Green Hornet Stuff

The Green Hornet was actually a radio program before it ever saw the light of day as a comic book, tv show or movie. The radio show debuted in 1936. This was two years before Superman hit the scene in comic books and three years before the creation of Batman. Yes, The Green Hornet did come before both of them though most people don’t realize that.

The character of The Green Hornet was created by George W. Trendle, who stated in his creation that John Reid, who was the Lone Ranger, was the great-uncle of Britt Reid, the Green Hornet. Something else very few people know. The Green Hornet was one of the forerunners of the super hero genre. And since Trendle linked The Green Hornet to The Lone Ranger, it could be said that The Lone Ranger was also a forerunner.

Like many crime-fighters that came after him, The Green Hornet wore a mask, as did The Lone Ranger. The Green Hornet’s true identity of Britt Reid, was an editor of a newspaper, the Daily Sentinel. This way he could keep an eye on what was going on in the world around him, much like Clark Kent did as Superman when he took a job working as a reporter at the Daily Planet. There were actually many parallels between Reid and Kent even though Reid was human and Kent was from the planet Krypton. Unlike The Lone Ranger though who got rid of his true identity and just went by The Lone Ranger, Britt Reid kept both of his identities. Newspaper publisher by day and crime-fighter by night.

The Green Hornet did not fight crime on his own, however. He had his trusty sidekick Kato, who was Reid’s Oriental houseboy. Kato was a master at martial arts long before Kung Fu movies were even thought of. Kato was really the muscle of the team while Reid was more of the brains, though he could put up a pretty big fight when and if he had to.

Unlike many of the super heroes that came after him, The Green Hornet was a plainly dressed man. He wore a hat popular during the times and a coat. The only thing he wore that would even be remotely considered odd was his mask. But as crime fighters went, he was a dull one to look at. Kato too wore a mask and was dressed like a chauffeur. The two certainly didn’t win any awards for original fashion.

The Green Hornet’s car was the Black Beauty. This vehicle was created long before Batman’s Batmobile and had every gadget inside that you could think of, from rocket blasters to laser beams. The Green Hornet also had a Hornet Gun which could blow the locks clean off of doors.

The one thing fairly unique about the Hornet, especially for the times, was that he was looked at as a bad guy. This made his job that much harder with the police also on his tail.

The comic eventually made its way to a hit TV series starring Van Williams and the ever popular Bruce Lee.

There may be a short ad in there, but it’s definitely worth seeing the whole thing!

CKE Restaurants, Inc., parent company of Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s restaurants, announced the start of “The Key to Black Beauty” instant-win game and sweepstakes. The promotion, part of a marketing partnership announced earlier this year with Sony Pictures around the January 14, 2011 release of the 3D action movie The Green Hornet, will give one lucky action-seeker the opportunity to win a fully-loaded Black Beauty car from the film. A variety of other prizes, including Southwest Airlines Vacation packages, limited-edition The Green Hornet PSP go Systems, Sony home-theater system, Sony Electronics, movie tickets to see The Green Hornet, Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s gift cards and food prizes will also be available.

“The Green Hornet sweepstakes at all Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s restaurants offers a grand prize that is truly one of a kind,” said Brad Haley, executive vice president of marketing for CKE Restaurants. “The Black Beauty car is really one of the stars of the film, and now one lucky guest will be its owner. Whether you are a fan of The Green Hornet, a vintage car buff, or just want to take it out for a spin to your local Carl’s Jr. or Hardee’s, this is a unique opportunity to own a piece of Hollywood history. Of course, we will be giving the winner the option to get the Black Beauty either in its fully weaponized mode, with non-functional machine guns and rocket launchers, or in its street-legal mode with no visible weapons. Either way, it’s a sweet ride.”

Guests at Carl’s Jr. or Hardee’s restaurants can purchase a limited-edition 42-ounce The Green Hornet collectors’ cup co-sponsored by Dr Pepper. The cup includes a unique code that guests can enter when they register for the promotion at the Carl’s Jr. or Hardee’s Facebook pages (www.facebook.com/carlsjr or www.facebook.com/hardees). The grand prize winner has the option to choose a Black Beauty complete with non-operational prop machine guns, rocket launchers and other faux-weaponry used in the movie, but that one’s not street legal – or a Black Beauty without the weaponry, which the winner can roam the open road.

The Black Beauty is based on the Chrysler Imperial Crown body style, which was produced in 1964, 1965, and 1966, souped up with a brand-new supercharged engine and top-of-the-line, stunt-ready accessories. The prop weaponry on the non-street-legal Black Beauty comes complete with hood guns and front and rear bumper rockets.

No purchase is necessary to enter, play or claim a prize in “The Key to Black Beauty” promotion. As an alternative to the in-store promotion, consumers can visit the Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s Facebook pages and obtain a complimentary game code found in the official rules. Details and official rules surrounding the promotion can be found on the Facebook pages as well. Licensing and registration qualification for the Black Beauty will be subject to state and local law.