Challenge of the Yukon / Sgt Preston

Renfrew of the Mounted

The Silver Eagle

 

 

"On, King! On, you huskies!"

 

The Challenge of the Yukon was an adventure series about Sergeant William Preston of the Northwest Mounted Police and his lead sled dog, Yukon King, as they fought evildoers in the Northern wilderness during the Gold Rush of the 1890s. Preston had joined the Mounties to capture his father's killer, and when he was successful he was promoted to Sergeant. Typical plots involved the pair helping injured trappers, tracking down smugglers, or saving cabin dwellers from wolverines. Sgt. Preston's faithful steed was Rex, used primarily in the summer months, but generally Yukon King and his dog team were the key mode of transportation

Von Reznicek's Donna Diana Overture was the pulsing theme music, and the episodes ended with the official pronouncement:

 

"This case is closed!"

 

The Challenge of the Yukon began as a fifteen minute serial, airing locally from 1938 until May 28, 1947. Shortly thereafter, the program acquired a sponsor, Quaker Oats, and the series, in a half-hour stand-alone format, moved to the networks with the premier episode The Wolf Cub on 12th June 1947. The title changed from The Challenge of the Yukon to Sergeant Preston of the Yukon in November 1951, and remained under that name through the end of the series and into television.

Former movie actor Paul Sutton held the role of Sgt Preston for most of the radio run.

In 1955, the same year the radio show ended, Sergeant Preston of the Yukon premiered as a television series (available from the TV Series section of this website). Richard Simmons starred as Sgt. Preston, and was supported by Yukon King and Rex, now played by real animals. The dog cast as King was not a husky, however, but a large Alaskan Malamute. Charles Livingstone, who had worked on the radio version, directed several episodes. Several of plotlines seem to have been re-used from the radio show.

To "cash in" on the success of the TV series, a Xmas record was released in November 1956. This small 45 rpm gem had two 8 minute sides and told of how Sgt Preston first met King and then about his efforts (as Constable) to track down his father's murderer - and his subsequent promotion to Sergeant!

 

Renfrew of the Mounted was based on the stories by Laurie York Erskine and has often been called Sgt Preston set in "modern" times. Inspector Douglas Renfrew was played by House Jamison and "he always got his man". Only one (30 minute stand-alone) episode has survived but its enough to realize that this was quite a good show with a distinctive opening:

 

"Rennnnnfrewwwww! É.Renfrew of the Mounted!"

 

The Silver Eagle was creation of James Jewell and told of the adventures of Mountie Jim West (played by Jim Ameche). Like Sergeant Preston, West was a ruthless tracker of criminals and lawbreakers. He was widely known for never giving up on a case and was aided in his endeavours by a giant side-kick, Joe Bideaux (played by Jack Lester).

Of significance here is that this 1951 - 55 series is often considered to be the "last of significant juvenile radio adventures". Here again only one (30 minute stand-alone) episode has survived of this popular ABC series, which began with this stirring introduction:

 

"The untamed North . . . frontier of adventure and peril.

The lone, mysterious North . . . where one man,

dedicated to the motto of the Canadian Northwest Mounted Police,

faces danger and death to bring in the lawless and maintain the right

. . . the most famous Mountie of them all . . . the Silver Eagle"

 

 

Trev's Short Note: I know what you're thinking - there are so many episodes of this series available, has Trev just accumulated heaps and hasn't bothered to do his noise reduction / sound improvement regime? Not true, over several weeks and sticking to a tight but realistic schedule, each and every episode below has been completely "worked over" with the latest (& quite powerful) sound software - as such, I'm very pleased with the quality of that which is presented below (and indeed with all titles which are part of this Old Time Radio section of the website)

 

Want to check out an episode? - why not "taste & try"?

