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Revisiting the Original: The Green Hornet by Tony Piazza

July 9, 2012 By tonypiazza 6 Comments

Revisiting the Original: THE GREEN HORNET by Tony Piazza

Van Williams and Bruce Lee in character.

I never got to work on a superhero film; I guess unlike Metropolis and Gotham City, San Francisco wasn’t worth saving. Although James Bond did save Silicon Valley once!

Van as Britt Reed, owner of The Daily Sentinel.

The closest I ever got to a superhero was working with an actor who was briefly “The Green Hornet” on television back in the sixties.

Lee and Williams, production photo.

Van Williams (The Green Hornet/ Britt Reed) was a guest star on “The Streets of San Francisco” and another of those normal guys that was always a pleasure to meet in the entertainment industry. He was also an actual crime fighter in the real world- working for the Sheriff’s Department in Los Angeles County-going after real criminals without his stunt double!

Myself and Van Williams on location for “The Streets of San Francisco.”

He was a pleasure to talk to and I remember that part of our discussion revolved around the (then) recent death of his former partner in the show- Bruce Lee (Kato). Speculation abounded in the press about Lee’s “mysterious death”. Williams said there was no mystery at all, but simply a brain hemorrhage brought on as a result of some past martial arts injury- certainly not murder as the papers were suggesting. How people love mysteries! I remember him mentioning that he enjoyed his work with the Sheriff’s department and talked a great deal about it…and of course about his first love, acting.

His show, “The Green Hornet” was not as campy as the then popular “Batman”, and only lasted two seasons (1966-1967).

Recent publication on The Green Hornet’s History.

Here is some further information regarding The Green Hornet which began as a very popular radio show in the 1930s, two movie serials in the 1940s, and then graduated to television in the 1960s (1966-1967) running alongside Adam West’s “Batman” on the A.B.C. network.

Movie Serial from the 1940s.

It was the brainchild by George W. Trendle and Fran Striker, the same two who created the highly successful Lone Ranger series. The Green Hornet was Britt Reid, a publisher of the Daily Sentinel by day who goes out disguised in his “Green Hornet” identity at night to fight crime. He was accompanied by his Asian valet Kato, who acted as chauffer and drove their car, a technological wonder equipped with an arsenal of advanced technology, called the “Black Beauty”.

1960s Black Beauty.

Sadly I had high expectations for the recent film release of “The Green Hornet,” but was extremely disappointed. It was quite evident neither the star, Seth Rogen, nor anyone connected with that production had a glimmer of an idea what “The Green Hornet” was all about. I’ve never saw such a disregard of the original source material! The Sting of the hornet in this case was what I felt after putting down my hard earned cash at the box office. It was even worse…they charged me ten dollars extra because it was in 3-D…a bad movie looks the same in 3D as it does in two dimensions. The only character that had personality in the film was the car…yes, it was that bad!

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Tony Piazza is the author of the 1930s Hollywood murder mystery novel, “Anything Short of Murder,” which had its roots on the TCM fan website. His next novel, “The Curse of the Crimson Dragon” was released early 2012, and in July of 2013, Tom Logan again was on the case in, “A Murder Amongst Angels.” Two more novels followed, “Murder is Such Sweet Revenge (2015),” and in October of 2017, his latest, “Murder Will Out” – all available on the Amazon website. A new Tom Logan novel is presently in the works. He was an actor/extra during the 1970s and worked with such legends as Steve McQueen, Paul Newman, and Karl Malden. His non-fiction e-book “Bullitt Points” is an in-depth look at the making of “Bullitt” from a person who was there. Look for it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble websites. All profits go to the Boys Republic charity.

Tony Piazza is a member of three prestigious writer’s organizations: Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and the SLO NightWriters. He was also past president of his local chapter of Sisters in Crime.

My earlier bestselling novels, “The Curse of the Crimson Dragon,” “Anything Short of Murder,” “A Murder Amongst Angels,” and “Murder is Such Sweet Revenge” now joins “Murder Will Out” on Amazon’s Kindle at a new, low price of $2.99. Now you can have hours of adventure, thrills, mystery, and romance for the price of a cup of coffee- and just as stimulating! Look for it on Amazon. Print versions have also been reduced.

Find them all on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and wherever fine books are sold. Also available for $2.99 on Kindle.

Also look for “Murder Will Out” in print, e-book, and soon audiobook!

