Tales of the Gold Monkey features the adventures of seaplane pilot and soldier of fortune Jake Cutter in the South Pacific of 1938.
Jake flies a red and white Grumman Goose (plane) called Cutter's Goose. Jake's best friend is his mechanic Corky. However, a one-eyed Jack Russell terrier named Jack, who barks once for "no" and twice for "yes" would dispute this.
Other companions were Bon Chance Louie, the local magistrate and owner of the Monkey Bar hangout, Sarah Stickney White, the bar's singer who was actually an American spy, and Dutch minister Willie Tenboom who was actually a German spy.
Rounding out the cast of schemers was Princess Kogi, ruler of the nearby island of Matuka, and the samurai warrior Todo who commanded her private army.
The title is derived from the bar where the characters gather, which features a golden monkey statue. Originally, the series was to be called "Tales of the Brass Monkey". There was a cocktail mix at the time called "Brass Monkey." They requested that the show change the title to prevent a confusing association.