676

Born:  April 2, 1920

This man is on my top ten list of the finest television actors of all time.  Early in his career he did appear in a few films include the famous Sunset Blvd and Dark City. 

In June 1949 he began playing the role of Sergeant Joe Friday on the radio police drama, "Dragnet."  Two years later, "Dragnet" made the transition to television courtesy of an episode of the "Chesterfield Sound-Off Time."  The show broadcast on December 16, 1951 and featured Joe Friday with his partner Sergeant Ben Romero (Barton Yarborough).  The episode was actually adapted from a radio script that was used in 1949 and introduced television audiences to Friday's trademark deadpan behavior.  

The radio series ran from 1949-1957 while the television series was on the air from 1951 to 1959.  Both produced over 200 episodes.  It was not uncommon in those days for a program to be on both radio and television with the same principal players, as many people did not own a television set at that point.   

From 1962 to 1963 he acted as host to almost twenty episodes of "G.E. True" as well as appearing in some of the performances as well.  Other television appearances include "The Jerry Lewis Show", "O'Hara, U.S. Treasury", "The Partners", "Adam-12", "The Hollywood Squares", "The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson", "The Jack Benny Program", "The Ed Sullivan Show" and "The Colgate Comedy Hour."  

In 1966, he returned to play Sergeant Friday in a "Dragnet" television movie this time Harry Morgan played his partner, Officer Bill Gannon.  The following year the show was back on the air with Friday and Gannon as the leads.  It ended in 1970.  His final acting role was as an announcer in a 1978 episode of "Project U.F.O."  

He passed away 30 years ago, December 23, 1982 leaving behind an incredible body of work.  

In Memoriam Remembers:
Jack Webb

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