reeves, a black man. So the Green Hornet should be black or mixed right?

Wasn't the movie actually fairly financially successful?

A Black Slave Who Served in the Civil War them Escaped to the Oklahoma Territories to Become The Real Lone Ranger his name was Bass Reeves!!!!

WOw thanks!

The Lone Ranger was his Great Uncle, his father's Uncle. Js

Personally, as a fan of the Radio serial, and the 1966-67 t.v. incarnation I enjoyed the Seth Rogen version.

This is what the seth rogan movie was based off of?

we do not speak of the Seth Rogan abomination🦉

Where Can I Get Covid -19 1930s Mask of the Green Hornet?

The relationship between the Lone Ranger, his son, and Britt Reed could have been explained in 3-4 declarative sentences. Not the -minute-long word salad resorted to here.

I don't know who's idea it was to make that last Green Hornets movie...they need to get really serious about the next one...green Hornet should be very serious..like Batman..i loved them both..I Am Love...

The PINK Hornet? Ewwwwwwwwwwwww,

Why are you telling the history of the franchise so out of order?

So the masks were literally cut from the same cloth. nice