Britt Reid took advantage of Muggs when he made his second appearance on the program (December 1, 1936), framing him for a crime he did not commit in order to see a large-scale racketeer sent to prison. Ed Lowry, who made it his business to know a number of underworld informants, later confessed that Muggs was one of them. A shady but lovable Damon Runyon-style character on the series, Muggs was small in size and often repeated that he was always misjudged, a child of fate. “I never was guilty as they made me out,” he explained. “I been abused all me life, s’help me. I been abused.”
Muggs was a wanted man in St. Louis, Missouri. He forgot which house was his late one evening and discovered his mistake — to his advantage. He was in a house loaded with jewels so he fled the state before the cops could catch him. Throughout the series he remained in New York City to avoid arrest and conviction in the Midwest. Casey liked Muggs, even telling Axford that “he’s cute”” in one episode. Muggs, in turn, referred to Miss Case as “Toots.”
For the broadcast of December 24, 1936, Muggs made his third appearance and tried to explain to Miss Case why he was in prison.
CASE: So you’ve been in jail, eh Muggs?
MUGGS: Yere, but don’t make no cracks about it, see? I done somet’n dat I’m proud of. It’s de Green Hornet dat ast me tuh take a short rap.
CASE: The Green Hornet! Good grief!
MUGGS: Yere, I t’ought dat’d make yuh open dem high power eyes.
CASE: Never mind my eyes!
MUGGS: Okay, Toots.
CASE: An’ cut out the Toots!
MUGGS: All right, all right, but lemme tell yuh, by takin’ a short rap in de big house, I helped dat Green Hornet send some real crooks down fer keeps, s’help me! I done a good turn, dat’s what! But now I’m a free man!
When Kato was in Japan visiting family, Muggs appeared in six consecutive episodes. On the broadcast of August 24, 1937, Reid admitted that Muggs was a first-class substitute for the Oriental. Muggs served as a general handyman — except for cooking, which Axford handled with care. Muggs spoke with metaphorical proverbs such as “It’s de end of a beautiful friendship,” “I’m heapin’ coals o’ fire on yer head,” and “I’m filled wit news and bubblin’ over.” This, of course, drove Axford up the wall, but he later admitted after Muggs left that he was going to miss the little guy. (During the broadcast of August 26, 1937, Reid prepared the Black Beauty and comments, “I’ll be glad as Axford to see Kato back. This black beauty begins to show the lack of Kato’s care.”)
On the broadcast of September 7, 1937, Reid explains to Axford the reason why Muggs left town (and the radio program, never to return again). It seems Muggs went west to help the senior Reid straighten out his tangle in the oil fields, so Britt paid for the one-way ticket. Axford remarked, “Wit’ Muggs helping him, he won’t never git things straightened around out there. The chances are he’ll be there from now on.”
NOTES: The above contains excerpts from The Green Hornet: A History of Radio, Motion-Pictures, Comics and Television, by Terry Salomonson and Martin Grams, Jr.