 

This episode can be freely downloaded to your computer - just right button click on any link below and chose "Download Linked File" (or words to that effect). The file is on an average about 18Mb - download time will depend on your (broadband) speed

 

CY_1947-06-12 The Wolf Cub.mp3

 

These three MP3 CDs consist of 255 thirty minute stand-alone episodes of The Challenge of the Yukon, 5 episodes from the retitled 30 minute series Sgt Preston of the Yukon (1953-'55) and both (8 minute) sides of the 1956 Xmas record. Additionally the lone surviving 30 minute episodes of both Renfrew of the Mounted & The Silver Eagle are also included

 

A.      The Challenge of the Yukon

 

1.         CY_1947-06-12 The Wolf Cub.mp3

2.         CY_1947-06-19 Grizzly.mp3

3.         CY_1947-06-26 Pet Bear.mp3

4.         CY_1947-07-03 The Puppy.mp3

5.         CY_1947-07-12 Sam's Gold.mp3

6.         CY_1947-07-19 The Man in the Fur Cap.mp3

7.         CY_1947-07-26 A Dog Named Mabel.mp3

8.         CY_1947-08-02 Messenger of Mercy.mp3

9.         CY_1947-08-09 Derelict Dog.mp3

10.      CY_1947-08-23 The Revenge of Steve Carlton.mp3

11.      CY_1947-08-30 Clue to a Killer.mp3

12.      CY_1947-09-06 The Stolen Pups.mp3

13.      CY_1947-09-11 The Northern Pursuit.mp3

14.      CY_1947-09-18 The Fraud.mp3

15.      CY_1947-09-25 Reprisal.mp3

16.      CY_1947-10-02 The Proof.mp3

17.      CY_1947-10-09 The Malamute Pup.mp3

18.      CY_1947-10-16 The Last Cabin.mp3

19.      CY_1947-10-23 Rex.mp3

20.      CY_1947-11-01 Sam's Wife.mp3

21.      CY_1947-11-08 King's Escape.mp3

22.      CY_1947-11-15 The Limping Dog.mp3

23.      CY_1947-11-22 King Gets His Man.mp3

24.      CY_1947-11-29 Tara.mp3

25.      CY_1947-12-06 The Marked Cards.mp3

26.      CY_1947-12-13 White Man'sLaw.mp3

27.      CY_1947-12-27 The Shepherd Dog.mp3

28.      CY_1948-01-03 The Silent One.mp3

29.      CY_1948-01-10 Tago, the Half Breed.mp3

30.      CY_1948-01-17 The Bridge.mp3

31.      CY_1948-01-24 The Loyalty of Chief.mp3

32.      CY_1948-01-31 The Pamphlet.mp3

33.      CY_1948-02-07 The Red Herring.mp3

34.      CY_1948-02-14 The Klondike Palace.mp3

35.      CY_1948-02-21 Aunt Em.mp3

36.      CY_1948-02-28 Silvertip.mp3

37.      CY_1948-03-06 The Debt.mp3

38.      CY_1948-03-13 Witness for the Crown.mp3

39.      CY_1948-03-20 King Comes Home.mp3

40.      CY_1948-03-27 The Wire Haired Terrier.mp3

41.      CY_1948-04-24 Rusty.mp3

42.      CY_1948-06-26 Breakup.mp3

43.      CY_1948-09-06 Shots in the Dark.mp3

44.      CY_1948-09-08 Winner by Proxy.mp3

45.      CY_1948-09-13 The Fraud.mp3

46.      CY_1948-09-15 Trader Muldoon.mp3

47.      CY_1948-09-17 The Showdown.mp3

48.      CY_1948-09-20 Lost Indian Mine.mp3

49.      CY_1948-09-22 Icebound.mp3

50.      CY_1948-09-24 Old Ben's Gold.mp3

51.      CY_1948-09-27 Pot Luck Killers.mp3

52.      CY_1948-09-29 Ghost Town.mp3

53.      CY_1948-10-01 Find the Body.mp3

54.      CY_1948-10-04 The Extra Uniform.mp3

55.      CY_1948-10-25 Samaritan of the Trail.mp3

56.      CY_1948-10-27 Preston Turns the Tables.mp3

57.      CY_1948-10-29 The Phantom Gang.mp3

