What is it about the characters we fell in love with as children, were we can't let them go? Why, even after decades, do they hold a place in our hearts and imaginations? It seems that most of my FFC posts have been about characters that I either identified with, or looked up to as a child. This week will be no different.
The Green Hornet first started as a radio program, then became a film series, and later a TV show in the 60s. It is this version of the character that I was familiar with growing up. It only aired for one season but has been on TV almost every year since in syndication and for one year as a kid, I ate up every episode I could watch.
The Green Hornet was the masked alter ego of Britt Reid, the grand nephew of John Reid aka The Lone Ranger. As Britt Reid, he was a respected newspaper publisher who's good lucks got him attention from the ladies. As The Green Hornet, he was a masked vigilante who fought crime along with his assistant Kato (who was played by Bruce Lee).
Looking back on it, I'm sure some of the appeal this show held for me was the striking good lucks of it's star, Van Williams. However, the vast amount of pleasure I took from this show, and it's character, was the idea that a normal guy can take on the criminal element and come up on top. He doesn't need to have super powers or millions of gadgets to get the job done. He just needs a strong sense of justice and a clearly defined path to accomplish his objectives. The action was always fun and never over the top and the acting was actually great compared to alto of the other shows in this genre.
I've read that they are making a movie with Seth Rogen playing Britt Reid, I'm not sure what I think of the idea yet, but I can't wait to see the results. Hopefully it will stay true to the character and feel of the original show.
No comments:
Post a Comment