A Special Tour Through Walt Disney Studios by Tony Piazza

July 6, 2012 By tonypiazza 2 Comments

A Special Tour Through Disney Studios by Tony Piazza

In 1967 we were given a tour of Disney Studios in Burbank, California. The tours were, and still are as far as I know, by special invitation only. Ours came through the head of transportation at Universal Studios, a man nick-named “Frenchie” who was a friend of my father. Visiting the studio was always a dream of mine, and I had hoped to someday work there as an animator. One of my talents was as an artist, and I had won awards for my artwork. I did not end up in this profession however, although as you probably know through my blog site, I did work for ten years in the entertainment business.

Campus-like atmosphere of Disney Studios.

We drove up to the guard at his post at the front gate of the studio. He removed his clipboard and scanned the names on the attached pages. Locating ours, he waved us through and indicated where we should park. The reception area’s interior design was still reflecting the 1940s in which the studio was built. The original studio was on Hyperion Avenue but closed in 1940 and the work transferred to this new studio on Buena Vista Street in Burbank. As I sat on the couch, after we announced our presence to the pretty receptionist at the main desk, I glanced around the surroundings taking in one large wall that was covered by a montage of Disney characters, movies, television shows, and theme park images. Each was placed artistically so they formed a pattern that stood out in a three-dimensional relief. Shortly, a guide introduced himself and we took off with two other men, guests as ourselves to a door that directly opened up to the start of the back lot.

Disney Hyperion Sudios.

The back wall of the administration building was fronted by false store fronts that could be seen in numerous Disney films as downtown “Medville”…any small town U.S.A., complete with a small grass park in its center. This tour didn’t provide trams to take us around. There were no need, the studio was very compact, and within a few paces we were crossing a college campus-like surrounding to the old Animation Building located near the center of the complex. The individual streets we crossed were named after Disney characters, and I was amused in passing signs announcing “Dopey Drive” and “Mickey Avenue.”

Inside the Animation Building we were taken to the individual departments. Each room had a story to tell. Inking displayed the many different colors and categorized formulas that were crossed linked to the character’s complexions and costumes. A system set up to guarantee consistency of color schemes throughout the project’s animation process, or several if they were doing “shorts.” In the background department we were told of a woman who had worked all night detailing the background of Sleeping Beauty’s castle stone by stone, only to drop the illustration board and watch her paint flake off. She left in tears. We were also shown the Xerox mimeograph machines that revolutionized animation, and made 101 Dalmatians possible. However, the most fascinating of all was seeing the multiplane camera that was created in 1937 for the animated short, The Old Mill. It was still in use to create those three dimensional- like effects on their feature animations. Finally we were escorted into an animator’s office and were able to visit and watch him at work. The animator was Ken Anderson and he was working on The Aristocats at the time. His assignment was the old lawyer, and he showed us with simple line drawings how he was applying a routine used by comedian Dick Van Dyke to the movements of his character. The lawyer was old, so he used his cane (Van Dyke style) to uncurl his legs and help him stand. He flipped through a series of these drawings which came instantly and convincingly to life. At his work station, one of the other guests commented on the fact that he did not have a mirror. Mirrors were common tools used by illustrators to capture expression- as the animators themselves usually were the actors. His was missing however, and Mr. Anderson said with a smile that it was in his closet, because the last thing he wanted to see first thing in the morning was his reflection!

Entrance to old Animation Building.

Just as a side note; when Mr. Anderson was asked what animation projects were yet to come, he rattled off a number that eventually hit the screen years later. They planned that far in advance! For example, Robin Hood (animated) and Black Caldron were two that he mentioned back in 1967.

Multiplane camera.

After spending a half hour to forty minutes with the animator we were taken to the theater used for screenings and also utlized by the music department for scoring. The control panels for sound mixing were incredible. The theater was not in use at the time, but aside from the orchestra area you could also see sections were actors could be posted for singing or dubbing.

Animator Ken Anderson

Next we walked along the residential block back lot and I could pick out the homes of the Absent-minded Professor– complete with unattached garage where he discovered flubber, the home of the Shaggy Dog, and Pollyanna. The Zorro plaza came after, and then a wilderness area with stream and covered bridge.

Zorro Set.

The tour also included some soundstages where shooting was actually taking place. I remember seeing the interior cabin set, and an actor sitting off to the side in his chair. The film was Rascal and the actor who nodded to me as I gazed over in his direction was veteran character actor JACK ELAM.

