Jack Webb

This article is about the actor, producer and writer. For the mystery writer, seeJack Webb (novelist).For the Australian rules footballer, seeJack Webb (footballer).

Jack Webb
Jack Webb asJoe FridayinDragnet(1957)
Born	John Randolph Webb (1920-04-02)April 2, 1920 Santa Monica, California,U.S.
Died	December 23, 1982(1982-12-23)(aged 62) West Hollywood, California,U.S.
Resting place	Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills) 34.14840°N 118.32718°W/34.14840; -118.32718
Other names	John Randolph
Occupations	Actor television producer television director screenwriter
Years active	1932–1982
Spouses	Julie London ​ ​ (m.1947;div.1954)​ Dorothy Towne ​ ​ (m.1955;div.1957)​ Jackie Loughery ​ ​ (m.1958;div.1964)​ Opal Wright ​ (m.1980)​
Children	2

John Randolph Webb(April 2, 1920 – December 23, 1982) was an Americanactor,television producer,director,andscreenwriter,most famous for his role asJoe Fridayin theDragnetfranchise,which he created. He was also the founder of his own production company,Mark VII Limited.

Webb started his career in the 1940s as aradio personality,starring in severalradio showsanddramas—includingDragnet,which he created in 1949—before entering television in the 1950s, creating the television adaptation ofDragnetforNBCas well as other series. Throughout the 1960s, Webb worked in both acting and television production, creatingAdam-12in 1968, and in 1970, Webb retired from acting to focus on producing, creatingEmergency!in 1972. Webb continued to make television series, and although many of them were less successful and short-lived, he wished to rekindle his prior successes, and had plans to return to acting in aDragnetrevival before he died.

Webb's production style aimed for significant levels of detail and accuracy. Many of his works focused onlaw enforcementandemergency servicesin theLos Angelesarea, most prominently theLos Angeles Police Department(LAPD), which directly supported the production ofDragnetandAdam-12.

Early life

Webb was born inSanta Monica, California,on April 2, 1920, son of Samuel Chester Webb and Margaret (née Smith) Webb.He grew up in theBunker Hillsection of Los Angeles. His father left home before Webb was born, and Webb never knew him.

In the late 1920s and early 1930s, Webb lived in the parish of Our Lady of Loretto Catholic Church and attended Our Lady of Loretto Elementary School inEcho Park,where he served as an altar boy.He then attendedBelmont High School,near downtown Los Angeles, where he was elected student body president. He wrote to Belmont's student body in the 1938 edition of its yearbook,Campanile,"You who showed me the magnificent warmth of friendship which I know, and you know, I will carry with me forever."Webb attendedSt. John's University, Minnesota,where he studied art.

DuringWorld War II,Webb enlisted in theUnited States Army Air Corps,but he "washed out" of flight training.He later received a hardship discharge because he was the primary financial support for both his mother and grandmother.

Career

Acting

Following his discharge, Webb moved toSan Francisco,where a wartime shortage of announcers led to a temporary appointment to his own radio show onABC'sKGO Radio.The Jack Webb Showwas a half-hour comedy that had a limited run on ABC radio in 1946. Prior to that, he had a one-man program,One Out of Seven,on KGO in which he dramatized a news story from the previous week.

By 1949, Webb had abandoned comedy for drama, and starred inPat Novak, for Hire,a radio show originating from KFRC about a man who worked as an unlicensed private detective. The program co-starredRaymond Burr.Pat Novakwas notable for writing that imitated thehardboiledstyle of such writers asRaymond Chandler,with lines such as: "She drifted into the room like 98 pounds of warm smoke. Her voice was hot and sticky — like a furnace full of marshmallows." Early in 1949, Webb served as the main antagonist ofAlan Ladd's protagonist character Dan Holliday in "The Better Man" episode of the radio seriesBox 13,which aired on January 2, 1949.

