"The Green Hornet" (1966) TV series 1966-1967

Creator:

George W. Trendle
(more)

Seasons:

1

Release Date:

9 September 1966 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Crime

Plot:

A newspaper publisher and his Asian valet/martial arts expert battle crime as the feared Green Hornet and Kato.

Plot Keywords:

Kato | Kung Fu | Mask | Fight | Fighting

Cast

Van Williams	...	Britt Reid / ... (26 episodes, 1966-1967)
Bruce Lee	...	Kato (26 episodes, 1966-1967)
Wende Wagner	...	Lenore 'Casey' Case (26 episodes, 1966-1967)
Lloyd Gough	...	Mike Axford (26 episodes, 1966-1967)
Walter Brooke	...	D.A. Frank Scanlon (26 episodes, 1966-1967)
William Dozier	...	Narrator (26 episodes, 1966-1967)

Series Directed by
Allen Reisner		(6 episodes, 1966-1967)
William Beaudine		(4 episodes, 1966-1967)
Seymour Robbie		(4 episodes, 1966-1967)
Leslie H. Martinson		(2 episodes, 1966)
E. Darrell Hallenbeck		(2 episodes, 1967)
James Komack		(2 episodes, 1967)

Series Writing credits
George W. Trendle		(21 episodes, 1966-1967)
Ken Pettus		(8 episodes, 1966-1967)
William L. Stuart		(4 episodes, 1966-1967)
Judith Barrows		(2 episodes, 1966-1967)
Robert Guy Barrows		(2 episodes, 1966-1967)
Jerry Thomas		(2 episodes, 1966-1967)
Lorenzo Semple Jr.		(2 episodes, 1966)
Arthur Weingarten		(2 episodes, 1967)

Series Produced by
Jerry Thomas	....	associate producer (24 episodes, 1966-1967)
William Dozier	....	executive producer (22 episodes, 1966-1967)
Richard M. Bluel	....	producer (21 episodes, 1966-1967)
Stanley Shpetner	....	producer (2 episodes, 1967)

Series Original Music by
Billy May		(25 episodes, 1966-1967)

Series Cinematography by
Carl E. Guthrie		(16 episodes, 1966-1967)
Jack A. Marta		(5 episodes, 1966)
Richard A. Kelley		(3 episodes, 1966)

Series Film Editing by
Fred R. Feitshans Jr.		(13 episodes, 1966-1967)
Noel L. Scott		(11 episodes, 1966-1967)

Series Art Direction by
Gibson Holley		(25 episodes, 1966-1967)
Jack Martin Smith		(25 episodes, 1966-1967)

Series Set Decoration by
Walter M. Scott		(25 episodes, 1966-1967)
Steven Potter		(10 episodes, 1966)
Joseph Reith		(8 episodes, 1966-1967)
Robert De Vestel		(6 episodes, 1967)

Series Makeup Department
Margaret Donovan	....	hair styling supervisor (23 episodes, 1966-1967)
Ben Nye	....	makeup supervisor (23 episodes, 1966-1967)

Series Production Management
James Blakeley	....	post-production supervisor (24 episodes, 1966-1967)
Mark Evans	....	unit production manager (24 episodes, 1966-1967)
William Self	....	executive in charge of production (24 episodes, 1966-1967)
Jack Sonntag	....	production supervisor (22 episodes, 1966-1967)

Series Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Eli Dunn	....	assistant director (15 episodes, 1966-1967)
William F. Sheehan	....	assistant director (10 episodes, 1966-1967)

Series Art Department
Don B. Greenwood	....	property master (7 episodes, 1966)

Series Sound Department
Ralph Hickey	....	supervising sound effects editor (24 episodes, 1966-1967)
Harold E. Wooley	....	sound effects editor (24 episodes, 1966-1967)

Series Visual Effects by
L.B. Abbott	....	special photographic effects (6 episodes, 1967)

Series Stunts
Gary Kent	....	stunt coordinator (2 episodes, 1967)
Bill M. Ryusaki	....	stunts (unknown episodes)

Series Costume and Wardrobe Department
Andrew Pallack	....	wardrobe: men / wardrober: men / ... (23 episodes, 1966-1967)

Series Editorial Department
Robert Mintz	....	post-production coordinator (25 episodes, 1966-1967)

Series Music Department
Lionel Newman	....	conductor (25 episodes, 1966-1967)
Ken Spears	....	music editor (25 episodes, 1966-1967)
Leonard A. Engel	....	supervising music editor (23 episodes, 1966-1967)
Al Hirt	....	musician: theme solo (3 episodes, 1966-1967)

Series Transportation Department
Chris Haynes	....	driver (2 episodes, 1967)

Series Other crew
Charles B. Fitzsimons	....	assistant to executive producer (22 episodes, 1966-1967)
Robert Sonntag	....	production assistant (unknown episodes)

Production Companies

• 20th Century Fox Television
• Greenway Productions

Distributors

• American Broadcasting Company (ABC) (1966-1967) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Brentwood Home Video (2000) (USA) (DVD)
• Space: The Imagination Station (2003) (Canada) (TV)
• 20th Century Fox Television

Also Known As:

"The Kato Show" - Hong Kong (English title) (informal title)

Runtime:

30 min (26 episodes) | 99 min (movie version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Certification:

Singapore:PG | Australia:PG | USA:TV-PG | Argentina:Atp

Filming Locations:

20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

20th Century Fox Television

Trivia:

The license plate number on the Black Beauty was V194.

Quotes:

Narrator:Another challenge for the Green Hornet, his aide Kato, and their rolling arsenal, the Black Beauty. On Police records a wanted criminal, 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."

Movie Connections:

Featured in Hollywood Screen Tests: Take 2 (1999) (TV)

Surprisingly high production value

Just because the main characters (Notice the plural) are wearing masks doesn't mean that the program is camp. This is the show that introduced the martial arts legend Bruce Lee to the world, and he probably was the first actor that made people think "Gee I didn't know human beings can move like that". I mean seeing Lee for the first time had that much shock value to the audience, and the attraction of the show had much to do with what's Lee going to do this week ? But I'd like to point out the superb acting that was done by Van Williams too. He looked so good as the main character, and he had a chameleon like method acting capability that made his acting fit the scene's mood perfectly every time. If he was British, I wouldn't be surprised if he was recruited to play James Bond after Sean Connery. Keeping in mind that this was a 30 minute show made in the '60s, this series still scores high in its production value. I would say that it's right up there with other '60s popular action show such as Mission Impossible. The only regret is that this show didn't last longer than a season. Audiences wanted more but for some odd reason, it was canned. They should have made at least two more seasons followed by a movie. I would say that it was a monumental blunder on the network's part to not see what a dynamite show they had in hand. Bruce Lee and Van Williams' talent should have been exploited to its max with this show and who knows what other shows they might have stared in.