Dorathen Better Late Then Never

ShangLuda Admirable film.

Doomtomylo a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.

Marva-nova Amazing worth wacthing. So good. Biased but well made with many good points.

classicsoncall I'm sure I speak for a lot of folks in my age bracket who grew up in the 1950's when I say that it was probably the greatest time ever to be a kid. Saturday mornings spent with The Lone Ranger, Roy Rogers, Wild Bill Hickok, Sky King, and yes - Sergeant Preston of the Yukon! As another reviewer for this series mentions, the values of a generation were formed by the honesty and integrity of these heroes of the silver screen. Watching these stories today takes one back to a simpler time, and granted, even though things are a lot more complex today, any single episode of any of these shows helps one put things in proper perspective when it comes to telling right from wrong.In many respects, one could categorize 'Sergeant Preston' as a TV Western, in fact, it's included in Harris M. Lentz's 'Television Westerns Episode Guide' for all Western series airing from 1949 to 1996. Just like many other non-traditional Western series are included, such as 'Circus Boy', 'Adventures of Rin-Tin-Tin' and 'My Friend Flicka'. The common denominator for all these shows is an unerring principal that good triumphs over evil and honesty is the best policy."Sergeant Preston of the Yukon" aired from September 1955 to September 1958, a three season total of seventy eight shows. It's star was Richard Simmons, somewhat ironic in retrospect as most people today would associate that name with the exercise and weight loss guru who seems to pack on the pounds as he ages. Other than Roy Rogers, Sergeant Preston is the only principal Western TV character I can think of that had two animal sidekicks. Roy of course had Trigger and Bullet, while Preston had Yukon King and Rex. Apparently, King had a much better agent as he appeared in every show, while Rex was primarily featured in the first season with twenty appearances.Recently I've watched a handful of episodes, and with the passage of time, one's expectations wind up taking a hit as it were. The stories are relatively simplistic, sometimes even goofy. Don't take this the wrong way, the same can be said of a couple of my other favorite childhood hero series, The Lone Ranger and Superman. It's just the way things were back in the early days of TV with unsophisticated stories pretty much pitting the good guys versus the bad guys with the white hats always on the winning side. Or in the case of Sergeant Preston, the guys in the red coats. Speaking of which, when I saw these episodes back in the day, it would have been on a black and white TV, but some of the shows I've seen recently were done in color, or at least what passed for color with a somewhat muddied and muted palette.In any event, I can still look back on Sergeant Preston as one of my boyhood heroes with a fond memory. Simmons' character was a staunch, no nonsense individual that commanded respect and admiration, and if it weren't for all that snow and ice, I'd want to follow right in his footsteps.

macdan Takes me back..... I remember this series fondly. It taught morals, values, tolerance for others & respect for the law and it did it with good stories and solid acting.Rex & Yukon King were a big part of the series. Dick Simmons looked every bit the Mountie and could sit Rex well on his English saddle. He was even better with sled & team of huskies with King in the lead of course. This was one of the few 50s shows shot in color but shown in B & W.Big Bear Lake Ca was as close as Hollywood could approximate for the Yukon in the 50s. So sit back relax and enjoy "...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." ...."On King, on you huskies!!!!"

