1940 Serial, Chapter 1: The Tunnel of Terror

While aware of these short films from 1940, I'd never taken the time to watch them attentively. We'll start doing that today with, naturally, the first episode, The Tunnel of Terror!!

It's probably just me, but as I watch this episode, Green Hornet actor Gordon Jones at times reminds me, in appearance, of Norm MacDonald.  

These episodes are only about 20 minutes long, so they pack a LOT into a conversation.

We're provided an example of this right away. The show opens with a small explosion on a work bench in a garage. From there, in less than one minute, we learn that...

1. Britt Reid and Kato are testing a chemical to enhance a car's motor.  
2. Kato has substantial scientific knowledge and ability.
3. Kato is Britt's "valet".
4. Reid: "It was a lucky day for me when I rescued you from that native in Singapore."
5a. Kato: "Have you tried the new horn? Listen."

5b. Reid: "Sounds like the giant green hornet we encountered in Africa"
6. The car in question was built in that garage secretly. 
7. Reid wants to display this car as proof to his dad that he's more than just a playboy.

Whew! And we're just at about the 2:39 mark. Very much before the days of decompressed writing. 

The flaky playboy image is built up further when Michael Axford drops by to pick up Reid. They have a light-hearted conversation about how Axford was hired as a reporter but now also seems to serve as a bodyguard. Let's file that away. 

At the Sentinel, we meet Lenore Case, and are treated to more playful banter. Case further sells the notion that Reid is a terribly unserious person for someone expected to run a newspaper. 

And we meet another character, a young reporter named Jasper Jenks. He comes to Reid with a scoop about a construction company using cheap materials.

Reid isn't terribly interested at the moment, because he has an appointment with the police commissioner, Stanley Andrews  (right, below), and a judge named Stanton. 

The two men lament the lack of support for police from the Sentinel newspaper now that Reid is in charge. Reid challenges them to improve law enforcement in the city, asking "what are you waiting for, Robin Hood to lead you out of the woods?". Said in jest, but after the men leave in frustration, Reid appears to ponder the idea at his desk for a moment...

And then...Disaster!! 

Such an event will keep the Sentinel staff busy. As they are gathered in Reid's office for instructions, Jasper Jenks announces to Reid that he will be meeting with a workman name Gorman who is ready to blow the whistle on his employer's use of poor quality materials. But wouldn't you know it, on his way from the work site, Gorman is intentionally directed into harm's way by one of his superiors and he drives right into a blasting area. He is blown to pieces. 

Sentinel coverage of Gorman's demise, and the possibility that it was murder, puts a little heat on some shady characters. 

Their leader, heard only from that radio on the desk, directs them to buy the Sentinel newspaper in order to prevent it from continuing with its reports. The man at left (Grant) is handed that mission, but unknown to him, the other two are having him followed in case he inadvertently leads someone back to their office.

Reid refuses to sell to an unknown buyer, of course, so Grant leaves the Sentinel building empty-handed. Sure enough, he is followed by Axford...

...who is himself followed by two thugs. The bad guys all get away, however, and Axford heads back to the paper to report to Reid.

Not pleased with the attention Grant drew to himself, he is ordered by his criminal colleagues to leave town. Grant heads home to pack and to destroy some incriminating paperwork.

At home with assistance from Kato, Reid gears up as the Green Hornet for the first time. 

The Hornet busts in on Grant while the latter is tossing evidence into the fireplace. 

While the Hornet is trying to draw information from him, the two men charged with following Grant make sure he can't talk. 

Reid uses the gas gun to subdue the two men, leaves his Hornet identifying badge on Grant's corpse, and boots it out of there.

And so begins the perception of the Green Hornet as a criminal, though back in Reid's office the next day, Lenore Case expresses doubts as to whether the Hornet actually is a villain. Smart girl, that Lenore!

Reid and Axford pay a visit to the mine believed to be using shoddy material, but they are turned away by the foreman who saw Gorman killed. Undaunted, Reid returns that night with Kato, as the Green Hornet!

The Hornet forces the foreman (Markheim, I believe) to take him down into the tunnels at gunpoint (even if it's a gas gun). 

While they're down there, sure enough, the air pressure equipment fails. A cave-in is triggered. The Hornet and Markheim run for it, but Markheim falls to the ground as the cave floods and waves of water rush towards them. 

Is the Green Hornet done for?? Find out next week!

This was all pretty entertaining. Actor Gordon Jones does the flighty rich kid bit while remaining likable. He appears (after only one episode, mind you) to have good chemistry with all the other major players. Wade Boteler looks like he'll be enjoyable as the old bulldog Mike Axford. 

Not all of the entertainment was intentional. It's funny to watch car chases go from mid-afternoon to night depending on which car is shown, or film speeded up to make cars appear faster.

All part of the appeal. We'll tackle the second episode in a few days. There are 13 episodes in this series, then another 15 were released the following year under the title The Green Hornet Strikes Again, so plenty of material to go over.