Webb's radio shows includedJohnny Madero, Pier 23;Jeff Regan, Investigator;Murder and Mr. Malone;Pete Kelly's Blues;andOne Out of Seven.Webb provided all of the voices onOne Out of Seven,often vigorously attacking racial prejudice.

In 1950, Webb appeared in three films that would become cult classics. InSunset Boulevard,he is the fiancé ofWilliam Holden's love interest Nancy Olson (his performance is very animated and jovial, unlike his later deadpan style). He played a war veteran inMarlon Brando's first feature,The Men.And in thefilm noirDark City,he co-starred withHarry Morgan,his future partner on the secondDragnetseries.

Webb's most famous motion-picture role was as the combat-hardenedMarine Corpsdrill instructoratParris Islandin the 1957 filmThe D.I.,withDon Dubbinsas a callow Marineprivate.Webb's hard-nosed approach to this role, that of Drill InstructorTechnical SergeantJames Moore, would be reflected in much of his later acting, butThe D.I.was a box office failure.

Webb was approached to play the role of Vernon Wormer, dean of Faber College, inNational Lampoon's Animal House,but he refused, saying "the movie didn't make any damn sense";John Vernonultimately played the role.

Dragnetand stardom

Webb had a featured role as a crime-lab technician in the 1948 filmHe Walked by Night,based on the real-life murder ofCalifornia Highway PatrolmanLoren Cornwell Roosevelt, byErwin Walker.The film was produced insemidocumentarystyle with technical assistance provided by Detective Sergeant Marty Wynn of the Los Angeles Police Department.He Walked By Night'sthinly veiled fictionalized recounting of the 1946 Walker crime spree gave Webb the idea forDragnet:a recurring series based on real cases from LAPD police files, featuring authentic depictions of the modern police detective, including methods, mannerisms, and technical language.

With much assistance from Wynn and legendary LAPD chiefWilliam H. Parker,Dragnetpremiered on NBC Radio in 1949 and ran until 1957. It was also picked up as a television series byNBC,which aired episodes each season from 1952 to 1959. Webb played Sgt.Joe FridayandBarton Yarboroughco-starred as Sgt. Ben Romero. After Yarborough's death,Ben Alexanderjoined the cast.

Webb withHarry MorganinDragnet 1968

Webb was a stickler for attention to detail. He believed viewers wanted "realism"and tried to give it to them. Webb had tremendous respect for those in law enforcement. He often said, in interviews, that he was angry about the" ridiculous amount "of abuse to which police were subjected by the press and the public. Webb was also impressed by the long hours, the low pay, and the high injury rate among police investigators of the day, particularly in the LAPD, which had by then acquired a notorious reputation for jettisoning officers who had become ill or injured in the line of duty; in Webb's book,The Badge,one of Erwin Walker's victims, LAPD detective Lt. Colin Forbes, was among those whose experiences were so noted.

In announcing his vision ofDragnet,Webb said he intended to perform a service for the police by showing them as low-key working-class heroes.Dragnetmoved away from earlier portrayals of the police in shows such asJeff ReganandPat Novak,which had often shown them as brutal and even corrupt.Dragnetbecame a successful television show in 1952.Barton Yarboroughdied of a heart attack in 1951, after filming only two episodes, andBarney Phillips(Sgt. Ed Jacobs) and Herbert Ellis (Officer Frank Smith) temporarily stepped in as partners. Veteran radio and film actor Ben Alexander took over the role of jovial, burly Officer Frank Smith. Alexander was popular and remained a cast member until the show's cancellation in 1959. In 1954, a full-length feature-film adaptation of the series was released, starring Webb, Alexander, andRichard Boone.