58.      CY_1948-11-01 The Call of Duty.mp3

59.      CY_1948-11-03 The Man with the Red Hair.mp3

60.      CY_1948-11-05 Death on the Trail.mp3

61.      CY_1948-11-08 The Wilderness Uprising.mp3

62.      CY_1948-11-10 Ben Yancy's Legacy .mp3

63.      CY_1948-11-12 Shadow.mp3

64.      CY_1948-11-15 The Second Chance.mp3

65.      CY_1948-11-17 Manhunt.mp3

66.      CY_1948-11-19 The St Bernard Dog.mp3

67.      CY_1948-11-22 Mutiny on the Penguin.mp3

68.      CY_1948-11-24 Old Moby's Cairn.mp3

69.      CY_1948-11-26 Lost River Roundup.mp3

70.      CY_1948-11-29 Strike at Pelican Creek.mp3

71.      CY_1948-12-01 The Black Husky.mp3

72.      CY_1948-12-03 The Sergeant's Right.mp3

73.      CY_1948-12-06 Timber.mp3

74.      CY_1948-12-08 The Dawson Fire.mp3

75.      CY_1948-12-10 The Trap in Cabin Four.mp3

76.      CY_1948-12-13 Escape to the North.mp3

77.      CY_1948-12-15 Marlow's Gang.mp3

78.      CY_1948-12-17 Faith in a Mountie.mp3

79.      CY_1948-12-20 The Emerald in the Nugget.mp3

80.      CY_1948-12-22 The Man with the Red Coat.mp3

81.      CY_1948-12-27 Injun Devil.mp3

82.      CY_1948-12-29 Arrowhead Frame-Up.mp3

83.      CY_1948-12-31 Case of Frank Weaver.mp3

84.      CY_1949-01-03 King Takes Over.mp3

85.      CY_1949-01-07 Jim Belden's Secret.mp3

86.      CY_1949-01-10 King Proves His Worth.mp3

87.      CY_1949-01-14 Lem Bailey's Pet Bear.mp3

88.      CY_1949-01-17 White Water.mp3

89.      CY_1949-01-19 Jimmy's Birthday Cake.mp3

90.      CY_1949-01-21 Skagway Patrol.mp3

91.      CY_1949-01-24 Mystery in the Cave.mp3

92.      CY_1949-01-26 The Moose River Murder.mp3

93.      CY_1949-01-28 Lost River Ambush.mp3

94.      CY_1949-01-31 The Mongrel.mp3

95.      CY_1949-02-02 On One Condition.mp3

96.      CY_1949-02-07 Rogue's Progress.mp3

97.      CY_1949-02-09 Sergeant Preston Faces Death.mp3

98.      CY_1949-02-11 Ambush.mp3

99.      CY_1949-02-14 The Coward.mp3

100.  CY_1949-02-16 Double Cross Creek.mp3

101.  CY_1949-02-18 The Dog with the Gold Tooth.mp3

102.  CY_1949-02-21 The Magic Light.mp3

103.  CY_1949-02-23 Signal in Green.mp3

104.  CY_1949-02-25 Danger Signal.mp3

105.  CY_1949-02-28 River Pirates.mp3

106.  CY_1949-03-02 Ambush at Forty Mile.mp3

107.  CY_1949-03-04 The Music Hall Murder.mp3

108.  CY_1949-03-07 Trail Mates.mp3

109.  CY_1949-03-09 Bulldog Charm.mp3

110.  CY_1949-03-11 The Meal the Convicted.mp3

111.  CY_1949-03-14 The White Huskie.mp3

112.  CY_1949-03-16 The Klondike Queen.mp3

113.  CY_1949-03-18 The Caribou Case.mp3

114.  CY_1949-03-21 The Black and White Pup.mp3

115.  CY_1949-03-23 The Devil Dog.mp3

116.  CY_1949-03-25 Letters to a Killer.mp3

117.  CY_1949-03-28 Conover's Crime.mp3

118.  CY_1949-03-30 Crumpled Handbill.mp3

119.  CY_1949-04-01 The Killer.mp3

120.  CY_1949-04-04 The Remittance Man.mp3

121.  CY_1949-04-06 Dead Man's Man.mp3

122.  CY_1949-04-08 The Knife Throwers.mp3

123.  CY_1949-04-11 The Lucky Shirt.mp3

124.  CY_1949-04-13 The Trail of the Werewolf.mp3

125.  CY_1949-04-15 Trouble at Forty-Mile.mp3

126.  CY_1949-04-18 The Luck of the Newtons.mp3

