▁the ▁invasion ▁of ▁China ▁by ▁the ▁Empire ▁of ▁Japan ▁made ▁this ▁bad ▁for ▁public ▁relations , ▁and ▁from ▁that ▁year ▁until ▁ 1 9 4 5 ▁" B ritt ▁Re id ' s ▁Japanese ▁v alet " ▁in ▁the ▁show ' s ▁opening ▁was ▁then ▁simply ▁identified ▁by ▁the ▁announ cer ▁as ▁his ▁" fa ith ful ▁v alet ." ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁of ▁Universal ' s ▁two ▁movie ▁serial s , ▁produced ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 9 ▁but ▁not ▁released ▁to ▁the aters ▁until ▁early ▁ 1 9 4 0 , ▁referred ▁in ▁passing ▁to ▁K ato ▁being ▁" a ▁Korean ". ▁ ▁By ▁ 1 9 4 1 , ▁K ato ▁had ▁begun ▁to ▁be ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁Filip ino . ▁ ▁A ▁long - standing , ▁but ▁false , ▁urban ▁legend ▁maintained ▁that ▁the ▁switch ▁from ▁one ▁to ▁the ▁other ▁occurred ▁immediately ▁after ▁the ▁ 1 9 4 1 ▁bomb ing ▁of ▁Pear l ▁Har bor . ▁In ▁serial s , ▁K ato ▁was ▁played ▁by ▁Chinese - born ▁American ▁actor ▁Key e ▁Luke . ▁In ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁film , ▁K ato ▁( play ed ▁by ▁Jay ▁Ch ou ) ▁tells ▁Brit t ▁Re id ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁the ▁Chinese ▁city ▁of ▁Shang hai ; ▁Re id ▁rep lies ▁by ▁saying ▁that ▁he ▁" lo ve [ s ] ▁Japan ". ▁ ▁Television ▁series ▁ ▁The ▁tele vised ▁series ▁of ▁" The ▁Green ▁Hor net " ▁was ▁created ▁and ▁produced ▁by ▁William ▁Do