The Green Hornet disappeared in 1953.
The radio show had been cancelled. The comic books vanished from the newsstands. For 13 years the Black Beauty sat in the garage.
Then, Bat-Mania happened!
45 years ago today, January 12, 1966, Batman debuted on ABC to absolutely astounding ratings! The whole country went Bat-Mad! Anything and everything comics-oriented sold like crazy! Radio syndicator Charles Michelson quickly put together a package of old superhero radio shows including The Shadow, Superman, The Lone Ranger, and The Green Hornet and sold them to local radio stations (where, in some cases, ratings doubled) as well as issuing them on lp records (which sold very well).
Meanwhile, ABC told Batman producer William Dozier they wanted MORE comics-oriented shows. Dozier had been listening to the re-issued radio shows, and, decided The Green Hornet would make a good follow-up to Batman. Both Dozier and Hornet creator George Trendle felt the "camp" approach used on Batman would be inappropriate. Trendle pointed out that doing a "straight" version of his other character, The Lone Ranger, resulted in a long-running tv show and two spinoff feature films! ABC agreed to do it their way, but with some "updating".
The Black Beauty was upgraded from a really fast car to a really fast bulletproof car with, among other things, a flying tv camera, knockout gas projectors, and lethal rocket launchers. The Hornet retained his knockout-gas gun, but added an ultrasonic "Hornet Sting", which quickly became his primary weapon.
Of the radio show's characters, only confidante/secretary Lenore "Casey" Case, and crime reporter/nemesis Mike Axford were retained. And, since Batman worked with a police comissioner, The Hornet's liaison with the government was District Attorney Frank Scanlon (who, unlike Batman's Comissioner Gordon, knew The Hornet's secret identity and that he wasn't the criminal he pretended to be.)
ABC also insisted that "Flight of the Bumblebee" was too dated to be used as the show's theme. Dozier brought in jazz musician Billy May, who had previoiusly done music for tv shows like Naked City, to compose an updated version. With trumpeter Al Hirt performing, the new theme became the show's signature element, recognizable even 45 years later.
While casting most of the characters was not difficult, finding someone to play Kato was proved problematic. Dozier needed an Asian actor who was both able to do martial arts and deliver dialogue. After seeing Bruce Lee performing at a martial arts tournament, Dozier invited him in for a screen test, resulting in Lee's being cast immediately!
The Green Hornet debuted on September 9th, 1966 to solid, but not Batman-level, ratings. Despite several promotional stunts, including a guest-appearance on Batman, the show was cancelled after only one year.
If you want to see what all the hubbub is about, Chicago's own ME-TV is running a Green Hornet marathon this Saturday, January 15th. It's EVERY episode of the series, so fire up the DVR! The series is NOT available on DVD, so this is the only way you're going to see it!
Tomorrow: The Green Hornet from the 1970s to the present
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