The television version ofDragnetbegan with this narration byGeorge Fenneman:"Ladies and gentlemen, the story you are about to see is true. The names have been changed to protect the innocent." Webb would intone, "This is the city: Los Angeles, California." He would then make a historical or topical point, describe his duties, his partner, and superior on the episode. The radio series had a similar opening, though Webb, as Friday, did not give a unique Los Angeles-themed opening. Webb then set the plot by describing a typical day and then led into the story. "It was Wednesday, March 19th. It was cool in Los Angeles. I was at headquarters, working narcotics..." At the end of each show, Fenneman repeated his opening narration, revised to read: "The story you have just seen is true. The names were changed to protect the innocent."

A second announcer,Hal Gibney,usually gave dates when and specific courtrooms where trials were held for the suspects, announcing the trial verdicts after commercial breaks. Many suspects shown to have been found guilty at the end were also shown as having been confined atSan Quentin State Prison.Webb frequently recreated entire floors of buildings on sound stages, such as the police headquarters atLos Angeles City Halland a floor of theLos Angeles Herald Examiner.

DuringDragnet's early days, Webb continued to appear in movies, notably as Artie Green, the best friend ofWilliam Holden's character in the 1950Billy WilderfilmSunset Boulevard.The character Green was an assistant director and fiancé to script reader Betty Schaefer (played by Nancy Olson).

InDark City,Webb played a viciouscard sharpand Harry Morgan a punch-drunk ex-fighter, in contrast to the pair's straight-arrow image in the laterDragnet.Also in 1950, Webb appeared inThe Men,Marlon Brando's debut film. Both actors played paraplegics undergoing rehabilitation at a veterans' hospital. In a subplot, Webb's character, a cynical intellectual, is fleeced of his life savings by a woman who feigns romantic interest.

In 1951, Webb introduced a short-lived radio series,Pete Kelly's Blues,in an attempt to bring the music he loved to a broader audience. That show became the basis for a 1955film of the same name.In 1959, a television version was made. Neither was very successful. The character of Pete Kelly was acornetplayer who supplemented his income from playing in a nightclub band by working as a private investigator.

1960s

From September 1962 through May 1963, Webb was the executive producer ofGE True,ananthology seriesthat ran for 33 episodes, each of which Webb acted as host-narrator for while also directing and acting in some episodes.At the beginning of June 1963, it was reported thatGE Truewould not continue.

In February 1963, Webb succeededWilliam T. Orras executive in charge ofWarner Bros. Television,with Orr moving to the motion picture part of Warner Bros.Webb brought about wholesale changes to theABC/Warner Bros. detective series77 Sunset Stripretaining onlyEfrem Zimbalist Jr.,in the role of private detective Stuart Bailey.The result was a disaster, and critics accused Webb of being out of touch with the younger generation of viewers.

That same year, Webb soldTemple HoustontoNBC.The show, starringJeffrey Hunter,followed the exploits ofTemple Lea Houston,a circuit-riding lawyer and the youngest son ofSam Houston.Despite Webb and Hunter's high profiles, however, it ended after its 26-week run. In a 1965 interview withThe Milwaukee Journal,Hunter described the situation:

In the first place, we had no time to prepare for [the series]. I was notified on July 17 to be ready to start August 7 for an October air date. When we reached the screen we did not have a single segment ready. It was done so fast the writers never got a chance to know what it was all about. We all wanted to follow the line indicated by thepilotfilm, which we thought would make a charming series. NBC, however, favored making it serious.

Webb's role with Warner ended in December 1963.

1967:Dragnetreturns

Jack Webb andWalter Strengeon the set ofDragnet,1966

Shortly after leaving his position at Warner Bros., he first attempted to produce an adaptation of theSelena Meadbooks byPatricia McGerrfor CBS,then Webb teamed withUniversal Televisionto begin work on a newDragnetseries.A pilot television film, based on theHarvey Glatmanserial killings, was produced in 1966 for NBC, with Webb's Sgt. Joe Friday joined by Harry Morgan as Officer Bill Gannon. Webb had tried to get Ben Alexander to reprise his role as Frank Smith, but Alexander would not leave the ABC seriesFelony Squad.

