Jack Webb

Born: 1920-04-02

John Randolph 'Jack' Webb, also known by the pen name John Randolph, was an American actor, television producer, director, and screenwriter, who is most famous for his role as Sergeant Joe Friday in the radio and television series Dragnet. He was also the founder of his own production company, Mark VII Limited. Born in Santa Monica, California, Webb grew up in the Bunker Hill section of Los Angeles as the child of a single mother after his father left home before he was born. During World War II, Webb enlisted in the United States Army Air Forces, but he "washed out" of flight training and was granted a hardship discharge to care for his family. Following his discharge, he moved to San Francisco, where a wartime shortage of announcers led to a temporary appointment to his own half-hour comedy radio show on ABC's KGO Radio in 1946. By 1949 he had abandoned comedy for drama, and starred in numerous radio shows until finding success in film and television in the late 1950s. Webb had a featured role as a crime lab technician in the 1948 film He Walked by Night, a thinly-fictionalized recounting of the 1946 Walker crime spree. This experience gave Webb the idea for Dragnet: 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. Following the success of Dragnet, Webb appeared in numerous television shows and specials, including the well-known 1972 series Emergency! During his work on a revival of Dragnet in 1982, Webb suffered a heart attack and died at the age of 62. His funeral was given full police honors, and then LAPD Chief Daryl Gates retired the badge number 714 used by Webb's Joe Friday of Dragnet fame.  


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Sunset Boulevard

as Artie Green
Released: 1950-08-10

A hack screenwriter writes a screenplay for a former silent film star who has faded into...

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Hollow Triumph

as Bullseye (uncredited)
Released: 1948-08-18

Pursued by the big-time gambler he robbed, John Muller assumes a new identity—with unfortunate...

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Dark City

as Augie
Released: 1950-10-17

Gamblers who "took" an out-of-town sucker in a crooked poker game feel shadowy vengeance closing...

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The Men

as Norm
Released: 1950-08-25

Ken, a WWII GI, returns home after he's paralyzed in battle. Residing in the paraplegic ward of...

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Los Angeles Plays Itself

as Sergeant Joe Friday in Dragnet (archive footage)
Released: 2004-07-28

From its distinctive neighborhoods to its architectural homes, Los Angeles has been the backdrop...

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He Walked by Night

as Lee Whitey
Released: 1949-02-06

Roy Morgan aka Roy Morgan (Richard Basehart) is a burglar and former war-time Radio &...

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Appointment with Danger

as Joe Regas
Released: 1950-03-31

Al Goddard, a detective who works for the United States Postal Inspection Service, is assigned...

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Three on a Match

as Boy in Schoolyard (uncredited)
Released: 1932-10-29

Although Vivian Revere is seemingly the most successful of a trio of reunited schoolmates, she...

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Dragnet

as Sergeant Joe Friday
Released: 1954-09-04

Two homicide detectives try to find just the facts behind a mobster's brutal murder.

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Halls of Montezuma

as Correspondent Dickerman
Released: 1951-01-04

Richard Widmark leads an all star cast of marine leathernecks including Jack Palance, Robert...

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Pete Kelly's Blues

as Pete Kelly
Released: 1955-07-31

In 1927, a Kansas City, Missouri cornet player and his band perform nightly at a seedy speakeasy...

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The D.I.

as Gunnery Sgt. Jim Moore
Released: 1957-05-30

Gunnery Sergeant Jim Moore is one of the toughest Drill Instructors on Parris Island. But he's...

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Greyhounds of the Sea

as Narrator
Released: 1967-12-31

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Dragnet

as Joe Friday
Released: 1969-01-27

Also known as "Dragnet 1966," this TV movie was originally the pilot for the 1967 relaunch of...

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You're in the Navy Now

as Ens. Anthony 'Tony' Barbo
Released: 1951-02-23

When Lt. John Harkness is assigned as the new skipper of a submarine chaser equipped with an...

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-30-

as Sam Gatlin
Released: 1959-11-11

A newspaper editor deals with a particularly stressful day in the newsroom.

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24 Hour Alert

as Himself
Released: 1955-12-22

This short film looks at the purpose and methods of the U.S. Air Force, and the difficulties of...

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The Last Time I Saw Archie

as William 'Bill' Bowers
Released: 1961-05-27

Two Air Force friends have fun during their enlistment.

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O'Hara, United States Treasury: Operation Cobra

as Narrator
Released: 1971-04-02

Suddenly widowed by an accident, a deputy sheriff from the Midwest becomes a customs agent and...

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A Day in Vietnam

as Narrator
Released: 1967-01-01

Follows U. S. Marines and sailors on a "typical" day in Vietnam

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The John Glenn Story

as Narrator
Released: 1962-01-01

John Glenn's first flight ushered in the modern era of space exploration for America. His...

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Greenboy: Prescription for Death

as Joe Friday (archive footage)
Released: 2013-04-20

Proof-of-Concept for the original series Electric Television.

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The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson

as Self
First aired: 1962-10-01

The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson is a talk show hosted by Johnny Carson under The Tonight...

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Dragnet

as Joe Friday
First aired: 1951-12-16

Follows the cases of a dedicated Los Angeles police detective, Sergeant Joe Friday, and his...

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The Jack Benny Program

as Jack Webb
First aired: 1950-10-28

Laugh along with funnyman Jack Benny as he brings his underplayed humor to TV along with regular...

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The Colgate Comedy Hour

as Self
First aired: 1950-09-10

The Colgate Comedy Hour is an American comedy-musical variety series that aired live on the NBC...

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The Oscars

as Self
First aired: 1953-03-19

An annual American awards ceremony honoring cinematic achievements in the film industry. The...

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The Ed Sullivan Show

as Self
First aired: 1948-06-20

The Ed Sullivan Show is an American TV variety show that originally ran on CBS from Sunday June...

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This Is Your Life

as Self
First aired: 1952-10-01

This Is Your Life is an American television documentary series broadcast on NBC, originally...

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Dragnet

as Sergeant Joe Friday
First aired: 1967-01-12

Police Detective Sgt. Joe Friday and his partners investigate crimes in Los Angeles.

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O.J.: Made in America

as Sgt. Joe Friday (archive footage)
First aired: 2016-06-11

The rise and fall of American football star, O.J. Simpson, from his days growing up in Los...

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