The Green Hornet – Chapter 11: Disaster Rides the Rails

OUR STORY SO FAR: Britt Reid (Gordon Jones), battling the crime ring in a mayoralty election, secures evidence that ballot boxes have been “stuffed.”  The “ring” candidate is elected, and The Sentinel demands a court order for a recount.  Monroe (Cy Kendall) hurries his henchmen to seize and destroy the ballots.  But The Green Hornet gets possession of the ballots and starts with them in an armored car to a safe hiding place, pending the court’s order.  Monroe learns of the route taken by the armored car, and at a dangerous curve in the mountain pass…

…the armored vehicle falls fender first into a ravine, prompting the henchmen responsible to do a dance in the end zone.  Okay, that might be a slight exaggeration—but Andrew T. Thug (Ralph Dunn) and his polka-dot tie partner are positively exuberant at seeing the Hornet die in a horrible car wreck.  “That takes care of the Hornet,” crows Andy.  “Now to get those ballots out of the wreck and destroy them!”

Not so fast, my fine feathered henchman!  The buzzing sound of the Black Beauty’s motor can be heard in the distance, as faithful valet Kato (Keye Luke) is tearing up mountain roads to catch up to his boss.  “Scram out of here, quick!” Andy tells his partner, and they quickly become vapor.  Kato pulls up to a process screen just as the Hornet is getting to his feet—suck on that, Regis Toomey!

KATO: You hurt badly?

HORNET: No…those armored cars are built for protection…

Well…perhaps.  But they’re not built for people to drive over a cliff, hoping to walk away without a scratch afterward.  The Hornet and Kato then hear sirens in the distance.

KATO: The police!

HORNET: Good!  They’ll take the ballots in the armored car and keep them until the court order to impound them comes through…

We got a glimpse of the cops driving along the same mountain road destination…but how do the Hornet and Kato know they’re cops?  It could be more of Monroe’s henchmen, driving a car with a fake siren and laughing their asses off at having fooled our heroes.  Still, the Hornet is a gambling man…and his bet pays off, as we witness in these screaming Sentinel headlines:

Naturally, this news does not come as a panacea to criminal kingpin Curtis Monroe…but you’d think with the empire he’s running in that town he could afford to start a rival paper to counteract all that do-gooder Sentinel propaganda.  We find him in his Bradley Building office, along with his loyal lackey, Joe Ogden (Arthur Loft).

MONROE: They’re closing in on us, Ogden…every move we make is blocked by the Green Hornet…

OGDEN: Better get in touch with Max Gregory and tell him to take it easy…if the Hornet discovers he’s sending munitions out of the country, we’ll have the G-men on us as well as the police…and the Hornet!

MONROE: Better get Max on the phone…

Monroe hands Ogden the telephone despite it being next to him because, as we have discussed earlier, Monroe does not sully himself with the menial duties of telephoning subordinates.  (Or he could be a germaphobe.)  As Joe dials Max’s office, there is a dissolve to that very destination…and we are introduced to the actor playing Gregory, Frederick Vogeding (billed in the opening credits as “Fredrik”).  Vogeding, born in Holland in 1887, appeared in several German silent films in the teens before moving to the United States in 1920, where he did a handful of films and then launched a successful stage career.  His return to the movies in 1933 with Below the Sea guaranteed him much work in future films such as Murder on the Blackboard, Charlie Chan at the Olympics, Confessions of a Nazi Spy and So Ends Our Night.  Vogeding’s impenetrable accent in this serial would make even Bela Lugosi say: “You wanna run that by me again?”

GREGORY (answering the phone): Yes…Max Gregory speaking…all right, put him on…

OGDEN (handing the phone to Monroe): Here…

MONROE: Gregory?  You better get that last shipment of munitions off your hands at once…

GREGORY: Young Roberts is making things difficult…I was about to go and see him…perhaps you could suggest some way of putting on pressure…

MONROE: I’ll take care of it…he’s got a warehouse at 39th and Grove, hasn’t he?

We never get an answer to this question because a screen wipe then shows us Britt Reid tooling along metropolitan streets in his merry automobile with his bodyguard and comic relief Michael Axford (Wade Boteler) riding shotgun.

AXFORD: With the new mayor in office, we got the hoodlums on the run…maybe now we can take a little time off and run down the Green Hornet…heh heh heh…

REID: That’s a pretty large order—isn’t it, Michael?  What do you want me to do—give you six months’ vacation with pay or something?

AXFORD: Six months, is it?  Give me six days and I’ll run the spalpeen to end…

Axford becomes distracted by the sound of sirens, and glancing back sees stock footage of fire engines en route to more stock footage of that National Produce Company building ablaze, as mentioned by BBFF Stacia in her current write-up of The Phantom Creeps (Chapter 8: “Trapped in the Flames”).  (This serial also used the same footage when the bad guys were burning down the Lynch Clothing and Dyeing establishment in Chapter 9.)  Reid and Axford pull over to the side of the street to get a better look, and as the stock footage burns on…

REID: That’s one of Roberts’ warehouses!

