Veteran actor Harry Morgan, most famous to modern audiences as Colonel Potter from the MASH  and After MASH TV series, has passed away.  Here at The Silver State Chronicles, we fondly remember him as Bill Gannon, partner of Sgt Joe Friday in the 1960′s incarnation of Dragnet.

He shall be missed.

A nice article at The Muskegon Chronicle…

Actor Harry Morgan went from Muskegon High School performer to Emmy winner
By Megan Hart

Harry Morgan came a long way from the young man who acted in Muskegon High School productions.

Morgan, who was best known for the role of Col. Sherman T. Potter on the TV series “M*A*S*H,” died Wednesday at age 96.

He was born Harry Bratsburg and graduated from Muskegon High School in 1933. He later attended Muskegon Junior College (now Muskegon Community College), where he was also active in drama.

Morgan left Michigan for good to perform in New York and on the East Coast in the late 1930s. He broke into film and moved to California shortly before Pearl Harbor was attacked in December 1941, which was the subject of a feature in Monday’s Chronicle.

Morgan performed in more than 100 films and TV shows, spanning more than six decades. His last appearance was in the “M*A*S*H 30th Anniversary Reunion” in 2002. Some of his notable roles were in the 1960 film “Inherit the Wind,” and in the TV series and film “Dragnet.” He won an Emmy for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy or Variety or Music Series for his role as Col. Potter in 1980.

He returned to Muskegon only once, to film a Lifesavers commercial in 1978 with two Muskegon High School students.

“I don’t think I ever enjoyed myself more than going to high school, here,” Morgan told The Chronicle in 1978. “I was very enthusiastic about coming back, and it’s regretful that it’s too short a time to visit. There really was no reason to come back before. Most of my close friends and relatives have gone elsewhere. I’ve been invited to the class reunions, but the arrangements were too complicated.”

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4r6YCUtxfs

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDUI1a9yUL4

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNx8xg0umWM

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbzCkjfPyR0

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gxhuUdZzGYw

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YHRPCUu9RgU

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This is the city…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6LprmdivN8

Dragnet had enjoyed a very successful run on radio and on television, but as the 1950s wrapped up, Mr. Webb grew tired of the confines of a weekly program, and Dragnet closed its final case in 1959.  But in the seven years since the original version ended production, punitive “law and order” sentiments had generally fallen out of favor with the American public, particularly with the Kennedy administration and an out-of-control liberal-minded federal judiciary setting the tone for a somewhat less stringent attitude toward criminals.

The changing dynamic helped prompt Mr Webb to relaunch Dragnet on television in 1966.  Mr. Webb produced a TV movie pilot for the new, color version of the show for Universal Television, although it did not air until 1969. NBC bought the show on the strength of the pilot movie and debuted it as a mid-season replacement in 1967 for the sitcom The Hero on Thursday nights in January 1967.

The 1966 TV movie is fairly rare, showing up on tv occasionally in the modern era, despite the fact that Dragnet has had succressful repeat runs on cable channels like TV Land.  The opening sets the stage for the film – 3 crimes are commited in Los Angeles.  Sgt Joe Friday and Officer Bill Gannon are on the case.  Top shelf stuff!  Enjoy!

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It’s no secret that my favorite series on this blog is Fridays for Friday, my continuing homage to one of my great heroes and role models, Mr. Jack Webb.

Well, I found this excellent verbal reprimand of some long haired liberal punks made soft by their instant orange juice very relevant today!  Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZo2hhvvlpw

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Well it’s been a while since my latest entry in the Fridays for Friday series of posts.  Originally intended just for the Fall of 2007, I do like to revisit it now and then when something good crosses my desk here at the world headquarters of The Silver State Chronicles.

So when I found this great short video of Mr. Jack Webb introducing The Story of Old Glory!  Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9x8QXOtJOgM

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Dragnet: The Missing Realtor

Enjoy this great episode of Dragnet 1968 – some good legwork by Joe & Bill, as a missing person’s case slowly becomes a murder case.  Keep an eye out for the legendary Scatman Crothers (sporting some stylish hair)!

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I came upon this neat story of the real-life Detective Joe Friday, courtesy of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Enjoy!

City was protected by the real Joe Friday

By AMY RABIDEAU SILVERS
of the Journal Sentinel staff
Last Updated: Sept. 17, 2001

Little did Edmund and Hedwig Friday realize 75 years ago what a nuisance their son’s name would be for much of his life.

