The Green Hornet: Difference between revisions

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[[File:HornetKato.jpg|frame|[[The Green Hornet]], his aide Kato, and [[Cool Car|their rolling arsenal]], the Black Beauty, from the TV series.]]

 

{{quote|''"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."''|''[[Opening Narration]] to the 1966 TV adaptation''}}

 

 

 

=== Radio Series ===

 

Trendle and Striker, who had earlier created the character of [[The Lone Ranger]] for a western themed radio series on WXYZ, connected the two shows by making the protagonist of ''[[The Green Hornet]]'', newspaper publisher Britt Reid, the grand nephew of John Reid, the lone survivor of an outlaw ambush of a squad of Texas Rangers, who became The Lone Ranger. While hinted at in earlier episodes, the blood relationship between the Hornet and the Ranger was explicitly stated in the ''Green Hornet'' episode "Too Hot to Handle" (first airdate, November 11, 1947), but never significantly used after that. Trendle's sale of the rights to the Lone Ranger property to Jack Wrather in 1954 made it impossible for later adaptations of ''[[The Green Hornet]]'' to make explicit reference to the relationship (although the 1990s NOW Comics comic book adaptation featured a veiled reference to the relationship, in the form of a painting, apparently of the Lone Ranger, which appeared in Britt Reid's living room).

 

=== Television Series ===

 

 

The TV series also changed some of the Hornet's equipment. The most extensive changes were made to the Black Beauty, which had many more features and gimmicks than the vehicle did in the radio series. Some of the features of the television Black Beauty were [[Hollywood Science|"infra-green" headlights]] for stealthy night driving (supposedly, the headlights used "polarized light" which, in conjunction with polarized vision filters would provide as much illumination as conventional headlights while remaining very dim to anyone viewing without such filters), a [[Instant Sedation|sleep gas sprayer]], rockets, mortars, and an aerial surveillance device called "the scanner". In the TV series the Green Hornet carried a [[Instant Sedation|gas gun]] (as in the radio series), while television added an electronic weapon referred to as "the Hornet sting", which the Green Hornet used to open locked doors and containers and to disarm assailants (typically, it caused an explosion in a lock, allowing the door or container to be opened, or in the breech of a firearm, which caused the person holding it to throw it down violently). Also, in this version Kato was armed with green colored, abstractly "hornet shaped" throwing darts which he used against armed assailants too far for him to engage directly with his martial arts skills (usually, the pain inflicted by the dart distracted the assailant long enough for Kato to reach him and render him harmless). In one episode ("Seek, Stalk, and Destroy") Kato uses a "tear gas dart", which he throws into the open viewport of a stolen tank in order to force the tank thieves out of the tank and into the open.

 

 

 

 

=== Comic Books ===

 

2010 saw the start of a number of Green Hornet comics under the aegis of Dynamite Entertainment. A couple series are noteworthy: ''Green Hornet: Year One'' by Matt Wagner (writer) and Aaron Campbell (art), and several series by Kevin Smith (especially ''Kevin Smith's Green Hornet'', reputed to be based on Smith's aborted script for [[The Movie|the Green Hornet film]] eventually produced by Seth Rogen, and separate series on Kato and Kato's origins).

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* [[Awesome but Impractical]]: Reid Jr. in the Dynamite series is shown the lair; where the mechanic shows off the floor panel that flips the Black Beauty and replaces it with a normal car, Britt asks what the point of it is because no one is supposed to be down there aside from the Katos, the Reids, and the mechanic.

* [[Badass Longcoat]]: Britt Reid as the Green Hornet. Kato in spirit, though he rarely affects a longcoat.

* [[Celibate Hero]]: Britt Reid/the Green Hornet and Kato in the radio series and film serials, where neither had any [[Love Interest|Love Interests]]. Semi-averted in the TV series, where Britt Reid (in keeping with his rich playboy publisher persona) was seen regularly attending a local club featuring noontime lingerie shows, is seen explicitly dating in at least one episode ("The Frog is a Deadly Weapon", ep. # 5, aired 10/7/1966), and is given at least one [[Girl of the Week]]; played straight for Kato, however, who was given no in-show [[Love Interest]]. Totally averted in the NOW Comics adaptations, where Britt Reid I, Ikano Kato, and Britt Reid II all married in retirement, and Hayashi Kato, Mishi Kato, and Paul Reid were all given [[Love Interest|romantic entanglements]]. Subverted in the movie in that Britt Reid and Kato both like Lenore, {{spoiler|but neither get any.}}

* [[Civvie Spandex]]: The Green Hornet's "costume" is pretty much an overcoat, suit, fedora, and mask. Kato wears a chauffeur's uniform and mask.

* [[The Commissioner Gordon]]: Police Commissioner Higgins in the radio series, DA Frank P. Scanlon in the TV series, and Higgins, Scanlon and Diana Reid in the NOW comics adaptations.

* [[Crazy Prepared]] seriously who prepares for there car being cut in half?

* [[Defector From Decadence]]: Kato in the "Year One" series left the Japanese army after witnessing his squad leader allow a number of his troops to troops rape a young woman in Nanjing. Ultimately he executes him and departs.

* [[Distaff Counterpart]]: The Crimson Wasp in the NOW Comics version.

* [[Dramatic Half Hour]]: The TV adaptation

* [[Fake Nationality]]: Kato in the radio series, film serials, and television series. While the first radio actor to voice the role was apparently Japanese (Raymond Hayashi), American Roland Parker voiced Kato for most of the series run (as his nationality shifted from Japanese to "generic Oriental" to Filipino), while American Mickey Tolan played the role towards the end. In the serials, Kato's nationality was specified as Korean, but the role was played by Chinese actor Keye Luke. And in the TV series Kato was (presumptively) Japanese (though some sources say that producer William Dozier conceived of Kato as being Korean) but played by Chinese actor [[Bruce Lee]].