AXFORD: John Roberts?  The young fella whose brother was killed by the racketeers?

REID: Yeah!

As told in Chapter 7, in case you need a refresher.

AXFORD: Well, do you think the same gang maybe started this fire?

REID: Very likely…you go in there and find out all you can about who did start that fire…I’m going to John’s office…

Back in the write-up for Chapter 7, I wasn’t able to identify the actor who played the part of John Roberts…but new information has come to light, and the role of Johnny is essayed by actor Jerry Marlowe.  For reasons I can’t quite fathom, the IMDb identifies his character’s name as “Bob Stafford”—I don’t where the hell they came up with that.  (Oh, and I do apologize to those of you out there whose faith in the infallibility of the IMDb has been shaken…there was no malice meant, I assure you.  What?  You did not see me with my fingers crossed, you big fibber…) Anyway, let’s eavesdrop on a telephone conversation inside Bob Stafford’s John Roberts’ office.

JOHNNY (on the phone): …you say you’ve got the fire under control?  You don’t know how it started… (Reid enters Roberts’ office while his conversation continues) All right…I’ll have the insurance people come down…thanks… (He hangs up the phone and then looks up) Britt Reid!  Gosh, am I glad to see you!

“Where’s that twenty you owe me, you deadbeat?!!”

REID: Hello, John…I overheard your phone conversation…so that fire did cause you considerable damage…?

JOHNNY: Yes…of course, my insurance will cover the actual loss…but I’ll lose a lot of important customers …and…well…

REID: Spill it!

JOHNNY (angrily getting up from his desk): That fire wasn’t accidental!  Someone’s trying to drive me into line same as they did Charles…

REID: What’s the racket?

JOHNNY: Well, it’s this way: I’ve kept this business up to the standard that Charles set…as you know, we do a lot of shipping by rail and carload lots…well, the other day a fellow came in and demanded that I allow him to ship under my bill of laden…wanted to commandeer my space…

REID: What do you mean?

JOHNNY: Well, if I was sending two cars, he’d take over one…wouldn’t tell me who he was or what he was shipping but he made it clear that I’d have trouble if I refused…

REID: Hmm…so that fire was the result of your refusal?

JOHNNY: I’m sure of it…oh, there’s been a series of smaller attacks—breakdowns of trucks, attacks on my drivers…

REID: You notify the police?

JOHNNY: No…you remember what happened to Charles when he went to the police…

Actually, I do remember…Charles (Kenneth Harlan) went to Britt Reid, not the gendarmes…and someone busted a cap in his ass as a result.  A screen wipe finds us back at Max Gregory’s, where Dean (Walter McGrail), Henchman of the Year for three years running, has entered the office.

GREGORY: Very well done, Dean…this fire will bring young Mr. Roberts to terms…

I didn’t know Henry Fonda was in this serial!  (Look away, Stacia!)

DEAN: I have one more new surprise for him…down at the harbor…then he’ll talk turkey…

GREGORY: Very good…I’ll talk again to Roberts tomorrow…

DEAN: Better not…he knows you, and now might spring something…let me handle it…

GREGORY: All right!

Why do you think they call them “henchmen” in the first place?  Back at Acme Transportation, our heroic newspaper publisher is working on being one step ahead of Max Gregory and his goons.  He’s arranged for ace Sentinel reporter Jasper Jenks (Philip Trent) to hide in Charles Roberts’ former office while brother Johnny raps with the representative who’s planning to come by and discuss his shakedown…

REID: All right, John…you talk to him out here…put Jenks in the other room so he can hear what he has to say…

JOHNNY: I sure appreciate this, Britt…

REID: Well, we’ve got to rid this city of those crooks…see ya later…

There is then a scene dissolve to that same office, with John hanging up the telephone and telling Jenks: “He’s on his way up now…better get inside…”  Jasper goes into the inner office just as Dean makes his entrance.

JOHNNY: What can I do for you?

DEAN (after giving the office the once-over): You’re Roberts, huh?

JOHNNY: That’s right…what do you want?

DEAN: Listen, buddy…you can save yourself a lot of trouble…we made you a proposition which you refused—but in view of what’s happened since…maybe you’ve changed your mind…?

JOHNNY: You mean that you and your crowd were responsible for that warehouse fire?

DEAN: Never mind that…

Oooh!  Missed it by that much…

DEAN: …we’re givin’ you one last chance to come in with us unconditionally…

JOHNNY: Yes…but I’ve got to know what your name is and what you propose to ship…

DEAN: You wanna know too much…

Damn it!  He’s a crafty essobee.  “Look out for trouble,” are his parting words to young Roberts, and he exits the Acme office.  Jenks emerges from his hideout in the inner office, whereupon Johnny informs him: “Careful, Jenks—I think he suspected something.”

