THIS 10 minute cartoon adventure is rather unremarkable in many respects; yet in other areas, it deserves a much higher ranking. Coming to our 1967 television screens as a part of the CBS Television Network's Saturday morning cartoon line-up as a segment of THE SUPERMAN/AQUAMAN HOUR OF ADVENTURE (Filmation/CBS television), it is the first film of any kind to adapt the DC Comics' superhero, GREEN LANTERN to any media other than to the comics' page.
THIS HOUR LONG superhero fest had its origin in the previous year's THE NEW ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN; which had given a better than expected success to the network than had been expected. Its expansion to a full hour was more of a natural occurrence than a surprise; as it gave the producers a chance to introduce so many other characters from the National Comics stable (DC Comics that is, Schultz) that could reasonably prove successful in the extra-printed page world.
AS FAR AS the adaptation's faithfully rendering the character, we think of it as being a mixed bag of accuracy and fanciful revisionism. Whereas no character, story or literary type could move into the realm of either radio, movies or television without at least some sort of changes being instituted, there are still some elements that should be left untouched.
WHILE ALL THE primary components of the 1960's 'Silver Age' GREEN LANTERN are present, we find that other omissions and additions to be both unnecessary and of little value to the animated storytelling.
WE STILL HAVE one Hal Jordan, fearless test Pilot for the Ferris Aircraft Corporation having been chosen by the super race of the planet Oa, "the Guardians of the Universe" to take the place of the last being to have responsibility in Earth's sector of the Galaxy, one Abin Sur, to be the new GL. The new hero has possession of both a power source ("Green Lantern") as well as his Power Ring; which must be charged from the source every 24 hours.
THIS POWER RING allows GL to fly through the air at the very speed of thought and he can control just about anything; except of course, objects colored yellow. This is said to be due to a defect in the source; which also is a necessary component in rendering the power battery operational.
AS FAR AS any detectable differences with the original comics page list of powers and other elements, we beg to introduce you to our own humble observations.
TO BEGIN WITH, GL's confidant and assistant in the comics was a young Eskimo man called Pieface, an employee of Ferris Aircraft who had deducted GL's true identity as Hal Jordan and was loyal and swore secrecy. This Filmation adaptation changed his name, perhaps as a concession to an early form of Political Correctness to "Kai-Ro."
ADDITIONALLY, EVEN THOUGH "Kai-Ro" speaks on a sort of dialect that is quite reminiscent of that employed by Asians in American films of the 1930's & '40's. (CHARLIE CHAN, MR. MOTO, any and all World War II pictures portraying the Japanese).
FURTHER MORE, THIS little man (a juvenile?) is a sort of Alien being with some degree of superpowers himself! (We didn't know that his Spock-like ears were accompanied by a blue skin tone until today, after screening the cartoon in color! We didn't have color TV until the late '70's!)
OTHERWISE, THE STORYLINE has GL locked in a life and death struggle with the perennial enemy, Evil Star. He get's warnings and reports back to The Guardians of the Universe via the Green Lantern power source (kind of like getting orders from the President and calls back with the final disposition.
WE ARE WITNESS in every episode to GL's reciting an abridged version of his oath; ".........Let those who worship Evil's might beware my power, Green Lantern's Light!"
AS OUR FINAL note, we must mention that Green Lantern's voice was provided by veteran actor, Gerald Mohr; who simultaneously did Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic for Hanna-Barbera's production of THE FANTASTIC FOUR over on ABC.
NOW SCHULTZ, WHOEVER said you can't eat your cake and have it too?
NOTE * Filmation Associates involvement in doing the DC characters started with THE NEW ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN (1966), which did both Superman and Superboy cartoons and reprised voice actors Bud Collyer, Joan Alexander and Jackson Beck; with both Mr. Collyer and Miss Alexander's having done both the SUPERMAN Radio Show as well as the Max Fleischer 1940's SUPERMAN Cartoons.