Joseph E. Friday grew up to be a Milwaukee police officer and detective. By the time he wore a badge, TV Detective Joe Friday had made the name famous, his deadpan “Just the facts, ma’am” a part of television history.

“That name always gave him trouble,” said Detective Jim Cler in 1986, as his partner retired after 32 years.

“I used to listen to him on the phone. He’d say, ‘This is Joe Friday of the Milwaukee Police. . . . Well, my name is Joe Friday. . . . No, I’m not putting you on.’ ” Cler repeated. “Sometimes it would take a little convincing.”

The real Detective Joe Friday died of lung cancer Tuesday, going quietly in his sleep while in hospice care at his Brookfield home. He was 75.

Born in Stevens Point and raised in Milwaukee, he served with the Army in Europe and Africa during World War II.

“During the Battle of the Bulge, he and a friend got caught behind enemy lines,” said his son, Paul J. Friday of Milwaukee. “They were hidden by civilians and made it back to our side.”

Also memorable for Friday, something of an amateur musician, was performing with the USO.

“He played guitar with Jack Benny,” said another son, Mark J. Friday of New Berlin.

After the war, Friday worked as a tool and die maker until switching to police work in 1954.

By then, “Dragnet” was one of the biggest hits of early television. The show began as a radio program in 1949, moving to television in 1951. Jack Webb continued acting in his Joe Friday role until 1959, later returning to the program in 1967 for two more years.

Soon after Friday was hired, he received a telegram from Webb.

“Very best wishes on your new job from both of us, Joe Friday and me,” the actor wrote.

In 1955, the two met when Webb stopped in Milwaukee to promote his movie, “Pete Kelly’s Blues.”

Webb “told me he had looked all over the country for a name he could use, and he thought there wasn’t anyone with the name Joe Friday,” Friday later recalled. “He apologized, and we went out to dinner. I enjoyed his company.”

The name also necessitated the unusual step of getting an unlisted phone number in the 1950s.

“I’d get phone calls all night long, at 3 and 4 in the morning,” Friday said. “Mostly kids who would sing, ‘dum-de-dum-dum,’ and hang up.”

Friday’s police career included patrol duties and work with the department’s vice squad. He became an expert in investigating auto theft, and, in 1971, broke one of the largest rings in the Midwest, which led to the recovery of a cache of stolen Corvettes hidden in a wooded area of Waukesha County.

“He was a hell of an asset for us,” said police Inspector Ken Hagopian as Friday retired. “He’s been instrumental in breaking and investigating auto thefts. Few people have his expertise.”

In 1959, Friday was involved in a highly publicized shooting, which occurred the night after the murder of a west side woman. A man matching the suspect’s description shot and killed Sgt. Raymond Nencki. Friday fatally shot the suspect.

More than for the accident of his name, Joe Friday probably would want to be remembered as a devoted husband and father and grandfather, said Mary Friday, his wife of 53 years.

He also loved hunting, fishing and training Irish setters, including an especially beloved dog known as Rocky. At one point, Rocky was one of the top 10 dogs in the country in competitive training events, Paul said.

“And, if you know anything about Irish setters, they are not the most obedient dogs in the world,” he said.

In addition to his wife and two sons, other survivors include three sisters, Lillian Peterson, Eleanor Yenter and Doris Sucik, all of the Milwaukee area; a brother, Edmund, of Conway, S.C., and grandchildren.

Officers from the Milwaukee and Brookfield police departments will provide an honor guard for services. Visitation will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. today at St. Dominic Catholic Church, 18255 W. Capitol Drive, Brookfield. The funeral service will follow at 7 p.m., also at the church.

Appeared in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel on Sept. 18, 2001.

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The great Badge 714 website has reproduced this short entry from Scholastic Book’s TV 70, a look at the upcoming television season sold in classrooms across the fruited plain! It’s great to see Dragnet 1970 get some good press! Enjoy!

Jack Webb’s Dragnet Tells It Like It Is
by Peggy Hudson

(from “TV 70″, published in 1970 by Scholastic Book Services)

It must be doing something right.
What other TV show has been put back on the beat?

