Mysteryshows.com

[human]

Yesterday, I checked out a Radio Spirits CD collection of Green Hornet episodes from 1944 (no, the CD's weren't from 1944; they were brand new) and in reading the little booklet that came with it, I found out an interesting bit of trivia--Britt Reid, the Green Hornet, was the great nephew of the Lone Ranger!

Both shows originated at the Michigan Radio Network's flagship station, WXYZ and were created by a man named George W. Trendle. He is quoted in the booklet as saying the Green Hornet was, in essence, a spinoff of the Lone Ranger.

"When I first conceived the character, the idea was to connect it up with The Lone Ranger," explained George W. Trendle. "As we had a character in the Lone Ranger who was the Ranger's nephew, one Dan Reid, a young boy of 14 or 15 who occasionally traveled with the Ranger. I had young Dan sent east to finishing school by the Lone Ranger where Dan eventually became a newspaperman and owner of a large metropolitan newspaper. His son, who is Britt Reid of the Green Hornet was, in his youth, a playboy; and as his dad wanted to make a man out of him, he turned the newspaper over to Britt to see if the responsibility of that sort of job would bring about the desired result."

The booklet goes on to say that Britt Reid kept his secret identity as the Green Hornet from his father for more than a decade before finally revealing it in 1947, the show having started in early 1936. In the episode where he reveals his identity, his father tells him about his great uncle, the Lone Ranger. It seems masks run in the family.

I'm kind of looking forward to the Green Hornet movie that's coming out after Christmas, although my usual reservations about such things stands firm in this case: It'll either be really good or it will really stink and there won't be much in the way of room for middle ground between the two. Either way, I somehow I doubt there will be any mention of the Lone Ranger in the movie.

[Jimbo]

I actually knew this...

I also believe Challenge of the Yukon/Sgt Preston of the Yukon originated from the same station - although I could be wrong.

[boston blackie]

Yes it did. The gravel voice Hughes acted in all three series.

[THESHADOW]

Also the late Fred foy (who passed away earlier this week)was the annoer for at least to of the three The Lone Ranger and the green hornet. iHe may have also down Challenge of the Yukon. However jay michael was the primary announcer for the hornet and Yukon.

Also Brace Beemer played Preston in the latter year of the show. Interestingly enough the actual star of the Yukon show was the Dog King. Trendle had thei idea when he made preston to make the dog the star of the show.

Getting back to the hornet Al Hodge who ws the Hernet early in the series went on to star as Captain Video in the early days oftelevision.

The shadow

[Jimbo]

I actually saw a comic strip in some 1930's or 1940's Canadian paper the other day that had King as the star of the strip rather than "Sgt Preston" (although, not sure it was Preston - it WAS a Royal Mounted Popo.) I believe the name of the strip was called, "King."
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[crich70]

Also Mr. Beemer did the voice of The Lone Ranger during part of its run on the radio I believe. It's interesting how many characters some radio actors performed way back when.