He does indeed.  Jenks starts to trail Dean, but Dean is onto him—and says as much once he reaches a waiting automobile whose passengers include Andy the Thug, Corey (Gene Rizzi) and Pete the Coward (John Kelly).  “Sentinel reporter following me,” he tells his buddies.  “Get him.”  And they do just that—when Jenks walks by the car, Andy leaps out from the back to grab Jenks while Corey exits the vehicle from his shotgun position.

JENKS: Hey, what is this—a stick-up?

COREY: Just another scoop for The Sentinel…

He socks Jenks on the jaw…and though Jasper may be a first-rate reporter, he’s a marshmallow when it comes to street fighting; he’s knocked unconscious and Andy pulls him into the back seat of the car.  Corey and Dean then get in and with the rabbit-like Pete at the wheel the automobile pulls away.

It doesn’t look good for Jasper—but fortunately for him, his boss has been watching all this from a few car lengths back; Reid has donned a pair of sunglasses (the future’s so bright, you know) and Kato, who’s at the wheel, is wearing his traditional “I-have-to-chauffeur-the-Hornet-around” gear.  “They got Jenks—step on it!” Reid tells his valet, and the chase is on.

Well, it would be had Kato ignored the rules of the road.  Pausing to stop at a red light like a thoughtful motorist (and not a guy trying to thwart an abduction), the car carrying the kidnapped Jenks pulls ahead of Reid and Kato, and is soon out of sight.

KATO: Sorry, Mr. Britt…I have lost them…

REID: Maybe not…I caught the license number…

Oh, yeah…that will stop those hoodlums from manhandling your star reporter, Britt.  Reid’s kind of got a cavalier attitude about this—maybe he was getting ready for mass staff layoffs and just figures he’s caught a break.  In the villains’ car, Dean compliments Pete on his driving skills and then instructs him to take Jenks to Max Gregory’s office.  “Take him up by the freight elevator in the rear,” he advises his pal.

In Gregory’s office, Max dictates a letter to an assistant…

GREGORY: “…and final negotiations with Roberts are now underway…if all goes well, the shipment of bombs will go forward at once”…that’s all…put it in code, and get it off immediately…

(Buzzing sound)

ASSISTANT: The private door, sir…

GREGORY: That will be Dean…with the report on Roberts…let them in!

Gregory’s assistant goes over to “the private door” and ushers in Dean, Corey, Pete and Andy…who are dragging a bound-and-gagged Jenks with them.

GREGORY: What is this?  What have you got here?

DEAN: Sentinel man…Roberts had him planted to trail me…

GREGORY: What did you bring him up here for?

DEAN: We’d no chance to get rid of him…and…he knows too much to turn him loose…

GREGORY: That means we’ve got to strike at his shipment tonight!  (To Andy and Pete) Throw him in that closet!  I’ll have him taken care of later!

Andy and Pete carry Jenks into the closet like a cord of wood, and then Gregory tells them: “At Clearwater Junction you’ll board a train,” he barks.  “You’ll get your final instructions from Monroe.”  The men exit at the fade-out, and then we are whisked to the palatial penthouse pad of publisher Reid, who is just finishing a phone call with “Thanks for your cooperation.”

KATO: The traffic bureau gave you the name of the owner of the car?  That carried off Mr. Jenks?

REID (as he thumbs through a phone book): Yes…it’s…registered to a Max Gregory… (He pauses as he scans a page): Here it is…311 Gardner Building…

I’m guessing there was no office space available at the Bradley the week Gregory set up shop.  Reid informs Kato that they’re going to pay a visit to the Teutonic Terror…in the guise of the Green Hornet!  You know the drill by now…he suits up, heads out the secret passageway, stock footage of car taking corners on two wheels, yadda yadda yadda.

GREGORY (to his assistant): Take a message in wireless code…”Roberts has again balked…the train…carrying Roberts’ shipment…will be boarded at Clearwater Junction…”

Lots of curves, you bet.  Even more when you get…to the junction.

GREGORY: “…at midnight tonight…Roberts’ cars…and everything behind them…will be uncoupled on the long grade…west of summit”…that’s all…put it into code…

HORNET (entering the office through the window): Never mind the code!  I’ll take it as it is!

ASSISTANT: The Green Hornet!

HORNET: Give it to me!

(The assistant looks at Gregory, who nods assent.  Assistant then removes the paper from his typewriter and hands it to G.H.)

GREGORY: Glad to see you, Hornet…we’ve decided we could make good use of you in our organization…if we can come to terms…

HORNET: I’ll dictate the terms—I’m taking over your organization!  I know all about it!

