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Wayde Preston

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Wayde Preston
Preston as Christopher Colt (1958)
Born
William Erksine Strange

(1929-09-10)September 10, 1929
DiedFebruary 6, 1992(1992-02-06) (aged 62)
Alma materUniversity of Wyoming
OccupationActor
Years active1957–1990
SpouseCarol Ohmart (m. 1956-1958)

Wayde Preston (born William Erksine Strange; September 10, 1929[citation needed] – February 6, 1992) was an American actor cast from 1957 to 1960 in the lead role in 67 episodes of the ABC/Warner Bros. Western television series, Colt .45.

Background

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Preston was born William Erksine Strange in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.[1] He was a park ranger and performed musically on the rodeo circuit before he got his break as an actor.[2]

Acting career

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Preston in Colt .45 (1959)

In Colt .45 he played Christopher Colt, a government undercover agent who masquerades as a pistol salesman traveling throughout the Old West.[3] Preston also played the role of Christopher Colt in 1958 and 1959 in four episodes relating to "The Canary Kid" of the ABC/WB Sugarfoot series.

Preston appeared in "The Saga of Waco Williams" on Maverick. The episode drew the highest viewership of the series.[citation needed]

Preston played some 20 roles in television and films from 1957 to 1991. Following his departure from Colt .45, he went to Europe, where he appeared in numerous Spaghetti Westerns, including A Man Called Sledge and the 1968 film Anzio, about the World War II Battle of Anzio. Preston played Logan in another 1968 film, Wrath of God; he was then cast in 1969 as Marshal Johnny Silver in Death Knows No Time.

Preston later appeared on episodes of NBC's Bonanza and ABC's Starsky & Hutch. His last screen appearance was in a supporting role in the 1990 film version of Captain America.

Personal life

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In 1956, Preston married actress Carol Ohmart. They divorced in 1958.[1] Preston died of cancer on February 6, 1992, at age 62 in Lovelock, Nevada.[4]

Filmography

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Year Title Role Notes
1966 Man on the Spying Trapeze Jerry Land
1968 Today We Kill... Tomorrow We Die! Jeff Milton
1968 A Long Ride from Hell Marlin Mayner
1968 Anzio Col. Hendricks
1968 Wrath of God Logan
1969 Pagó cara su muerte Marshal Johnny Silver
1969 Bootleggers Grim Doel
1969 Dio perdoni la mia pistola Johnny 'Texas' Brennan
1969 Boot Hill McGavin Uncredited
1970 Sartana in the Valley of Death Anthony Douglas
1970 A Man Called Sledge Sheriff Ripley
1970 Hey Amigo! A Toast to Your Death 'Doc' Williams
1976 Hollywood Man Tex
1980 Smokey and the Judge Gangster
1990 Captain America Jack Cooperman (final film role)

References

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  1. ^ a b Aaker, Everett (25 May 2017). Television Western Players, 1960-1975: A Biographical Dictionary. McFarland. pp. 341–343. ISBN 978-1-4766-6250-3. Retrieved January 4, 2021.
  2. ^ Brode, Douglas (15 October 2009). Shooting Stars of the Small Screen: Encyclopedia of TV Western Actors, 1946–Present. University of Texas Press. p. 265. ISBN 978-0-292-71849-4. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
  3. ^ Terrace, Vincent (2011). Encyclopedia of Television Shows, 1925 through 2010 (2nd ed.). Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. p. 200. ISBN 978-0-7864-6477-7.
  4. ^ "Deaths Elsewhere". Detroit Free Press. February 12, 1992. p. 16. Retrieved March 10, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
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