Video Fridays: GREEN HORNET in "Hornet Save Thyself"

Continuing our weekly feature "Video Fridays"...

A joyous surprise birthday party for Britt Reid turns tragic when the publisher guns down an ex-employee in front of two dozen witnesses...or does he?

Reid was holding the gun when it went off, but did he fire it?

And if he didn't...who did? How did they do it? And why?

Even old friend Frank Scanlon, who was at the party, is skeptical...and he's the District Attorney!

Reid knows he's innocent...and he needs his masked alter ego to help him prove it!

Trivia:
Despite the fact he knows Britt Reid is The Green Hornet, Scanlon doesn't use that knowledge to capture the fugitive publisher.
When Reid ducks out the disguised fireplace entrance Scanlon usually uses, the DA doesn't reveal it's existence to the police.
Nor does he show them where the Black Beauty is, fully knowing Britt will use it shortly.
It's only the third time we see an unmasked Reid in a fight.
The same huge soundstage interior used for two different warehouses in "Bad Bet on a 459-Silent" is used here as a dry-cleaning plant Reid hides in.
Van Williams does the same "almost-fall" from scaffolding in this episode he did in that one!
There's no "Produced by" credit on the episode!
The two remaining episodes ("Invasion from Outer Space" Parts 1 and 2) are produced by a new producer.

Here's the 24th filmed and aired episode..."Hornet Save Thyself".

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Reading Room Annex: THE GREEN HORNET in "Proof of Treason" Conclusion

When last we left our heroes...
Why does Mayoral candidate Wilkes Sherman hire a criminal to bomb the home of nuclear scientist Professor Baldwin?
When the police track down the bomber, an assassin ends his life before he can talk.
The Green Hornet, who had followed the police, trails the murderer back to Sherman, and discovers the politician is a Commie spy!
In addition, he learns Professor Baldwin is a former Communist now working for the US, and the Commies want him brought back behind the Iron Curtain!
When The Green Hornet enters the meeting, the assassin tries to shoot him and is KOed by the Hornet's gas gun.
The Hornet then makes a deal to grab the professor and turn him over to Sherman for $5,000. (It was 1953, remember?) As a free bonus to Sherman, he'll "get rid" of the unconscious murderer (whom he turns over to the police.)

This b/w page was the inside back cover.

Curiously, though both stories in this issue are adaptations of radio episodes, this was published a year after the radio series was cancelled!

Art on both stories is presumed to be by Frank Thorne, but there are influences of several other artists, including Don Heck and Frank Giacoia, so it's possible they performed uncredited penciling and/or inking assists to meet the deadline.

The Hornet and Kato didn't appear again in comics until early 1967, when the first issue of their Gold Key series, based on the tv show starring Van Williams and Bruce Lee, was published.

Thanks for visiting the Reading Room. Come back soon!

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Reading Room Annex: THE GREEN HORNET in "Proof of Treason" Part 1

Last time we presented The Green Hornet's final Silver Age tale.
This time, here's his final Golden Age tale, the second of two from Dell's Four Color Comics #496, a series of one-off appearances of various characters to test sales potential.

Tomorrow: the conclusion of the Golden Age Green Hornet's final battle!

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Video Fridays: GREEN HORNET Goodies!

Continuing our weekly feature "Video Fridays"...

This week we're presenting some behind-the-scenes stuff from The Green Hornet TV series.
First up, Bruce Lee's audition/screen test for the role of Kato. PLUS: the screen test for Jay Murray as Britt Reid/Green Hornet with Bruce as Kato.

There was another screen test for another Britt Reid, Michael Lipton, but that one's not currently online.
Now, some outtakes...

An alternate version of the end of "The Ray is for Killing"...

More outtakes from a number of episodes...

And finally, an assortment of promos, from local stations, as well as a couple from the original 1966 ABC run!

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and the kool Green Hornet stuff below from Amazon

The Coming of the Courageous Captain!

A plethora of patriotic super-heroes POW! THWOCK! and BIFF!ed their way into the pages of Golden Age comic books, usually clad in red, white, and blue garb.
A number of them were either assisted by an embodiment of an element of "American Spirit" (like Fighting Yank) or were themselves the actual embodiment of a "Spirit of Freedom", like Uncle Sam!
Captain Courageous was one of the latter.
He had no secret identity, and tended to appear when brave Americans were in perilous situations requiring almost divine intervention, disappearing after the threat was disposed of.
His powers were never clearly defined, and seemed almost limitless, including flight, super-strength and limited invulnerabilty, although he could be captured or knocked-out as the plot required.
(In addition, his costume went thru a number of variations in design and color, which could be attributed to each person he encontered perceiving him differently, but was more likely just mistakes by the variety of artists who drew and colored him!)

The Captain debuted in Banner Comics #3 and took over the title as of #6.
(There was no #7, so maybe renaming the book for him wasn't the best possible move.)
Instead he moved into the anthology Four Favorites from #5 up to #29, when the comic dropped superheroes in favor of humor tales.

As you might have guessed, Alex Ross has included him in the assortment of characters revived in the new Project SuperPowers universe, this time as part of the "Super-MysteryMen" team made up of other characters from his original publisher, Ace Comics!

We at Atomic Kommie Comics™ have revived Captain Courageous, as part of our Lost Heroes of the Golden Age of Comics™ line, with two covers (including the single issue of his own title) on t-shirts, messenger bags, mugs and other kool kollectibles!

Remember, Captain America ain't the only star-spangled captain in comics!

And don't forget to buy the NEWEST Project SuperPowers comics including...
Black Terror, Death Defying 'Devil, Masquerade, and Project SuperPowers "Volume 2", as well as Savage Dragon! ON SALE NOW!