In March 1967, The Green Hornet and his sidekick Kato guest starred on the popular Batman TV show. Of course like every other time superheroes have crossed paths there had to be a misunderstanding and ensuing fisticuffs.
On paper the main event was Batman vs Green Hornet but what everybody really wanted to see was Robin vs Kato, because Kato was played by kung fu sensation, Bruce Lee, in his first Hollywood role. The Green Hornet only aired one season from 1966-1967. It was Bruce Lee’s first american on-screen work, but it even this early on it was obvious there was something special about him. There was no question he would destroy Robin in a fight especially the campy version of Robin in the 1960’s TV series.
Batman was much more popular and it was his show so the script was to have Batman and Robin win the fight. This didn’t go over well with Lee. He refused to lose to Robin and walked off the set. Has a compromise the scene was re-written to have the fight end in a draw and the rest is TV history.
Did Bruce Lee really want to kill Burt Ward?
There are a lot of rumors about this scene saying that Burt Ward, the actor who played Robin, was trash talking (trash talking Bruce Lee? Are you crazy?) and Lee planned to fight for real and kick his ass to prove a point.
In Ward’s book: “Boy Wonder: My Life in Tights” he explains that this was partially true (not the trash talking part). He says that leading up to to the fight scene Lee decided to play a joke on him, he didn’t say a word, he just starred at him and acted angry all day. When they started filming Lee acted like he was going to fight for real, which terrified Ward and put him into a panic until Lee laughed revealing that it was all a joke.
Ward also mentioned in his book, that he has a black belt in Taekwondo, and that him and Lee were friends before the they met onscreen. They lived in the same condo complex, often went to dinner together and even trained and sparred together.
Kato vs Robin
Watch the Epic Battle for yourself:
The Story Behind The Batman/Green Hornet Crossover:
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All that Robin (Bruce Ward) had to do was to put Kato (Bruce Lee) between his thighs in a crotch to face scissors hold on or a school boy crotch pin and Kato (Bruce Lee) would have been in la la land rendered totally helpless in one of the nicest places he could ever hope to be.
You have to remember how flexible Bruce was & could get out of anything in retribution, leaving his opponent facing the floor!
GTFOH
Bruce lee a very good martial arts there no way that Burt ward could bet him Bruce lee was the best in the world
bruce lee went on and became bigger then batman and the green hornet with his movies all over the world then all of the cast put together and the tv shows from the 1960’s did. did more then just robin .
1. Bruce Lee wasn’t Robin. 2. Bruce Lee movies suck.
3. Adam West made way more money as he still voices today.
The way.Robin.was scripted in the TV show with no brains and hardly any fighting skills. Kato would have destroyed him in a fight.
Batman (as written in the show) wouldn’t have faired much better. If Kato was taking on the real Batman and Robin characters from the books, I can see a real fight happening. But in the show. Kato beats them with Extreme ease
Adam West &Burd Ward was very good.
Hum,Ward stated he was afraid !! But! I was shock to hear Chuck Norris say he was nothing more then actor. So I just figured white people want to be sole leaders, so they make up super hero’s empowering the race by not showing them the truth,just illusions and fantasy and making them believe it all true. Whites show no more truth then the day they stole a land after polluting there own by history just as the devil was made to put fear in man God is and should always be fear for he has many faces yet he is all judge jury executioner