This is the city: Los Angeles.
Population: 2,479,015—some good, some evil.
One of its natives carries a badge. His name: Joe Friday. We visited him on a Tuesday.
The time: 11:06 A.M.My partner and I had been assigned the interview detail. The Chief had briefed us. He said Dragnet had started as a radio show in 1949. Switching to television in 1952, it had become one of the medium’s all-time popular shows.

Then, eight years later, it had abruptly dropped from sight. Now, under a number of aliases—from Dragnet 1967 to Dragnet 1970—it had reappeared and resumed full-time operations. Our assignment: To learn at firsthand the program’s “MO.”

At 11:07 A.M.. we drove into the sprawling grounds of Universal City. We knew that this was Friday’s headquarters. Friday, in real life, operates under the name of Jack Webb.

As soon as we’d stepped into Webb’s reception room, we knew we were in the right place. Hanging in a big frame on one wall was a large collection of police stars, shields, and other badges from such cities as East Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Troy, New York. Some have Jack Webb’s name inscribed upon them.

In a large museum case were other police memorabilia, including an ancient lock and handcuffs. Beside it, in another frame, was a fan letter simply addressed: “Dum-de-dum-dum”—and decorated with appropriate musical notes. The postman, undoubtedly a Dragnet fan himself, delivered the letter—possibly even humming the program’s theme music as he did so.

Led into Webb’s office, we found ourselves in a different world. This was no precinct station. It looked like a living room. Wall-to-wall carpeting. Easy chairs. Tall lamps. One wall was decorated with etchings of U. S. presidents. On a small table stood an American flag.

A man was in the room. Dressed in shirt sleeves and slacks, he was seated at the big desk, talking on the telephone. He wore big black horn-rimmed glasses.

Even behind the glasses, though, it was evident that this was our man. Realizing that the disguise was useless, he hung up the phone, whipped off the glasses, and stood up to shake hands.

Webb is a slight man with narrow shoulders but a powerful build. His natural expression is serious, but he smiles quickly. He graciously waved us to a seat.

We weren’t about to be put off. “We have a few questions we’d like to ask you,” we said. Webb nodded. The interrogation began.

The story you are about to read is real.

---

Dragnet has an air of authenticity seldom matched by rival cops-and-criminals TV shows. Other police dramas have been gunned down by the ratings, but Dragnet has survived. “Why?” we wondered aloud.Webb looked thoughtful. “We’ve tried to tell it like it is for many years,” he said in his dry, Sgt. Friday’s voice. “We work very closely with the Los Angeles Police Department. We have meetings three or four times a year with division commanders and at least one meeting a year with police officials of even higher rank.

“We try to find out what the latest police problems are, what they’d like said. It’s really their program as much as ours. “We aren’t allowed—and don’t want—to read actual case histories. We deal with stories that are accurate, but the dialogue is recreated.

“All of our hardware is authentic. There’s a policeman assigned to each show as technical adviser. Each of our scripts passes through 12 to 15 officers’ hands, from the rank of captain down to sergeant. This is done to catch us in any technical slip-ups. To my knowledge, Dragnet and our other show, Adam-12, are the only police programs done as semidocumentaries.”

Webb created Dragnet 20 years ago. A former radio announcer turned radio serial actor, he got a big break in 1948, shortly after his discharge from I the Army Air Corps. He was cast in a supporting role in the movie, He Walked By Night.

It was a bigger break than even Webb realized. During the filming of the movie, he struck up a friendship with the film’s technical adviser, an officer of the Los Angeles Police Department.

“He sparked my interest in police work, and I found myself spending nights in police prowl cars and researching the crime lab files by day when time permitted,” Webb recalled. “Through this Dragnet was born.”

The show was one of the few programs to survive the transition from radio to television. After its long TV run, Webb voluntarily took Dragnet off the air in 1959.

“I think the public grew a little weary after eight years,” Webb admitted. “We’d done 275 half-hour TV shows and over 500 radio shows.”

But in January, 1967, Dragnet did the unprecedented. It became the first TV program to come from “retirement” and make a successful comeback.

“Had Sgt. Friday gotten restless to get back on the beat?” we asked Webb.

He smiled. “There was no driving urgency on my part,” he said. “It was more or less NBC’s idea, though I thought we could make some kind of statement on law and order.”

In making that statement, Dragnet dramas present all the variety to be found in real-life police work—from homicide to housebreaking. Shows frequently deal with the problems of young people.

When dealing with teenagers on the program, Sgt. Friday and Officer Bill Gannon—played by Harry Morgan—seem tuned in to the younger generation. “Do you think such cops really exist?” we asked Webb.

