Jack Webb
John Randolph Webb (April 2, 1920 – December 23, 1982) was an American actor, television producer, director, and screenwriter, most famous for his role as Joe Friday in the Dragnet franchise, which he created. He was also the founder of his own production company, Mark VII Limited.
Jack Webb | |
|---|---|
Jack Webb as Joe Friday in Dragnet (1957) | |
| Born | John Randolph Webb April 2, 1920 Santa Monica, California, U.S. |
| Died | December 23, 1982 (aged 62) West Hollywood, California, U.S. |
| Resting place | Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills) 34.14840°N 118.32718°W |
| Other names | John Randolph |
| Occupation(s) | Actor, producer, director, screenwriter |
| Years active | 1932–1982 |
| Spouses | Dorothy Towne
(m. 1955; div. 1957)Opal Wright (m. 1980) |
| Children | 2 |
Webb started his career in the 1940s as a radio personality, starring in several radio shows and dramas—including Dragnet, which he created in 1949—before entering television in the 1950s, creating the television adaptation of Dragnet for NBC as well as other series. Throughout the 1960s, Webb worked in both acting and television production, creating Adam-12 in 1968, and in 1970, Webb retired from acting to focus on producing, creating Emergency! 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 a Dragnet revival before he died.
Webb's production style aimed for significant levels of detail and accuracy. Many of his works focused on law enforcement and emergency services in the Los Angeles area, most prominently the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), which directly supported the production of Dragnet and Adam-12.