The newDragnetpremiered as a midseason replacement series on January 12, 1967, and aired until April 16, 1970. To distinguish it from the original series, the year of production was added to the title (Dragnet 1967,Dragnet 1968,etc.). The revival emphasized crime prevention and outreach to the public. Its attempts to address the contemporary youth-drug culture (such as the revival's first episode, "The LSD Story",guest-starringMichael Burnsas Benjamin John "Blue Boy" Carver, voted 85th-best TV episode of all time byTV GuideandTV Land) have led certain episodes on the topic to achieve cult status due to their strained attempts to be "with-it", such as Joe Friday grilling "Blue Boy" by asking him, "You're pretty high and far out, aren't you? What kind of kick are you on, son?"Don Dubbins,who had acted alongside Webb inThe D.I.in 1957, was featured in the secondDragnet 1967episode, "The Big Explosion," and was another featured actor in Mark VII Limited programs beginning in the 1960s. Other Webb-affiliated actors featured in the revived series many times in different roles wereVirginia Gregg,Peggy Webber,Clark Howat,Olan Soule,Bobby Troup,Tim Donnelly,andMarco Lopez.

In 1968, Webb and his production partnerR.A. CinaderlaunchedAdam-12on NBC. A spinoff ofDragnet,Adam-12starredMartin MilnerandKent McCordas a pair of LAPD officers, and followed their escapades while on patrol. Running until 1975 for a total of seven seasons,Adam-12was Webb's second-longest running television series, with the eight seasons recorded by the originalDragnetbeing the longest.

Also in 1968, Webb andJohnny Carsonperformed a sketch onThe Tonight Showthat has since become known as the "Copper Clapper Caper" sketch. Webb, in character as Joe Friday, was working on the case of a robbery at a school-bell factory. Carson played the owner of the factory and victim of the theft, which consisted of each bell being relieved of its clapper (the device that makes the bell ring). The sketch's dialogue consisted of Webb and Carson discussing the situation in deadpan style and using alliteration and tongue twisters to describe the incident, each word having either a "c" or "cl" sound at the beginning. Both Webb and Carson tried desperately not to lose composure, but both did, near the end of the sketch.

1970s and 1980s

Jack Webb with first wifeJulie Londonand daughters Stacy and Lisa, 1953

In 1970, Webb decided to bring an end toDragnetand cease acting to focus on expanding Mark VII Limited's production profile.In 1971, Webb entered the world of district attorneys and federal government work with two series. The first,The D.A.,starredRobert Conradand Harry Morgan as a pair of Los Angeles County ADAs, with Conrad playing a junior ADA and Morgan his superior. The second,O'Hara, United States Treasury,was a co-production of Webb andDavid Janssen,the former star ofThe Fugitiveand future star ofHarry O,forCBS(a rare non-NBC Mark VII effort) and featured Janssen as a Nebraska county sheriff-turned-United States Treasury Departmentagent. Neither series lasted very long, asThe D.A.,Webb's last 30-minute series, was cancelled after 15 episodes andO'Haraended after 22.

Later in the 1971–72 season, Webb and Cinader launchedEmergency!,which focused on the fictional Station 51 Rescue Squad of theL.A. County Fire Department,and its work in coordination with the emergency department staff of the fictional Rampart General Hospital. LACoFD's paramedic program was among the firstparamedicservices in the United States.Webb cast his ex-wife,Julie London,as well as her second husband andDragnetensemble playerBobby Troup,as head nurse Dixie McCall and Dr. Joe Early, respectively, withRandolph MantoothandKevin Tigheplaying paramedics John Gage and Roy DeSoto andRobert Fullerplaying Dr. Kelly Brackett, Rampart's Chief of Emergency Medicine.