“Positively, yes, “he replied. “We have only 23 1/2 minutes to tell a story which actual police officers may have spent months on. The officers in real life might have shown even more understanding than Harry and I are able to in such a short time.”

Webb is concerned about the lack of public support for police departments in some areas of the country. “It’s no secret that being called a ‘pig’ affects a man’s morale,” he said. “If we don’t do something quickly, the spirit of accomplishment will be taken away from men on the job. When that happens, low morale can spread through a department. Eventually you risk having no department at all.

“Today, being a policeman is a distasteful, almost tragic, way to make a living. The abuse he takes is ridiculous.

“If the public doesn’t begin to loudly support their policemen, I’m afraid we’re heading for a bleak period in urban history.

“We hope in some way we make the policeman’s job easier for him.”

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Well, most people who know me even casually know that two of my many passions are Dragnet and The Three Stooges! I know what you’re thinking – those two things are among everyone’s many passions! And you’re probably right!

So when those Knuckleheads decided to parody Dragnet, it simply can’t fail! So please join Moe, Larry, & Shemp in their 1955 short, Blunder Boys.

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Fridays for Friday returns with a vengeance! Today’s clip is from the classic episode, The Big Prophet. It’s a minimalist episode done almost entirely on one set between Joe Friday, Bill Gannon, and Brother William Bentley (Liam Sullivan), a Timothy Leary-type counterculture guru who advocates experimentation of all sorts of mind altering drugs.

Needless to say, Mr. Webb sets him straight! All I have to say is, “Thank God, It’s Friday!”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Twre6ItGEI

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In the mid 1960s, serious cultural changes were in the works. Those with their finger on the pulse of America saw the changes coming. People were becoming more cavalier, and less responsible, with sexuality. And drug use was on the rise – and more problematic, encouraged and glorified by certain segments of the culture.

Mr. Jack Webb noticed, and he didn’t like it one bit.

When the network decided to give him a chance to re-imagine his classic radio drama/1950s tv hit Dragnet, Mr. Webb was enthusiastic. One reason was that he saw the cultural trends that encouraged drug use, and wanted to address those trends.

The tv movie, Dragnet 1966, pleased the network executives so much that they ordered a weekly tv series. And Mr. Webb delivered – 17 episodes of Dragnet 1967, kicking off a successful 4-year run of 98 episodes. Interestingly, the 1966 tv movie didn’t air until 1969!

In any event, the drug issue was important to Mr. Webb and it is prominent in the tv series pilot, The LSD Story, which aired on January 12, 1967. It’s a memorable episode because of the subject matter and the way it is handled. The junkie in the episode, Blue Boy enjoys a well deserved footnote in television history!

A YouTube user edited together the best parts of the episode, and thanks to him I can present selections from The LSD Story as part of our series, Fridays for Friday.

Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0zgIzqgxFU

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Those who know me know that I am a big fan of Bullwinkle and his pal Rocky, as well as Boris, Natasha, and the rest of their family of characters! Well, mix the antics of Bullwinkle with the antics of Dragnet, and you have a sure formula for success!

Sit back and enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9l1AQKunXQ

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One of the most memorable Woody Woodpecker animated shorts is ‘Under the Counter Spy,’ a neat spoof on Dragnet. I have to admit, this is one of the darker Woody Woodpecker cartoons and downright creepy at times! Still, it’s a classic and very enjoyable!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFz4BYh9O2E

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Thought I would share a Dragnet classic this week – an entire episode! This episode is ‘The Big Cast’ and featured a young Lee Marvin before he would go on to greater success.

The episode was first broadcast on February 14, 1952, and is brought to you today courtesy of the magic of YouTube!

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Jack Webb has never led me in a wrong direction! Enjoy the Webb-wisdom of this public service announcement regarding the importance of seat belts!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n_-OsCqaDUY

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Of course, when I think of Mr Jack Webb and Mr Harry Morgan, I think of one thing: Law & Order! But in the 1951 film Appointment With Danger, they both played lowlife criminals! Making this violent scene all the more shocking is that Webb portrays a character named ‘Joe!’

Now this can’t possibly be Joe Friday, of course, but seeing Joe deal his own brand of underworld problem-solving on a fallen Harry Morgan, who pleads to ‘Joe’ for mercy, is nonetheless disturbing!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XjZF-OJRp4

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Mr Jack Webb took some time from his busy schedule to film this brief Public Service Announcement, informing tv viewers about their Medicare benefits.