Actor Jack Elam

It really was a special experience for me which I will never forget. Less than ten years later KARL MALDEN shared a private performance of his reverend character (his sermon speech) from Pollyanna. He did his bit for me in between the shooting of The Streets of San Francisco. It’s funny how things seem to come around in life.

One last item: My father worked with Disney Productions during the filming of the 360 degree America the Beautiful attraction in Disneyland’s Tomorrowland. He even got in the film! In the San Francisco segment you would have seen him directing traffic at Fisherman’s Wharf.

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Tony Piazza is author of the 1930s Hollywood murder mystery novel, “Anything Short of Murder,” which had its roots on the TCM fan website. His second novel, “The Curse of the Crimson Dragon” was next released early 2012, and in July of this year, his latest Tom Logan Mystery, “A Murder Amongst Angels” was published and is now available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble websites. He was an actor/extra during the 1970s and worked with such legends as Steve McQueen, Paul Newman, and Karl Malden. His non-fiction e-book “Bullitt Points” is an in depth look at the making of “Bullitt” from a person who was there. Look for it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble websites, or at the link posted below. All profits go to the Boys Republic charity: www.bullittpoints.com.

Tony Piazza is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and the SLO NightWriters.

NEW!

The novels that started it all. The first and second novel in the Tom Logan mystery series have become audio books- read by actor James Romick, and is available on Audible, Amazon, and I-tunes.

NEW!

The NEW Tom Logan mystery, “Murder is Such Sweet Revenge” is available in print, e-book, AND SOON, audio book on Amazon and Barnes & Noble websites.

Also:

My earlier bestselling novels, “The Curse of the Crimson Dragon” and “Anything Short of Murder” now joins “A Murder Amongst Angels” and “Murder is Such Sweet Revenge” on Amazon’s Kindle at a new, low price of $2.99. Now you can have hours of adventure, thrills, mystery, and romance for the price of a cup of coffee- and just as stimulating! Look for it on Amazon. Print versions have also been reduced.

Also: The new Tom Logan mystery thriller, A Murder Amongst Angels .

Find them all on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and wherever fine books are sold. Also available for $2.99 on Kindle.

A Visit to Warner Brothers Studios by Tony Piazza

July 6, 2012 By tonypiazza Leave a Comment

A Visit to Warner Brothers Studios by Tony Piazza

I was in Hollywood on April 22^nd 2010. I hadn’t planned the trip, and the reason for being there was not a happy one. A dear family member passed away and was buried at the Forest Lawn Cemetery (Glendale) the previous day. She had a beautiful ceremony in the same chapel that Ronald Reagan and Jane Wyman was married during the 1940’s… in LA everything seems to be connected with Hollywood.

Jane Wyman and Ronald Reagan

Famous Warner Brothers water tower

In any case, we decided to spend an extra day there before traveling back home… and ended up at Warner Brothers Studios. I had been there back in the late 1960s long before the studio was opened to the public (this tour, I believe is something recent). We knew the head of transportation and my family was taken on a private limousine tour of the studio soundstages and back lot. The lot was more complete then. They still had the Western set… although they had just torn down the fort from F Troop. One particular soundstage we visited that day was used in Camelot and the Errol Flynn pirate films…it was very large (one of the largest in Hollywood at the time), and the floor could be turned into a tank and filled with water to contain a large pirate ship mock up. We also watched them film The F.B.I. television show…the director of that episode was a man I would work with a few years later on The Streets of San Francisco, Virgil Vogel (I have mentioned him in an earlier story). I also remember seeing Kim Novak stick her head out of her trailer dressing room to see who we were… I still find that funny.

Kim Novak

I was curious how the studio might have changed from the time I had seen it, and so we decided to take the new tour so I could make a comparison. The main thing I noted was that its’ activities seemed to be more focused on television than film production. The Ellen show seemed to be the big item. Feature film work seemed nonexistent.

On another note: It was strange to see Clint Eastwood’s “Dirty Harry” outfit in the museum… I remember him wearing that wardrobe when I worked with him back in 1973. Also, another soundstage that we stopped to visit on the tour listed on a bronze plaque (under television productions shot there): The Streets of San Francisco… well, that was not entirely true. The police headquarters interior (and only that set) was there for the pilot and first season; after that, even it was constructed in San Francisco in a converted warehouse on Kearny Street. I felt that the plaque gave the impression that the entire show was filmed there. Most of the soundstages we saw were empty, and the ones that were occupied were set up for sitcoms and live audiences.

