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Jack Webb

Acting

Jack Webb

Jack Webb is an actor born on April 2, 1920 in Santa Monica, California, USA. He died on December 23, 1982, aged 62. He is known for He Walked by Night, The Men and Dark City. GloboWatch shows where to watch one of his movies and TV shows, country by country.

Known for
Acting
Born
April 2, 1920
Place of birth
Santa Monica, California, USA
Died
December 23, 1982
Also known as
John Randolph Webb · John Randolph

Biography

John Randolph 'Jack' Webb (also known by the pen name John Randolph; April 2, 1920 – December 23, 1982) 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.

Filmography

  1. 2016O.J.: Made in Americaas Sgt. Joe Friday (archive footage) · 1 episode
  2. 2013Greenboy: Prescription for Deathas Joe Friday (archive footage)
  3. 2003L.A. DragnetCreator
  4. 1990The New Adam-12Creator
  5. 1989The New DragnetCreator
  6. 1978Little MoExecutive producer
  7. 1978SamProducer
  8. 1978Project U.F.O.as Narrator (uncredited) · 1 episode · Producer · Creator
  9. 1975Mobile OneProducer
  10. 1975Mobile TwoExecutive producer
  11. 1975The Log of the Black PearlExecutive producer
  12. 1974SierraProducer · Creator
  13. 1973ChaseProducer
  14. 1973ChaseProducer · Director
  15. 1973EscapeProducer · Creator
  16. 1972Hec RamseyProducer
  17. 1972Emergency!Producer · Director · Creator
  18. 1972Emergency!Director · Executive producer
  19. 1971The Partners1 episode
  20. 1971O'Hara, U.S. TreasuryProducer · Creator
  21. 1971The D.A.Producer
  22. 1971O'Hara, United States Treasury: Operation Cobraas Narrator · Director
  23. 1971The Selling of the Pentagonas Self (archive footage)
  24. 1971The D.A.: Conspiracy to KillExecutive producer
  25. 1969The D.A.: Murder OneExecutive producer
  26. 1969Dragnetas Joe Friday · Producer · Director
  27. 1968Adam-12Director · Producer · Executive producer · Creator
  28. 1968Star Spangled Salesmanas Security Man
  29. 1967Greyhounds of the Seaas Narrator
  30. 1967Dragnetas Joe Friday · 98 episodes · Director · Writer · Creator
  31. 1967A Day in Vietnamas Narrator
  32. 1963The Man from GalvestonExecutive producer
  33. 1963Temple HoustonCreator
  34. 1962Red Nightmareas On-Camera Narrator
  35. 1962The John Glenn Storyas Narrator
  36. 1961The Last Time I Saw Archieas William 'Bill' Bowers · Director
  37. 1961A Force in Readiness
  38. 1959-30-as Sam Gatlin · Director · Producer
  39. 1959Pete Kelly's BluesProducer
  40. 1959The D.A.'s ManProducer · Creator
  41. 195877 Sunset StripProducer
  42. 1957The D.I.as Gunnery Sgt. Jim Moore · Director
  43. 195524 Hour Alertas Himself
  44. 1955Pete Kelly's Bluesas Pete Kelly · Director · Producer
  45. 1954Dragnetas Sergeant Joe Friday · Director
  46. 1953The Oscarsas Self · 1 episode
  47. 1952The Ford Television TheatreStory
  48. 1952This Is Your Lifeas Self · 2 episodes
  49. 1951Dragnetas Joe Friday · 276 episodes · Director · Producer · Creator
  50. 1951You're in the Navy Nowas Ens. Anthony 'Tony' Barbo
  51. 1951Halls of Montezumaas Correspondent Dickerman
  52. 1950The Jack Benny Programas Jack Webb · 1 episode
  53. 1950Dark Cityas Augie
  54. 1950The Colgate Comedy Houras Self · 3 episodes
  55. 1950The Menas Norm
  56. 1950Sunset Boulevardas Artie Green
  57. 1950Appointment with Dangeras Joe Regas
  58. 1949He Walked by Nightas Lee Whitey
  59. 1948Hollow Triumphas Bullseye (uncredited)
  60. 1932Three on a Matchas Boy in Schoolyard (uncredited)