The Green Hornet (1940)

A newspaper publisher and his Korean servant fight crime as vigilantes who pose as a notorious masked gangster and his aide.

Directors:

Ford Beebe, Ray Taylor

Writers:

George H. Plympton (screenplay), Basil Dickey (screenplay),

Stars:

Gordon Jones, Wade Boteler, Keye Luke

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Gordon Jones	...	Britt Reid / The Green Hornet
Wade Boteler	...	Michael Axford
Keye Luke	...	Kato
Anne Nagel	...	Leonore Case
Phillip Trent	...	Jasper Jenks
Cy Kendall	...	Curtis Monroe
Stanley Andrews	...	Police Commissioner [Chs. 1, 5, 8, 9, 13]
Selmer Jackson	...	District Attorney [Chs. 4, 10]
Joseph Crehan	...	Judge Stanton [Chs. 1, 9, 10, 13]
Walter McGrail	...	Dean
Gene Rizzi	...	Corey
John Kelly	...	Pete Hawks
Eddie Dunn	...	D.H. Sligby [Ch. 7]
Edward Earle	...	Felix Grant [Ch. 1]
Ben Taggart	...	Phil Bartlett [Chs. 3-4]

Storyline

Faced with rising crime and increased racketeering activity, intrepid newspaper editor Britt Reid becomes the crime fighter the Green Hornet. Donning a disguise, the Hornet and his brilliant Korean inventor/sidekick Kato fight an infamous racket that's menacing their city.

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Plot Keywords:

korean | crime fighter | newspaper publisher | kato | gangster | 

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Taglines:

Radio Drama More Vivid On Screen! (original poster)

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Genres:

Adventure | Crime | Drama | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 January 1940 (USA)

Also Known As:

El avispón verde

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

258 min 258 min (13 episodes) 99 min (movie)

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Chapter Titles: 1. The Tunnel of Terror, 2. The Thundering Terror, 3. Flying Coffins, 4. Pillar of Flame, 5. The Time Bomb, 6. Highways of Peril, 7. Bridge of Disaster, 8. Dead or Alive, 9. The Hornets Trapped, 10. Bullets and Ballots, 11. Disaster Rides the Rails, 12. Panic in the Zoo, 13. Doom of the Underworld

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Connections

Version of The Green Hornet (1966)

User Reviews

Kato's Heritage

Mr. Watson is correct. Green Hornet radio programs aired up to at least 1938 and earlier which still exist describe Britt Reid's chauffeur as his "Japanese valet." When international tensions subsequently increased, in 1939 or 40, the announcer's line was changed so the phrase became "trusted valet," which Kato remained throughout the majority of the the war years. In wartime programs his nationality was simply not mentioned in the show's opening or anywhere else during the program. After the war, in 1945, the opening was changed again, and announcers begin to refer to Kato as Britt Reid's "Filipino valet," and that is how openings were recorded till the end of the series. So the change didn't happen overnight, but in fact took at least five years, and the "Pearl Harbor" comment is an oversimplification, but the general idea is correct. The idea that this is all an urban legend arises mainly from the posting on urban legend website snopes.com, which is wrong about a lot of other things too and apparently more interested in perpetuating legends than publishing facts. Also, later syndications of Green Hornet radio programs consisted primarily of later broadcasts which would have for the most part included the description of Kato as Filipino. It is also correct that in the movie serials Kato, played by Keye Luke, is identified as Korean, and in the first serial Britt Reid and Kato discuss how they first met -- Britt saved Kato's life in Shanghai. In comic books published by NOW in the 1980s and authorized by the Green Hornet Inc., the situation is rectified and Kato's Japanese heritage fully acknowledged. Perhaps the truth of it all is that Mr. Reid told people his friend was something other than Japanese during the war to protect him from being taken to an interment camp.