Inside his closet, Jenks furiously tries to loosen his bonds.  The negotiations continue outside.

GREGORY: But the Green Hornet…might need help…transporting secret munitions…

HORNET: Not from you, Gregory!  All I want are the names of your associates!

GREGORY: All right…you have the upper hand…I guess I have no other choice…

“Except to have my assistant futilely try to restrain you while I fake-hand you a list!”  Yes, Maxie goes for that above gambit…and finds himself on the receiving end of a puff of smoke from the Hornet’s gas gun…

…and shaking the assistant off of him, he gives him a dose as well.  As the Hornet starts to go through the unconscious Gregory’s pockets, Jasp emerges from the closet…and does something hysterically funny: he tries to hit the Hornet with a chair but G.H. manages to duck out of the way in time.  The Hornet then looks at Jenks for a few seconds, as if to say: “And just what did you think you were going to accomplish with that?”

HORNET: Another one, eh?  What’s your connection with this gang?

JENKS: I’m not one of this outfit—I’m after it!  I’m a reporter from The Sentinel…

HORNET: The Sentinel, eh?  That muckraking reform sheet…I suppose you’re after the reward for the capture of the Hornet!

JENKS: Reward or no reward, The Sentinel’s out to get you and the rest of the crooks in this town!  You keep me here—the rest of this gang’s gone out to wreck a train!

HORNET: And blame it on me, eh?  Well, I’ll take care of that—phone the police…these men are wanted for munitions and gun running… (He cautiously circles the room, trying to get to the door) And don’t try to follow me!

“I have a car waiting!”  When the Hornet exits, Jenks does a momentary bit of hesitation as to whether to pursue his story or phone the authorities to mop up the two guys passed out in the office…and phoning the authorities wins.  Meanwhile, the Black Beauty races up those oh-so-familiar mountain roads…but there’s a new twist in the scenario:

Yowsah!  A thunderstorm!  “Faster, Kato,” the Hornet tells his driver, “that storm is getting close!”  And at Clearwater Junction, Corey, Pete and Andy watch stock footage of the same train from Chapter 2—I’ll bet that at the time they filmed two men jumping board the train (Dean and Corey) that they then filmed three men hopping the same freight not too long afterward.  So our three goons are in the caboose, ordering the guys already in there to amscray usterbay “and jump!”  (Might as well jump.)  “Jump forward, you two,” Corey barks at Pete and Andy, “uncouple Roberts’ cars.”  (Where is Dean during all this?  Paperwork back at the Bradley?)

You will notice in the above screen cap, by the way, that both Andy and Pete are attired only in a pair of cheap suits.  I will elaborate on this in a bit, but in the meantime…

….we have a stock shot of the Black Beauty zooming through the hills…only with a little rain superimposed over it…

…and a previously-used shot of the Hornet boarding the train (also from Chapter 2)…only with a little rain superimposed over it.  Movies are magic, mon cher!  But not so magical that they can explain this:

Yes, that’s Andy and Pete running along the top of the train…wearing rain slickers.  Where did they come from?  (Maybe they were concealed in those cheap suits, like Superman’s costume.)

Well, back to our story.  The Hornet has invaded Corey’s space in the caboose (even though the previous shot shows him coming aboard mid-train—he must have doubled back), and the henchman’s creative excuse for his presence on the train is good for a healthy chuckle:

HORNET: Drop that gun and stay where you are!

COREY: The Green Hornet!

It ain’t The Masked Marvel, kiddies.

HORNET: Talk fast!  Who’s on this job with you and where are they?

COREY: What job?  You got me all wrong…I’m just bumming a ride!

“I’m a hobo in a three-piece!”

HORNET: You’re here to wreck this train… (Pointing the gas gun at him) Spill it, or take the consequences!

COREY: No!  Don’t shoot…I’ll talk…the others are up front…

Yes indeedy they are!  And having uncoupled the necessary cars, the jostling in the caboose knocks the Hornet off balance, allowing Corey a slight advantage in their tussle that follows.  (And yes, the Hornet does say “It’s no use—you haven’t a chance!” during the fracas.)

What happens next?  I hear you ask.  Well, because the last two minutes of this chapter descend into an edition of Mostly Dark Theater, it’s mostly just stock footage of a runaway train barreling down the tracks while the Hornet and Corey duke it out in the back of the caboose.  Meanwhile, another train on the tracks stands to smash right into the uncoupled train cars, and a railroad operator struggles to switch the tracks to avoid a collision.  He manages to do so in the nick of time…but the runaway train on which the Hornet and Corey are still conducting their pas de deux goes over an embankment with them inside.  Poorly lit scenes may be the B-director’s best friend, but since they also make for crappy screen captures, we’ll leave it here until next week’s chapter…