I was so moved by this PSA that I ran down to my local Social Security office immediately to sign up for my benefits, and told them Mr Webb had sent me, advising that I should go down before my 65th birthday to do all the paperwork.

The woman kindly informed me that there is no need to sign up 25 years before my 65th birthday, and to come back in 24 years, 10 months or so. I vowed to do just that! Then the nice security folks escorted me out of the building!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88Cu-q4OL2I

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If there’s one thing you don’t do, it’s push Sgt. Joe Friday! And this hapless criminal lowlife does just that, and pays the price!

Justice has a name – it’s Jack Webb!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrpiby-piB4

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Back in the days when TV was a lot more entertaining, long promos for the series were sent out as part of the syndication packages so that the local tv station could drum up interest for the series. This one for the 1960s incarnation of Dragnet is a classic, and includes part of the famous “What is a cop” speech from season one!

Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mdyvqFN6bCU

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One of the great speeches in entertainment history is this brief one by Joe Friday, in the 1954 theatrical film Dragnet. Mr. Webb delivers it with passion and sincerity. The fact is, they just don’t make them like this anymore!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9CxT48jIgI

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Seinfeld was one of the most popular tv series of the 1990s, and still has quite a fan following today. The creative forces behind the series parodied a wide range of subjects in their time, and one of the most memorable is the NY Library investigator Mr Bookman.

Well, I confess I was never a big Seinfeld fan, but when I saw this episode in syndication, it was pretty clear to me after about two lines that ‘Mr Bookman’ is a parody/homage of Jack Webb’s classic tv police officer, Joe Friday.

Or maybe it’s just my imagination: take a look and see…

• Jack Webb on “What is a cop”
• “Try A Little Tenderness” by Jack Webb
• The Tonight Show: The Copper Clapper Caper
• Sgt Friday clips the wings of some liberal punks!
• The Perils of Blue Boy
• The Story of Old Glory, by Mr. Jack Webb

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Last week’s doubleheader was so well received that I decided to deliver a double-dose of Jack Webb action again! This time, it’s from the 1967 Dragnet TV movie, and Joe Friday has had just about enough from a filthy child molester he has busted!

All I have to say is, “Thank God it’s Friday!”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lz_OZVk_Es0

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I came across this wonderful article about Mr. Jack Webb, from the 1950s Hollywood gossip magazine TV People. Honestly, in many ways it reads like a press release, and was probably published to soften his image a bit. I still dig it!

The article was reproduced by the great folks at the website that honors Mr. Webb and Dragnet, Badge 714.

AT LONG LAST! The JACK WEBB Story That MUST be Told

by BEN ALEXANDER (from TV People, October 1957)

I have just completed a six-week swing around the country.

Personally meeting swarms of fans is a most gratifying experience, of course. But here and there a grating note crept in.

Several long-time followers of “Dragnet” and “Badge 714″ asked me, “Is it true that Jack Webb is a moody, unapproachable person in real life?”

And my categorical answer to them is this: Nothing could be further from the truth!

Whether he’s a police sergeant or Marine sergeant, Jack doesn’t change the stripes of his character. And, you can take it from me, that means he’s the same swell guy I met for the first time six years ago.

This sort of stuff has been going on for the past several years, and I don’t understand why.

The truth is that Jack works hard. Very hard. But he does not work so hard in order to escape from unhappiness, as some writers hint. He works hard just because he likes to work!

When I’m not portraying Frank Smith, no one is happier than I am when I’m at my Ford Agency, selling…. I just love to sell! Jack just loves to work on TV and movies. That’s all. It’s an all-absorbing passion with him.

Let me tell you a few things about Jack Webb, as he really is, and not as some papers and magazines have painted him.

First of all, Jack is not a morose guy. I was with him New Year’s Eve when news came through that the sponsor had dropped his other show, “Noah’s Ark.” “Noah’s Ark” meant a lot to him for many reasons.

But he said “Okay,” and that night he and Dorothy showed up, as scheduled, for the party at Leo Durocher and Laraine Day’s house. Dean and Jeanne Martin, Gordon MacRae and Sheila, and Lesley and I were there, too. Jack joined in the fun, and he certainly wasn’t morose. I have seen Jack handle himself through a lot of trouble, and he can manage it with dignity. He doesn’t sulk. He is a man of great interest and intense sensitivity to the world around him … and he always keeps busy. He just couldn’t stand still, ever. He’s too dynamic.