127.  CY_1949-04-20 The Empty Coffin.mp3

128.  CY_1949-04-22 The Doomed Witness.mp3

129.  CY_1949-04-25 The Bear Trap.mp3

130.  CY_1949-04-27 The Perfect Crime.mp3

131.  CY_1949-04-29 Fire in the Sky.mp3

132.  CY_1949-05-02 Escape to the North.mp3

133.  CY_1949-05-04 The Sparrow.mp3

134.  CY_1949-05-06 The Case of the Hard-Hearted Hermit.mp3

135.  CY_1949-05-09 Race to Twenty Mile.mp3

136.  CY_1949-05-11 The Million Dollar Deadline.mp3

137.  CY_1949-05-13 The Skagway-Mail.mp3

138.  CY_1949-05-16 The Counter Plan.mp3

139.  CY_1949-05-20 Adventure in Selkirk.mp3

140.  CY_1949-05-23 The Duel.mp3

141.  CY_1949-05-25 Death and the Lucky Seven.mp3

142.  CY_1949-05-27 The Skull in the Stone.mp3

143.  CY_1949-05-30 The Case of the Turncoat Mountie.mp3

144.  CY_1949-06-01 The Case of the Frightened Child.mp3

145.  CY_1949-06-03 The Case of the Canyon Holdup.mp3

146.  CY_1949-07-06 The Case of the Crown Fire.mp3

147.  CY_1949-12-05 Dance at Caribou Creek.mp3

148.  CY_1949-12-07 The Return of Tom Becket.mp3

149.  CY_1949-12-14 The Wainwright Cache.mp3

150.  CY_1949-12-16 The Black Bag.mp3

151.  CY_1949-12-19 Missing Gold.mp3

152.  CY_1949-12-21 The Shanghaied Sergeant.mp3

153.  CY_1949-12-23 The Sergeant's Present.mp3

154.  CY_1949-12-26 Journey for Revenge.mp3

155.  CY_1949-12-28 Swindler's Luck.mp3

156.  CY_1949-12-30 The Prodigal Father.mp3

157.  CY_1950-01-02 Rainbow's End.mp3

158.  CY_1950-01-04 Jeff Marco's Gang.mp3

159.  CY_1950-01-06 The Battle at Bradley's.mp3

160.  CY_1950-01-09 Barry Jeffer's Trust.mp3

161.  CY_1950-01-11 Red Devil.mp3

162.  CY_1950-01-13 The Miners' Meeting.mp3

163.  CY_1950-01-16 The Diamond Collar.mp3

164.  CY_1950-01-18 The Long Trail.mp3

165.  CY_1950-01-20 No Epitaph for Tombstone.mp3

166.  CY_1950-01-23 The Ten Thousand Dollar Rewards.mp3

167.  CY_1950-01-25 The Trap That Failed.mp3

168.  CY_1950-01-27 The Ghost Raider.mp3

169.  CY_1950-01-30 Casper Mott's Adventure.mp3

170.  CY_1950-02-01 Circumstantial Evidence.mp3

171.  CY_1950-02-03 Blind Man's Buff.mp3

172.  CY_1950-02-06 Jailbreak.mp3

173.  CY_1950-02-08 The Runaway Heir.mp3

174.  CY_1950-02-10 Flaming Valley.mp3

175.  CY_1950-02-13 The Haunted Mine.mp3

176.  CY_1950-02-15 The Black Cat.mp3

177.  CY_1950-02-17 Alias Al Gibson.mp3

178.  CY_1950-02-20 The Murdered Witness.mp3

179.  CY_1950-02-22 Trail's End.mp3

180.  CY_1950-02-24 Uncle Joe's Luck.mp3

181.  CY_1950-02-27 Guardian for Jimmy.mp3

182.  CY_1950-03-01 When Thief Catches Thief.mp3

183.  CY_1950-03-03 The Innocent Criminal.mp3

184.  CY_1950-03-06 Wolf Creek.mp3

185.  CY_1950-03-08 Restitution.mp3

186.  CY_1950-03-10 The Lost Lady.mp3

187.  CY_1950-03-13 Hidden Evidence.mp3

188.  CY_1950-03-15 Secret Orders.mp3

189.  CY_1950-03-17 The Man Who Fled.mp3

190.  CY_1950-03-20 The Cascade Case.mp3

191.  CY_1950-03-22 The Fugitive Bride.mp3

192.  CY_1950-03-24 The Wolf Cub.mp3

193.  CY_1950-03-27 Canyon Cache.mp3

194.  CY_1950-03-29 Mystery of the Ridge.mp3

195.  CY_1950-03-31 Twenty Little Indians.mp3

196.  CY_1950-04-03 Unfinished Note.mp3

197.  CY_1950-04-05 The Two Bullets.mp3