Emergency!ran as part of NBC's Saturday-night lineup for six entire seasons, and it was a hugely popular series, sometimes winning its time slot against CBS's popular Saturday-night comedy block, which includedAll in the Family.The series came to an end in 1977, but it spawned a series of telefilms that ran until 1979.Webb's company and Universal also contracted with animator Fred Calvert to produce a spin-off Saturday-morning cartoon show for NBC titledEmergency +4,which ran for three seasons (the last in reruns) and featured the paramedics Gage and DeSoto assisted by four youngsters and their three pets.The franchise was also credited in performing a social good in easing acceptance of the emergency medical service and encouraging communities to establish the service locally.

Emergency!was Webb's last sustained success. Of the remaining series his company produced, the only two that lasted longer than one season wereHec Ramsey,a two-season component of theNBC Mystery Moviewheel series that featured formerHave Gun – Will TravelstarRichard Booneas a pioneeringforensic scientistin the Old West,andProject UFO,an anthology based on the investigations into UFOs as compiled byProject Bluebookthat also ran for two seasons beginning in 1978. In 1977, he quit Universal Studios, and set upMark VII Limitedindependently, signing a distribution deal withWorldvision Enterprises,and set up offices in theSamuel Goldwyn Studios.

Despite his string of short-lived series in the late 1970s, Webb still kept trying to recapture his previous success and decided to bringDragnetback to television for a third series in 1983. Five scripts had been produced andKent McCord,one of the stars ofAdam-12,was cast as Joe Friday's new partner.

In 1987,Dan AykroydandTom Hanksstarred in a movie parody (and homage) to Webb, titledDragnet,along with Harry Morgan, who reprised his role from the television series as Bill Gannon, who had by now become a captain of detectives. The comedy film was written and directed byTom Mankiewicz,in his directorial debut. Aykroyd played the role of Joe Friday, described as the namesake nephew of the original series lead, while Hanks co-starred as Detective Officer Pep Streebeck, Friday's new smart-alecky and streetwise partner.

Personal life

Webb's personal life was better defined by his love ofjazzthan his interest in police work. He had a collection of more than 6,000 jazz recordings.Webb's own recordings reached cult status, including his deadpan delivery of "Try A Little Tenderness".His lifelong interest in thecornetallowed him to move easily in the jazz culture, where he met singer and actressJulie London.They married in 1947 and had daughters Stacy and Lisa. They divorced in 1954.He was married three more times after that, to Dorothy Towne for two years beginning in 1955, to formerMiss USAJackie Lougheryfor six years beginning in 1958, and to his longtime associate, Opal Wright, for the last two years of his life.

The grave of Jack Webb atForest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery,in the Hollywood Hills

Stacy Webb authorized and collaborated on a book,Just the Facts, Ma'am: The Authorized Biography of Jack Webb, Creator of Dragnet, Adam-12, and Emergency!,of which Daniel Moyer and Eugene Alvarez were the primary authors. It was published in 1999. Stacy did not live to see the publication of the book, having been killed in a collision with aCalifornia Highway Patrolvehicle three years earlier.

Death

Webb died of an apparent heart attack in the early morning hours of December 23, 1982, at age 62.He is interred at Sheltering Hills Plot 1999,Forest Lawn, Hollywood Hills Cemeteryin Los Angeles, and was given a funeral with full Los Angeles police honors.On Webb's death, ChiefDaryl Gatesannounced that badge number 714, which was used by Joe Friday inDragnet,would be retired.Los Angeles MayorTom Bradleyordered all flags lowered to half staff in Webb's honor for a day, and Webb was buried with a replica LAPD badge bearing the rank of sergeant and the number 714.

Legacy

Webb has two stars on theHollywood Walk of Fame,one for radio (at 7040 Hollywood Boulevard) and the other for television (at 6728 Hollywood Boulevard). In 1992, Webb was posthumously inducted into theTelevision Hall of Fame.

