Rant 1,796: Flight of the Hornet

I just heard that Van Williams died a few days ago. He was 82 years old.

If you don't know who Van Williams was, then either you are in the wrong place, or perhaps if you are in the wrong place, you can hang around and learn something.

Williams was the Green Hornet on the 1960s TV series on ABC that a lot of people thought was going to be a retread of "Batman," but actually was a show that was so different from its predecessor that it died a quick death after only a single season on the air.

Although Bruce Lee pretty much stole the show's spotlight as Britt Reid/the Green Hornet's faithful valet Kato, Williams was pretty much born to play this part.

He had the look, he had the acting chops, and watching the series today, he pretty much pulled off a role that was quite difficult, in particular when Lee was on the screen doing his thing.

But like Adam West as Batman, and much earlier, like George Reeves as Superman, he really was the quintessential Green Hornet. Others have portrayed the suave anti-hero, but Williams really owned the role, as did Lee with Kato.

Here is what I had to say about the show, in Rant No. 421, January 11, 2011:

"Give the show a chance. Remember, it is not "Batman," but it is a straight-forward TV adaptation of the character, which started out in radio, to the small screen.

Williams basically deadpans it, as does Lee, but watch for the brief fighting scenes. You will actually see Lee completely holding back on his kicks and punches, but it is fun to watch nonetheless.

Back in 1967, we weren't really aware of the type of martial arts that Lee was displaying in a limited way on this show. It was so new that it was truly fascinating to watch, a few years before the Kung-Fu craze filled every movie house worth its salt with cheapo fight flicks that made millions.

And yes, the show is a lot of fun, even though it rarely cracks a smile."

Williams was no Adam West, nor was he George Reeves, but he handled his role with a certain aplomb. A well known TV actor prior to getting this role--he was one of the stars of the hunk-filled "Surfside Six" --Williams pretty much left acting after the show was canceled due to excellent investments he made with his TV money, but with "The Green Hornet" popping up on various TV networks every year, he remains a well-known face on television.

The show has yet to be released on legitimate DVD, and it would have been nice for this to have happened while Williams was alive.

That being said, watch the show the next time it is broadcast, and if you have not seen any of the episodes, I think you will be a bit surprised at how good it was and still is.

No, it is not Batman, but it is good, really good.

And Williams helped make it so.