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 W…
Movies & TV Shows
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Sunset Boulevard (1950) — Artie Green
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He Walked by Night (1949) — Lee Whitey
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The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson (1962) — Self
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The Men (1950) — Norm
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The Oscars (1953) — Self
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Three on a Match (1932) — Boy in Schoolyard (uncredited)
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Hollow Triumph (1948) — Bullseye (uncredited)
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Dark City (1950) — Augie
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O.J.: Made in America (2016) — Sgt. Joe Friday (archive footage)
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Halls of Montezuma (1951) — Correspondent Dickerman
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Dragnet (1951) — Joe Friday
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Appointment with Danger (1950) — Joe Regas
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Pete Kelly's Blues (1955) — Pete Kelly
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Dragnet (1954) — Sergeant Joe Friday
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The Ed Sullivan Show (1948) — Self
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Dragnet (1967) — Joe Friday
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The Jack Benny Program (1950) — Jack Webb
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You're in the Navy Now (1951) — Ens. Anthony 'Tony' Barbo
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-30- (1959) — Sam Gatlin
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The Colgate Comedy Hour (1950) — Self
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This Is Your Life (1952) — Self
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The D.I. (1957) — Gunnery Sgt. Jim Moore
- A Force in Readiness (1961)
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The John Glenn Story (1962) — Narrator
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Red Nightmare (1962) — On-Camera Narrator
- Tonight Starring Jack Paar (1957) — Self
- Dragnet (1969) — Joe Friday
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The Last Time I Saw Archie (1961) — William 'Bill' Bowers
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24 Hour Alert (1955) — Himself
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O'Hara, United States Treasury: Operation Cobra (1971) — Narrator
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Star Spangled Salesman (1968) — Security Man
- The Partners (1971)
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The Selling of the Pentagon (1971) — Self (archive footage)
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Greyhounds of the Sea (1967) — Narrator
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A Day in Vietnam (1967) — Narrator
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Greenboy: Prescription for Death (2013) — Joe Friday (archive footage)
- Your Tour In Vietnam (1970) — Narrator
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General Electric True (1962) — Self - host
Directed
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Emergency! (1972) — Director
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Adam-12 (1968) — Director
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Dragnet (1951) — Director
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Pete Kelly's Blues (1955) — Director
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Dragnet (1954) — Director
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Dragnet (1967) — Director
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-30- (1959) — Director
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The D.I. (1957) — Director
- Dragnet (1969) — Director
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The Last Time I Saw Archie (1961) — Director
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Emergency! (1972) — Director
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O'Hara, United States Treasury: Operation Cobra (1971) — Director
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Chase (1973) — Director
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General Electric True (1962) — Director