THIS SERIES SAW the light of day during that period when the Adult Western was king on the TV Networks. We well remember that at one point there were forty or so being broadcast. We tried to watch 'em all.
AT ONE POINT ABC's Sunday night lineup had three westerns from WArner Brothers Television appearing back to back to back. First up was the hour long comedy-drama, MAVERICK starring James Garner & Jack Kelly. Next up, we had LAWMAN with John Russell and then COLT .45 with Wade Preston; both being half hour dramas.
WITH THE CONCEPTION of COLT .45, the double undercover agent was born to the Western. Christopher Colt, a member of the Colt family of firearms fame, traveled around the Old West as a salesman for "the Colt Patent Firearms Company of Hartford, Connecticut." As any salesman would, Chris Colt carried a sample case with beautiful, gleaming, new Colt .45 Peacemaker pistols.
BUT, NOT SO fast, Schultz, Chris Colt was also a secret agent for the Feds in Washington, District of Columbia. His assigned sales routes coincided with areas of current trouble with bank robberies, counter fitting, cattle rustling and even loud talking & giggling in school lines. In short, Colt covered it all.
IT WAS NEVER clear as to just what was Christopher Colt's office and for which agency that he did work for. At various times he is called an Agent, a Deputy U.S. Marshall and even a Captain in the U.S. Cavalry/Army. Perhaps, we thought, that this member of the manufacturing company either was or still is all of these things at once.
WE DID ENJOY this series very much, in spite of these obvious inconsistencies. Even when a dispute erupted between Warner Brothers and star, Wade Preston. During that stormy, but seemingly brief hiatus, actor Donald May, a Warners' protégé, was brought in as a cousin, Sam Colt, Jr.; being the son of the founder of the company.
TO US THE big, easy going Mr. Preston was the perfect guy to portray a Western hero. Born William Erskine Strange, Mr. Preston (1929-92) was a true Westerner. After having been born kin Denver, Colorado then raised in Laramie, Wyoming; the versatile "hunk" (as the ladies called him) studied pharmacy in college, played football and was active in his high school band, was a First Lieutenant in an Artillery Unit in the Korean War and for a time rode the Rodeo Circuit.
ALL OF THIS served him well in preparation for his acting career and all too brief tenure as Colt Firearms Salesman/Agent/Captain/Deputy Marshall.
AT ONE POINT ABC's Sunday night lineup had three westerns from WArner Brothers Television appearing back to back to back. First up was the hour long comedy-drama, MAVERICK starring James Garner & Jack Kelly. Next up, we had LAWMAN with John Russell and then COLT .45 with Wade Preston; both being half hour dramas.
WITH THE CONCEPTION of COLT .45, the double undercover agent was born to the Western. Christopher Colt, a member of the Colt family of firearms fame, traveled around the Old West as a salesman for "the Colt Patent Firearms Company of Hartford, Connecticut." As any salesman would, Chris Colt carried a sample case with beautiful, gleaming, new Colt .45 Peacemaker pistols.
BUT, NOT SO fast, Schultz, Chris Colt was also a secret agent for the Feds in Washington, District of Columbia. His assigned sales routes coincided with areas of current trouble with bank robberies, counter fitting, cattle rustling and even loud talking & giggling in school lines. In short, Colt covered it all.
IT WAS NEVER clear as to just what was Christopher Colt's office and for which agency that he did work for. At various times he is called an Agent, a Deputy U.S. Marshall and even a Captain in the U.S. Cavalry/Army. Perhaps, we thought, that this member of the manufacturing company either was or still is all of these things at once.
WE DID ENJOY this series very much, in spite of these obvious inconsistencies. Even when a dispute erupted between Warner Brothers and star, Wade Preston. During that stormy, but seemingly brief hiatus, actor Donald May, a Warners' protégé, was brought in as a cousin, Sam Colt, Jr.; being the son of the founder of the company.
TO US THE big, easy going Mr. Preston was the perfect guy to portray a Western hero. Born William Erskine Strange, Mr. Preston (1929-92) was a true Westerner. After having been born kin Denver, Colorado then raised in Laramie, Wyoming; the versatile "hunk" (as the ladies called him) studied pharmacy in college, played football and was active in his high school band, was a First Lieutenant in an Artillery Unit in the Korean War and for a time rode the Rodeo Circuit.
ALL OF THIS served him well in preparation for his acting career and all too brief tenure as Colt Firearms Salesman/Agent/Captain/Deputy Marshall.