Richard Simmons starred as Sergeant William Preston, a Canadian Mountie who maintained law and order amidst the rugged Northwest Territories of the 1890s with his sidekicks Rex the horse and Yukon, King, a malamute dog. 

"Sergeant Preston of the Northwest Mounted Police with Yukon King, swiftest and strongest lead dog breaking the trail in the relentless pursuit of lawbreakers, in the wild days of the Yukon. Back to the days of the Gold Rush, as Sergeant Preston, with his wonder dog, Yukon King, meets the challenge of the Yukon. [map of Yukon Territory appears] This is the Yukon ." -- Opening Narration

Preston, an American citizen, joined the Mounties in 1898, so he could track Spike Wilson, the man who killed his father. Wilson is captured, sentenced to live imprisonment, but then escapes from prison. Preston recaptures Wilson (who in now sentenced to death) and receives a promotion to Sergeant.

When Sergeant Preston captured the bad guys he turned to his faithful canine sidekick and said: "Well King, looks like this case is closed!"

Here are some examples of Sergeant Preston's adventures:

• Preston helps an ex-convict falsely accused of robber
• Preston thwarts a plot to fix a dog sled race.
• Preston helps a couple who inherited a bandit-filled ghost town.
• Preston encounters a desperado who steals gold claim.
• Preston and the US Marines battle a gang of gold smugglers.
• Preston investigates greedy men selling food at exorbitant rates.
• Preston is the targeted for revenge by a psychopathic killer.
• Preston foil whaling ship sailors bent on enslaving local Eskimos
• Preston's traveling companions turn out to be gold thieves.
• Preston gets in a fire fight with tobacco smugglers.
• Preston, injured, seeks shelter in a cabin inhabited by madman.
• Preston helps a trapper accused of murder prove his innocence.
• Preston helps when lumberman threaten Indian hunting grounds.
• Preston and King track killers with the help of a blind Husky.
• Preston trails thieves who stole a sick boy's dog.
• Preston and a little Indian boy track down gold thieves.
• Preston poses as a prospector to catch a gang of counterfeiters.
• Preston uncover a couple of bank robbers posing as locals.
• Preston helps a Texan victimized by a couple of com men.
• Preston tracks crooks who waylaid a dog sled gold shipment.
• Preston prevents claim jumpers from stealing a boy's gold strike.
• Preston tracks down a prospector's stolen diamond necklace.
• Preston encounters two hold up men who threaten to reveal a man's past if he doesn't give them shelter and medical aid.
• Preston thwarts the plot of an greedy Englishmen to kill his young cousin and rightful heir, so he can inherit a fortune.
• Preston helps a prospector's Collie dog identify the murderers of his owner.

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Memorabilia

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TRIVIA NOTE: The series was filmed in the mountains of California and Colorado. Narration on the series was performed by Fred Foy.

Sergeant Preston first appeared on network radio from 1947 to 1955. The character was created by George W. Trendle and Fran Striker, who also developed The Lone Ranger and The Green Hornet.

Richard Simmons began his acting career as a stunt double for Ronald Colman in the movie The Prisoner of Zenda (1937).

Obituaries: Richard "Dick" Simmons: 01/11/2003;

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External Links

• Sergeant Preston of the Yukon (IMDb)

 

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