Filmography

Film

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1932	Three on a Match	Boy in schoolyard	Uncredited
1948	Hollow Triumph	Bullseye	Uncredited
	He Walked by Night	Lee
1949	Sword in the Desert	Hoffman	Uncredited
1950	Appointment with Danger	Joe Regas
	The Men	Norm	Alternative title:Battle Stripe;Marlon Brando's film debut
	Sunset Boulevard	Artie Green
	Dark City	Augie
1951	Halls of Montezuma	Correspondent Dickerman
	You're in the Navy Now	Ens. Anthony "Tony" Barbo	Alternative title:U.S.S. Teakettle
1954	Dragnet	Sgt. Joe Friday	Also director
1955	Pete Kelly's Blues	Pete Kelly	Also director and producer
1957	The D.I.	Gunnery Sgt. Jim Moore	Also director and producer
1957	Red Nightmare	Narrator	Also producer. Educational short film made for the United States Armed Forces.
1959	-30-	Sam Gatlin	Also director and producer
1961	The Last Time I Saw Archie	William "Bill" Bowers	Also director and producer
1967	Greyhounds of the Sea	Narrator	United States Navy (final role)

Television

Year	Title	Role	Notes
1951–1959	Dragnet	SergeantJoe Friday	276 episodes
1956–1957	Noah's Ark	Creator of the series starringPaul Burke	24 episodes
1962–1963	GE True	Host-narrator†	33 episodes; Executive Producer, Director (4 episodes)
1967–1970	Dragnet	SergeantJoe Friday	98 episodes
1968–1975	Adam-12	—	174 episodes; Co-Creator, Executive Producer, Writer
1971	O'Hara, U.S. Treasury	Narrator	1 episode
	The Partners	The Commissioner	1 episode
1972–1976	Emergency!	—	Creator, Executive Producer, Director (5 episodes)
1972–1974	Hec Ramsey	—	Producer, 10 episodes
1978	Project UFO	Announcer	1 episode, (final appearance)

† Webb also starred in theGE Truetwo-part episode "Code Name: Christopher"

Discography

• Songs from Pete Kelly's Blues(1955)
• You're My Girl: Romantic Reflections by Jack Webb(1958)
• Pete Kelly Lets His Hair Down(1958)
• Golden Throatsvolume 1 (1988)
• Just the Tracks, Ma'am: The Warner Brothers Recordings(2000)

Further reading

• Binyon, Hugh W. (2002).Reflections in a Pig's Eye: Times, Rhymes and Reasons: a Memoir.Babcock Publishing.ISBN978-1892161314.
• Buntin, John (2009).L.A. Noir: The Struggle for the Soul of America's Most Seductive City.New York: Harmony Books. pp. 182–189.ISBN978-0307352071.RetrievedOctober 29,2014.
• Hayde, Michael J. (2001).My Name's Friday: The Unauthorized but True Story of Dragnet and the Films of Jack Webb.Cumberland House.ISBN978-1581821901.
• Ousborne, Jeff (2016). "Policing the Crime Drama: Radio Noir,Dragnet,and Jack Webb's Maladjusted Text ".Clues: A Journal of Detection.34(2): 32–42.
• Webb, Jack (1958).The Badge: The Inside Story of One of America's Great Police Departments.Prentice-Hall.
• Webb, Jack; Ellroy, James (2005).The Badge: True and Terrifying Crime Stories that Could Not be Presented on TV, from the Creator and Star of Dragnet.New York: Thunder's Mouth Press.ISBN978-1560256885.
• Zolotow, Maurice."The True Story of Jack Webb".The American Weekly.September 12, 19, 26, October 3, 1954.

External links

• Badge 714(Dragnetand Webb fan site)
• Jack WebbatIMDb
• Jack Webbat theTCM Movie Database
• Jack WebbatAllMovie
• Pat Novak For Hire(Pat Novak For Hirefan site)
• AAFCollection.infoPictures of Jack Webb as an Air Cadet at the Rankin Aeronautical Academy at Tulare, California in 1943.