The show expanded into the 60 minute SUPERMAN/AQUAMAN HOUR OF ADVENTURE the following year, which featured THE JUSTICE LEAGUE OF America; but sans BATMAN for his rights we tied up in the BATMAN TV Series. He came over the next year.
THIS HOUR LONG superhero fest had its origin in the previous year's THE NEW ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN; which had given a better than expected success to the network than had been expected. Its expansion to a full hour was more of a natural occurrence than a surprise; as it gave the producers a chance to introduce so many other characters from the National Comics stable (DC Comics that is, Schultz) that could reasonably prove successful in the extra-printed page world.
AS FAR AS the adaptation's faithfully rendering the character, we think of it as being a mixed bag of accuracy and fanciful revisionism. Whereas no character, story or literary type could move into the realm of either radio, movies or television without at least some sort of changes being instituted, there are still some elements that should be left untouched.
WHILE ALL THE primary components of the 1960's 'Silver Age' GREEN LANTERN are present, we find that other omissions and additions to be both unnecessary and of little value to the animated storytelling.
WE STILL HAVE one Hal Jordan, fearless test Pilot for the Ferris Aircraft Corporation having been chosen by the super race of the planet Oa, "the Guardians of the Universe" to take the place of the last being to have responsibility in Earth's sector of the Galaxy, one Abin Sur, to be the new GL. The new hero has possession of both a power source ("Green Lantern") as well as his Power Ring; which must be charged from the source every 24 hours.
THIS POWER RING allows GL to fly through the air at the very speed of thought and he can control just about anything; except of course, objects colored yellow. This is said to be due to a defect in the source; which also is a necessary component in rendering the power battery operational.
AS FAR AS any detectable differences with the original comics page list of powers and other elements, we beg to introduce you to our own humble observations.
TO BEGIN WITH, GL's confidant and assistant in the comics was a young Eskimo man called Pieface, an employee of Ferris Aircraft who had deducted GL's true identity as Hal Jordan and was loyal and swore secrecy. This Filmation adaptation changed his name, perhaps as a concession to an early form of Political Correctness to "Kai-Ro."
ADDITIONALLY, EVEN THOUGH "Kai-Ro" speaks on a sort of dialect that is quite reminiscent of that employed by Asians in American films of the 1930's & '40's. (CHARLIE CHAN, MR. MOTO, any and all World War II pictures portraying the Japanese).
FURTHER MORE, THIS little man (a juvenile?) is a sort of Alien being with some degree of superpowers himself! (We didn't know that his Spock-like ears were accompanied by a blue skin tone until today, after screening the cartoon in color! We didn't have color TV until the late '70's!)
OTHERWISE, THE STORYLINE has GL locked in a life and death struggle with the perennial enemy, Evil Star. He get's warnings and reports back to The Guardians of the Universe via the Green Lantern power source (kind of like getting orders from the President and calls back with the final disposition.
WE ARE WITNESS in every episode to GL's reciting an abridged version of his oath; ".........Let those who worship Evil's might beware my power, Green Lantern's Light!"
AS OUR FINAL note, we must mention that Green Lantern's voice was provided by veteran actor, Gerald Mohr; who simultaneously did Reed Richards/Mr. Fantastic for Hanna-Barbera's production of THE FANTASTIC FOUR over on ABC.
NOW SCHULTZ, WHOEVER said you can't eat your cake and have it too?
NOTE * Filmation Associates involvement in doing the DC characters started with THE NEW ADVENTURES OF SUPERMAN (1966), which did both Superman and Superboy cartoons and reprised voice actors Bud Collyer, Joan Alexander and Jackson Beck; with both Mr. Collyer and Miss Alexander's having done both the SUPERMAN Radio Show as well as the Max Fleischer 1940's SUPERMAN Cartoons.
The show expanded into the 60 minute SUPERMAN/AQUAMAN HOUR OF ADVENTURE the following year, which featured THE JUSTICE LEAGUE OF America; but sans BATMAN for his rights we tied up in the BATMAN TV Series. He came over the next year.