Eastwood on location for Magnum Force.

Warners Soundstage.

Bronze plaque outside soundstage 1.

They say you can never go back, and I have to admit that I found it kind of sad that most of the Warner’s magic had disappeared with the passage of time. Location work has stolen away a larger portion of the mystique that the movie studio once held for movie going outsiders. Where once great ships sat in studio tanks and mighty palaces adorn soundstages, now the lots are taken up by administration buildings and (in the case of Universal) Theme Park rides. To a lover of classic Hollywood history the time spent at Forest Lawn seemed a prelude for what came later.

City Street on back lot

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Tony Piazza is author of the 1930s Hollywood murder mystery novel, “Anything Short of Murder,” which had its roots on the TCM fan website. His next novel, “The Curse of the Crimson Dragon” was released early 2012 and is now available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble websites. He was an actor/extra during the 1970s and worked with such legends as Steve McQueen, Paul Newman, and Karl Malden. His non-fiction e-book “Bullitt Points” is an in depth look at the making of “Bullitt” from a person who was there. Look for it where fine books are sold, or at the link posted below. All profits go to the Boys Republic charity: www.bullittpoints.com.

On the Location with Freebie, the Bean, and Me!

July 5, 2012 By tonypiazza 2 Comments

On the Location with Freebie, the Bean, and Me!

James Caan, myself, and Alan Arkin

This photograph was taken during the summer of 1974 in front of a trailer dressing room in San Francisco. The photograph was taken by the make-up artist on the feature, Donald Schoenfeld ( 1st Season Hawaii Five-O) . He and his wife Trudy were friends, and co-workers on The Streets of San Francisco. They have both retired and are now living in Hawaii. The exact location of the shoot was the Embarcadero. We had been filming the chase scene for the movie Freebie, and the Bean (1974), and many of the “extras” including myself had brought our cars. One scene called for a car to leap over a guard rail of the Embarcadero Freeway (which is no longer there, it was demolished after the 1989 earthquake), crash through the roof of a building, and end up in a person’s apartment. This was done in three steps. I watched as the automobile, stripped and with dummies was launched by a gas driven catapult over the actual freeway railing and into empty space where it crashed into a dirt lot below. A matte shot was then created by the FX boys to fill this space with a building, and then an interior set was built at the studio where a car slides down a ramp entering into an apartment through the ceiling. Such is the magic of Hollywood! Both JAMES CAAN and ALAN ARKIN were great to work with. Real cut-ups on the set and you can tell that they enjoyed their work. Actually comedies always brought out the funny bone of most actors even behind the scenes. There was just as much fun on the “High Anxiety” set (another comedy I worked on) as there was in front of the camera, but that’s another story for another day.

On the city streets we shot a scene where a stuntman drove a motorcycle on top of automobiles stopped in a jam, and another at Embarcadero Plaza where outside diners at a restaurant were scattered by the partcipants in the chase. As you can tell, it was chaos as one would find in a Keystone Cop scenario.

I also got to meet VALERIE HARPER ( TV’s sit-com, Rhoda). Extremely friendly lady, and she signed an autograph for my girlfriend who was a big fan and asked that I get it, when she heard I would be working with her.

Valerie Harper

It’s Funny, but it seems like only yesterday that I’d been on location with this fun group. However as I sit here typing I’ve calculated that this all took place 38 years ago! Where has time flown.

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Also: The new Tom Logan mystery thriller, A Murder Amongst Angels is now available!

Find it at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and wherever fine books are sold. Also available for $2.99 on Kindle.

Some "Happy Days" Memories by Tony Piazza

July 3, 2012 By tonypiazza Leave a Comment

Some “Happy Days” Memories by Tony Piazza

The Cunningham’s (Bosley and Ross)