John T. Ryan "THE CHALLENGE OF THE YUKON", a Radio Series from the fertile program hatchery of Radio Station WXYZ, Detroit, made its debut on February 3, 1938 as a 15 minute installment. The series followed the adventures of one Sergeant Preston of the Northwest Mounted Police and his Horse, Rex and his canine ally, "…Yukon King, the swiftest and strongest lead dog in the North!" It later became a half-hour weekly show on the ABC Radio Network.It was during this period that the show acquired a regular sponsor in the Quaker Oats Company. It's Quaker that was responsible for the Nations supply of nice, piping hot and wholesome Quaker Oat Meal, as well those two "shot from guns" and ready to eat twins of breakfast, Quaker Puffed Wheat and Quaker Puffed Rice.Anyone who ever heard one of the shows would not soon forget the excitement generated by one of their radio episodes. There was a certain enchanting and heart-felt spectrum of moods generated in these episodes. The main story lines were propelled forward and necessary exposition was ably handled by the golden voiced narrator. We were bombarded with a variety of rich, image-forming sounds. The wind constantly whistling through the lofty coniferous pines, spruce, balsam and larches, was a constant reminder of the great, snowy wilderness being portrayed.And that my, dear reader, brings us to a most important element in creating an exciting, memorable drama; be it feature film, television or (especially) radio. That is the music, both themes (sort of the 'Overture' of the radio play) and the incidental music for creating mood and serving as queues for impending action sequences.Much like the two other highly successful series that came out of WXYZ, Sgt. Preston's "THE CHALLENGE OF THE YUKON" would have a theme culled from the seemingly endless library of Classical Music compositions. They would provide a great list of substantive, charming and memorable fine and adaptable scores. And they all just about all happened to be in Public Domain. The WXYZ staff had previously chosen the Finale from Rossini's Overture to his Opera, WILLIAM TELL and virtually made it their own as the theme for their own immortal radio series, "THE LONE RANGER". Likewise, when the Masked Man's great,great nephew, Newspaper Publisher, Britt Reid, was in need of a similarly rich and memorable "tune" for a theme, what they pressed into service was Rimzky-Korsakov's The Flight of the Bumble Bee." Hence, it became forever identified with THE GREEN HORNET.So two good themes were taken, but there were plenty of fish in the sea. What was chosen for "THE CHALLENGE OF THE YUKON", which was officially renamed "SERGEANT PRESTON OF THE YUKON" in 1951, was a lesser known composition by a not as 'famous' composer. It was Nichlaus von Reznicek's overture from his Opera,'Donna Diana'. Once heard it's powerful, lively and triumphant melodies will not soon be forgotten.As an adaptation from Radio, the TV Series of SERGEANT PRESTON OF THE YUKON made the transition as smoothly as one could hope. The voice over narration was continued, but as you would expect, it was in a slightly diminished capacity; the visual medium being not so demanding as Radio.Overall, it sounded much like the Radio version had been; what with the ever whistling North Wind, Lead DogYukon King's barking, his sled dog team, Rex his horse and the good Sergeant's frequent shouts of "ON KING!" and "MUSH, YOU HUSKIES!" The choice of the lead to portray the Mountie Sergeant was a crucial one and its selection was well done. In discharging their duty of auditioning and finding the right man they could't have made a better choice. Tall, burly and broad shouldered Richard Simmons was chosen. (Not that one, who was still in diapers then.) He cut a fine figure in his red tunic, dark blue side-striped pants and Pershing-style brown hat.Furthermore, and just as importantly, Mr. Simmons sounded like the Radio actor who originated the role. So it was with a rich, baritone that all of the Good Sgt.'s various and oft used commands of, "On King", "Mush You Huskies" and "I arrest you in the Name of the Crown", were heard.And much like "THE LONE RANGER" TV Series, there was plenty of outdoor shooting to add authenticity to whatever studio and back lot "town" shots that they did. We had thought that it was around Lake Tahoe, on the Nevada-California border that starred and doubled for the Canadian Yukon Territory. But we have since then been informed that it was done a California's Big Bear Lake. (I guess I wasn't far off, but no matter!) That locale provided a beautiful array of, large, snow-covered expanses of looked like fine skiing country. The location was ringed by great growths of pine forest; giving it an authentic look of the arctic. Later episodes, being filmed in Color, made for an excellent record or even a travelogue for this part of Northern (?) California.One item that Sgt. Preston retained from his Radio Days was the all important Sponsor. Good, old reliable Quaker Oats. After signing on in the '40's, they continued their association with the show up until the end of the TV run. And it is this that will surely awaken a very fond memory of Sgt. Preston. "And that would be…….?", I hear you ask.Sometime during the run of the TV Series, Quaker offered "inside specially marked boxes" of Quaker Puffed Wheat and Puffed Rice, one special Land Deed to One Square Foot of Yukon Territory. (I tink it wuz 1 foot! Any body 'member dat?) When considered today, the whole body of the Sgt. Preston saga, it appears that he truly made a fine impression in our national psyche as a great, immortal symbol of Law & Order and all that is good in Canada and her Neighbor to the South.

Bookwus With these words, Sergeant Preston and his loyal dog, Yukon king always got their man. Played by Richard Simmons, Sergeant Preston patrolled the western reaches of the Canadian frontier in the 1890s. Action and justice in such locales as Yellowknife, Dawson, and Whitehorse were seen each Saturday morning by the same kids who had just finished watching The Lone Ranger and Sky King. The series episodes featured stories set against the harsh extremes of the Yukon winter and summers in the Canadian Rockies. To match the climate, Preston would trade his dogsled for his horse, Rex. King was along wherever the good sergeant went.Simmons was the perfect embodiment of Sergeant Preston, the pride of the Northwest Mounted. To this day (despite Due South) when I picture a Mountie......it's always Sergeant Preston. And of those of who watched the show as kids, who can forget that stirring theme music and the words with which Sergeant Preston closed each episode, "Well King, this case is closed."