198.  CY_1950-05-26 Wand Diamond.mp3

199.  CY_1950-05-29 Notorious Chet Craig.mp3

200.  CY_1950-05-31 The Dead Man's Trail.mp3

201.  CY_1950-09-11 The Gold Behind the Waterfall.mp3

202.  CY_1950-09-13 The Polar Quest.mp3

203.  CY_1950-09-15 Left to Die.mp3

204.  CY_1950-09-18 The Sack of Sand.mp3

205.  CY_1950-09-20 The Malamute Express.mp3

206.  CY_1950-09-22 The Torn Map.mp3

207.  CY_1950-09-25 Diagram of Danger.mp3

208.  CY_1950-10-02 The Malacca Cane.mp3

209.  CY_1950-10-04 The Vagabond.mp3

210.  CY_1950-10-09 The Blue Paper.mp3

211.  CY_1950-10-13 A Dog Called Sparky.mp3

212.  CY_1950-10-16 Fugitive from Bald Rock.mp3

213.  CY_1950-10-18 The Masked Gunman.mp3

214.  CY_1950-10-25 Dead Man's Whistle.mp3

215.  CY_1950-10-27 A Call to Action.mp3

216.  CY_1950-10-30 Undercover.mp3

217.  CY_1950-11-01 Contention.mp3

218.  CY_1950-11-03 Whistling in the Dark.mp3

219.  CY_1950-11-06 Friend in Need.mp3

220.  CY_1950-11-08 The Ghost Riders.mp3

221.  CY_1950-11-13 The Clue of the Silver Pup.mp3

222.  CY_1950-11-15 Passport to Death.mp3

223.  CY_1950-11-17 The Telltale Knife.mp3

224.  CY_1950-11-20 The Wrong Map.mp3

225.  CY_1950-11-27 The Man in the Canyon.mp3

226.  CY_1950-12-04 Wild Dog.mp3

227.  CY_1950-12-06 The Indian Sign.mp3

228.  CY_1950-12-08 The Notorious Hawk Cooper.mp3

229.  CY_1951-01-20 Danger at Devil's Gorge.mp3

230.  CY_1951-05-06 Fur Thieves.mp3

231.  CY_1951-06-10 Number One Challenger.mp3

232.  CY_1951-07-01 The Stuffed Shirt.mp3

233.  CY_1951-07-08 Murder at the Flood.mp3

234.  CY_1951-07-12 A Boy Called Jack.mp3

235.  CY_1951-07-15 Thieves Congress.mp3

236.  CY_1951-07-19 Tom Barry's Return.mp3

237.  CY_1951-07-22 The Trail's End.mp3

238.  CY_1951-07-26 The Innocent Fugitives.mp3

239.  CY_1951-08-02 And Far Away.mp3

240.  CY_1951-08-05 The Widow's Son.mp3

241.  CY_1951-08-09 The Man Who Feared Dogs.mp3

242.  CY_1951-08-12 Ambush in Bellary Flats.mp3

243.  CY_1951-08-16 Against Time.mp3

244.  CY_1951-08-19 The Red Parka.mp3

245.  CY_1951-08-23 The Scent of Death.mp3

246.  CY_1951-08-26 Bullets for Preston.mp3

247.  CY_1951-08-30 Red Coated Crook.mp3

248.  CY_1951-09-02 Boy Alone.mp3

249.  CY_1951-09-06 Junior Partner .mp3

250.  CY_1951-09-09 Dividend on Murder.mp3

251.  CY_1951-09-13 The Landlady.mp3

252.  CY_1951-09-16 The Killer Cree.mp3

253.  CY_1951-09-20 Chance Meeting.mp3

254.  CY_1951-09-23 Trapper's Gold.mp3

255.  CY_1951-09-27 Uncle Ben.mp3

 

B.      Sergeant Preston of the Yukon

 

1.         SGPY_1953-02-19 The Queen's Parlor.mp3

2.         SGPY_1953-03-05 SOS from Panamint.mp3

3.         SGPY_1953-10-29 The Death Dart.mp3

4.         SGPY_1953-11-03 The Rag Doll.mp3

5.         SGPY_1955-01-06 Outlaw in Uniform.mp3

 

C.      Sergeant Preston on Record

1.         SGPY_1956-11-15 How Preston Found King.mp3

2.         SGPY_1956-11-15 The Case That Made Preston.mp3

 

D.      Renfrew of the Mounted

1.         RM_1939-02-04 The Bribe.mp3

 

E.      The Silver Eagle

1.    SE_1954-07-20 Decoy For Death.mp3

 

 

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