I got to work with the Cunningham’s, Mr. and Mrs., on “The Streets of San Francisco.” They were not together however, but on separate episodes. Of course the Cunningham’s were not their real names, but the characters they played on “Happy Days” (1974-1984). I am of course talking about TOM BOSLEY and MARION ROSS. Tom worked on two episodes, and we became friends in spite of the fact that I spilt coffee on his suit- we won’t go into that! The first show we worked together on was an episode that took place on Alcatraz Island in the San Francisco Bay. This was just after the Indian occupation, and we were the first group after the incident to be allowed on the grounds- shortly afterwards this historic former federal prison would be cleaned up and opened by the Park Department for public tours. The place then was a mess, and both Tom and I were sitting out in the rubble strewn exercise yard watching a scene where a stuntman was to take a high fall from one of the walls. I helped him (he had asked my assistance) with his new camera -he was having trouble unlocking some feature on it. He was planning to take pictures of the stunt, and as I said elsewhere, actors are no different than the fans. This acting assignment was prior to his “Happy Days” fame (Season 2: Going Home (1973) with young Brad Savage as his son). The next time he returned (Season 5: Dead or Alive (1976), the crew was really razzing him about his role on “Happy Days”, calling him Mr. Cunningham, etc. He was great about it. In fact I think he enjoyed it!

Tom Bosley

Marion Ross (Season 5: The Thrill Killers (1976)) was a sweetheart. She was Mrs. Cunningham; so kind, thoughtful, and caring. I was sitting next to her on a couch located in the interior of a home we were filming at in the Potrero District of San Francisco. My father had passed out on the set a week earlier due to heart problems and had been in the hospital. That particular day he had been released and came down on the set with my mother. There was a great deal of excitement by the crew at his return, and Marion, not privy to the circumstances, was curious what the fuss was all about. I told her the details and could see the compassion in her eyes as I related the story. She spent some time talking to me as a mother to her son. I can’t say enough kind words about Marion.

Marion Ross

Just as an aside- recently in watching “The Best of the DEAN MARTIN Show” I was reminded at one point in the series that Tom Bosley was a regular in the comedy sketches.

Tom Bosley on The Dean Martin Show

Tom passed away in October of 2010 at the age of 83. Thanks Tom and Marion for such great memories…you certainly were two memorable people!

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Tony Piazza is author of the 1930s Hollywood murder mystery novel, “Anything Short of Murder,” which had its roots on the TCM fan website. His second novel, “The Curse of the Crimson Dragon” was next released early 2012, and in July of 2013, his latest Tom Logan Mystery, “A Murder Amongst Angels” was published and is available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble websites. A new Tom Logan novel has been completed and is scheduled to be released in 2015. He was an actor/extra during the 1970s and worked with such legends as Steve McQueen, Paul Newman, and Karl Malden. His non-fiction e-book “Bullitt Points” is an in depth look at the making of “Bullitt” from a person who was there. Look for it on Amazon and Barnes and Noble websites, or at the link posted below. All profits go to the Boys Republic charity: www.bullittpoints.com.

Tony Piazza is a member of three prestigious writer’s organizations: Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and the SLO NightWriters.

My earlier bestselling novels, “The Curse of the Crimson Dragon” and “Anything Short of Murder” now joins “A Murder Amongst Angels” on Amazon’s Kindle at a new, low price of $2.99. Now you can have hours of adventure, thrills, mystery, and romance for the price of a cup of coffee- and just as stimulating! Look for it on Amazon. Print versions have also been reduced.

Also: The new Tom Logan mystery thriller, A Murder Amongst Angels .

Find them all on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and wherever fine books are sold. Also available for $2.99 on Kindle.

I Was in Mayberry! by Tony Piazza

July 3, 2012 By tonypiazza Leave a Comment

I Was in Mayberry! by Tony Piazza

I never met ANDY GRIFFITH, and the closest I came was when I got a call to work on AMERICAN GRAFFITI, but turned it down to work on THE STREETS OF SAN FRANCISCO. If I had, I would have met Opie, so that would make me once removed from him. I was friends with Richie’s (Ron Howard) dad from HAPPY DAYS, actor Tom Bosley (see my blog entitled, “Happy Days Memories”), so perhaps that counts. However, I was in Mayberry.

During the shooting of one episode of THE STREETS OF SAN FRANCISCO (Title: Jury’s Out) they had to use a soundstage at Desilu Studios. They needed a detailed set supposedly inside a cargo ship, and the San Francisco studio was too small to build it. I went down to Culver City while they were filming, and during a break wandered outside to the studio’s small backlot. Talk about deja vu; there was Sheriff’s Andy’s courthouse office, Goober’s gas station, in other words, there was Mayberry! So I was there, standing out on the street of a place I watched as a child on 60s television…a TV icon…it was so unexpected, but here it was in real life! Needless to say, it was quite an experience.

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