* [[Fedora of Asskicking]]: The hornet wears one as part of his outfit.

* [[Fundoshi]]: When conducting research for Kato's origin for ''Green Hornet: Year One'', writer [[Matt Wagner]] was surprised to discover that Japanese underwear of the period essentially consisted of - as he put it - 'banana hammocks'. A scene involving Japanese soldiers in fundoshi ended up in the comic.

* [[Hollywood Science]]: In the TV series, the [[Cool Car|Black Beauty]] was given green filtered headlamps; this was explained in a [[Spin Of]] [[Expanded Universe|comic book adaptation]] as being "infra-green" headlights, which used polarized light in conjunction with a green tinted polarized filter screen to allow Kato and the Green Hornet near perfect illumination while rendering the headlights nearly invisible to anyone not using such a filter. Also, in the episode "The Ray is for Killing", criminals use a laser as a death ray, capable of causing far more damage than a real laser could do.

** As an interesting note, "infra-green" would be yellow light.

* [[Insert Grenade Here]]: In "Seek, Stalk, and Destroy", Kato uses a "tear gas dart", which he throws into the open viewport of a stolen tank in order to force the tank thieves out of the tank and into the open.

** A scene of Batman and Robin walking up a wall appears briefly on a television set in the ''Green Hornet'' episode "Ace in the Hole".

* [[Knockout Gas]]: The Green Hornet's gas gun; in the TV series the Black Beauty was also equipped with a sleep gas sprayer.

* [[Legacy Character]]: In the original radio series, [[The Green Hornet]] was the nephew of [[The Lone Ranger]]. The 1990s NOW comic, which did not have the rights to the Ranger, could only allude to this, but established that the Hornet identity was itself a legacy, having been adopted by two nephews of the TV Hornet, who in turn was himself the nephew of the original radio character.

* [[Lightning Gun]]: Vama's belt in "Invasion from Outer Space".

* [[Lipstick Lesbian]]: Kato in the Dynamite Entertainment comic book.

* [[Mirrors Reflect Everything]]: A mirror reflects electricity in "Invasion from Outer Space" part 2.

** And on St. Patrick's Day 2012, Me-TV ran a "Viewing of the Green" marathon of the series.

* [[Mythology Gag]]: Arguably, the original blood relationship (given by creators George W. Trendle and Fran Striker) between [[The Green Hornet]] and [[The Lone Ranger]]. Also, the late 80s-early 90s NOW Comics adaptation had a number of [[Mythology Gag|Mythology Gags]] referencing various actors who played The Lone Ranger, The Green Hornet, and Kato in the radio series and 1940s film serials

* [[Sidekick Ex Machina]]: In the TV and later comic book adaptations, Kato is a much more accomplished fighter and more imposing [[Badass]] than the Green Hornet, and rescued the Hornet from some trap or another in several episodes; much less so in the original radio series and movie serials. Taken [[Up to Eleven]] in [[The Movie]].

* [[Spin Offspring]]: The blood relationship between [[The Lone Ranger]] and [[The Green Hornet]].

** It's also reflective of the fact that, as noted by multiple fans, particularly Asian Americans, that Kato is more of a hero than Britt Reid.

* [[Stun Guns]]: The Hornet's weapon of choice in the Year One series.

* [[Superhero]]

* [[Recycled in Space|Recycled IN SPACE!]]: [[The Green Hornet]] and Kato were basically [[The Lone Ranger]] and Tonto <small>IN MODERN TIMES! IN THE CITY! AND IN A COOL CAR!</small>

** Literally since in the original version Reid was the great grandson of ''[[The Lone Ranger]]''.

* [[Refusal of the Call]]: In the NOW comics, both Britt Reid II and Paul Reid went through this.

* [[Ret Canon]]: The development of Kato, from mere valet and companion, with no particular fighting skills (the radio series and movie serials) to martial arts master (the TV series and 90s comic book adaptations).

* [[The Stoic]]: Mulan, Kato's daughter in the Dynamite series, doesn't say a word after some four issues after her intro.

* [[Take Up My Sword]]: Averted, in the Dynamite Entertainment eries Britt Jr. becomes the Green Hornet after being discouraged by the elder Kato and his daughter Mulan. This may also be the case with the Katos.

* [[Torture Technician]]: The Green Hornet falls into the hands of one in Dynamite's ''Green Hornet: Year One''.

* [[Twenty Minutes Into the Future]]: NOW Comics' ''Green Hornet: Dark Tomorrow'' and Dynamite's ''The Green Hornet Strikes'' both feature future generations of the Reid and Kato families taking on the mantles.

* [[Walking the Earth]]: Britt in the Year One series wants to see the world before he works for his dad.

* [[Villains Out Shopping]]: one scene has some Mooks watching ''[[Development Gag|Batman]]'' on tv.

** [[Celebrity Paradox|Which is weird]] because Batman and Robin are ''real'' in the show's universe, Britt and Kato even teamed up with them once.

** Could be explained as a tv show based on "the true life adventures" of Batman (without revealing his true identity of course :)).

* [[Zorro Mark]]: The Green Hornet carried seals which he used to mark his presence when it suited his purposes, such as on documents at crime scenes, on the bodies of criminals he captured and left for the police to find, etc. Occasionally facsimiles of the Hornet's seal were used by criminals in attempts to pin the blame for their malfeasance on the Green Hornet. It never worked.

** The Green Hornet's calling card in the Year One series is a hornet etched into a green lens.

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