That's right folks, 'ol Loydster is gonna take a trip down memory lane---- with the GREEN HORNET!!!
Now, being the classic pop-culture geek-a-zoid that I am, I'm aware that the character himself, along with his right-hand man Kato, existed for DECADES before the 1966-67 television series!! In fact, 'Mr. Hornet' not only originated on radio, he was even created / originated by the creator of one of radio's original 'men of mystery' himself, the Lone Ranger-- George W. Trendle!! Heck, I even have a number of the old radio episodes... still stashed away in my (STILL pretty sizable!!!) collection of old cassettes.... somewhere in my 'crime-fighting headquarters'!!!
Digging a little deeper into his history, I'll even acknowledge that the character starred in a couple of pretty good 'cliff-hanger' serials that thrilled youngsters back in the early 40s!! BUT---- my focus, just because I personally think it's SO very SLICK, TRICK, and JAZZY-COOL..... and because this is MY bloggy-woggy-wing-a-ding-thing--- is the 1966 to 1967 (sadly) very short-lived T.V. series!!
When this show first aired, around the time 'little Loydster' was only 2 to 3 years old--- I'll admit it was probably just a slight 'blip' on my 'superhero awareness radar-screen'!! I do vaguely recall watching it with some of my older cousins,way back when...... but that's about all I remember!!! A certain 'Caped Crusader' REALLY snagged my tiny-little-Loyd imagination, remember???
No, 'Green Hornet', the T.V. series.... was one of the kind of old shows that fluttered around the fringes of the Loydster's memory and awareness. Popping up at oddball times on dinky little independent stations at weird hours over the years... showing up YEARS later in the early days of the FX cable network... a stray collectible relating to the show popping up here and there when I least expected to even see them!!
Maybe it's the very BRIEF time it originally came on the scene, and low number of episodes (there were only 26!!), -- and it's SUPER-cool vibe (think James Bond, crossed with the EARLIEST version of the Batman of the comics, crossed with an early 60s Frank Sinatra movie!!!)--- that's kept me interested and intrigued by this show, it's main character, and yes.... his COOL-AS-ICE right-hand man, Kato--- played to FROSTY perfection by the one, the ONLY Bruce Lee!!! Let's check out the opening sequence, that greeted viewers each week!!!----
AND--- let's NOT forget that oh-so TRICKED-OUT ride of his!!! The 'Black Beauty'!!! Here's a segment that, even though it was repeated a LOT in the earlier episodes.... is a favorite memory of not ONLY myself, but thousands of custom-car / radical-ride-FANATICS everywhere!!!----
Yes, by the way..... that familiar voice in the opening credit sequence, is INDEED the voice of the 'Bat-announcer' himself.... Mr. William Dozier!! Who also was the executive producer on 'Green Hornet'. Unlike the Batman show, the opening narration, is the ONLY time you hear his voice!! (OR hear narration of ANY sort, for that matter!!)
Through the wonder of Youtube---- that VAST treasure-chest of (no doubt) MILLIONS of hours of shamelessly GEEKY entertainment (oh, I'm aware of it's problems,but it's chock-full of MY kind of 'getting your GEEK on'!!!) I've recently been able to watch ALL 26 episodes of the series-- pretty much for the first time, that I can remember, anyway!!! Over a period of a few weeks, I watched a couple of episodes each weekend (the way I'd advise anyone to watch ANY old T.V. program!!). I've got to say, it all pretty much holds up VERY well. In fact, I'd even go so far as to say.... it was a show 'ahead of it's time'!!!
I also think the VERY thing that makes it the 'cult favorite' that it's become over the decades, is probably why it didn't last, during it's initial run!!! It was NOT done in the 'campy', 'let's goof on the characters' or 'over-the-top'-style of it's contemporary companion-show--- featuring the 'Caped Crusaders'!!! (and yes, having the complete 'Batman' series on DVD, I'm aware they 'crossed over' in a two-part adventure!!---a truly ODD adventure it was, too!!!)
It was, more or less, a pretty straight-ahead 'action / adventure' program!! I don't think audiences, at the time of it's original airing, knew exactly WHAT to do with it!! And--- that's just too bad!! Because, again--- I think it (STILL) has this COOL -vibe that was (and IS) SO full of potential!!
Also, sadly... after searching ALL OVER the 'net and various OTHER nooks & crannys--- I've found that no 'official' DVD collection of this show exists!!! As far as I've also been able to determine, the series is in 'public domain'!!! Meaning the original holders to the rights (20th Century Fox!!???!)--- have NO interest in preserving it, or even putting a 'bare-bones' 'complete series' set of discs out there!! Outside of all the other reasons that is SO wrong--- it's also, just kinda sad!!
Rumors persist,that yet ANOTHER version of this character (and no doubt Kato, along with the WICKEDLY-SMOOTH 'Black Beauty!!) is headed for another shot at the silver screen!!! Let's hope that it's LIGHT YEARS away from the SORRY spectacle that was the 2011 FIASCO that STUNK -UP theaters!! This is one nearly 80-year-old 'mystery man' that deserves better!!! If they even do a film with 75 percent of the amount of JAZZY-COOL-SWANKINESS that the 66-67 series had.... they MAY just get it right next time around!!
Meantime, those of us who OH-SO-DIG the original series, still have it (and the oddball collectible here and there!!) to enjoy!!! Always and FOREVER!!! MANY thanks to the folks who have posted those old episodes on Youtube, by the way!!!
--------See you NEXT time, gang!!!!------