He’s been called moody many times. It’s not that he’s moody. It’s just that he’s strictly business, and concentrates fiercely on the job at hand. He’s not aloof . he’s only preoccupied. He has a big job to do, and wants to do it efficiently, quickly. Jack is incredibly efficient. After all, he has produced, directed, created and starred in 204 half-hour films of “Dragnet,” and is working on 78 more. During that period, he made a couple of movies for Warner Bros. (“Dragnet” and “Pete Kelly’s Blues”). And his latest, of course, “The D.I.” He also produced the “Noah’s Ark” TV series.

His efficiency enables him to make pictures faster than anybody I know. We can turn out “Dragnet” so quickly because we have all the sets, and Jack is the boss, who makes decisions and knows just what he wants.

Most half-hour TV films are turned out in four days out of each week. But we do two-and-a-half and sometimes three full “Dragnets” a week, for three weeks in a row, and then rest one week.

It’s a terrific schedule, but it runs along smoothly. Of course, it keeps Jack completely tied up in work. And perhaps that explains some of the misunderstandings about him in the I press. When a reporter comes on the set of most of the TV shows, the star usually has moments between scenes to talk to the reporter. But when a reporter arrives unannounced on the set of “Dragnet,” Jack may not be able to stop work to talk more than a few minutes.

We might finish one “Dragnet” at 11 A.M.” and by 11:15 we’re working on the next “Dragnet.” Also, when Jack the star finishes a scene, he becomes Jack the director, or Jack the producer, or Jack the film cutter. He’s always busy, and this man can do anything! If a scene calls for the police to draw a composite picture of a criminal suspect, Jack draws the picture. He’s a fine artist, too. Jack will always schedule interviews with the press, but he’s on a spot when writers walk in without warning. They seem to suspect he’s avoiding them. But the fact is Jack never backs away from any question, and he’s not even the kind who gives “yes” or “no” answers. He’ll give precise, detailed explanations.

The fact that he has no time, on the set, for unscheduled interviewers does not mean Jack has no sense of public relations. He has. He keeps two secretaries busy with correspondence and he tries to answer inquiries that require answers. He’s on the phone a lot. He reads his press clips. He knows what’s going on. But the big problem is time. He just doesn’t have enough of it.

There’s a lot of misunderstanding about his home life. The papers imply there’s something weird about a guy who’s working day and night. Well, Jack does live a life that isn’t typical of most people. But it’s the kind of personal life that fits his drive and his work. For instance, Jack lives in the same building where he works. He built a $450,000 modern building for his Mark VII Ltd. offices on the Republic Pictures lot, and installed a luxury apartment.

That is where he now lives. It contains a dining alcove, kitchen, living room, bedroom, etc., and is furnished in Early American, much of the furniture having been designed by George Montgomery, Dinah Shore’s husband. Jack says he put so much money into this building because he, and some of his employees, spend more time there than they do in their own homes.

Jack has a Filipino boy, Freddie, who cooks for him. The apartment has TV sets, tape recorders, a hi-fi set, a big collection of records. He likes music, and has it playing all the time. Of course, he’s a great student of TV, and is the kind of guy who switches around to all the stations, looking for unusual moments. He’s the kind who can watch TV and listen to his records, and talk at the same time . . . and know exactly what’s going on.

The rest of us go home at 6, but Jack can stick around and run off tapes, check the sound, edit scripts, cut film. On Friday nights, he often invites his friends to stay around while he screens two or three new movies. He keeps up to date on films, and knows all the new gadgets, new techniques, new experiments. Jack is enormously interested in sound, and hears sounds-that are imperceptible to me. He knows music, too, although I don’t believe he can play a musical instrument.

It was his avid interest in jazz that led him into the “Pete Kelly’s Blues” radio series and the feature movie.

Jack is like a sponge in that he is always absorbing information. He has a remarkable talent for recalling things and people and talk. During a scene, for instance, he might say, “I once heard an old man on a street car say, the spleen was the oil can of the system. It’s a good line, and I think Frank should use it right here.”

His apartment reflects his varied interests. It’s full of records, paintings, collections of badges (gifts from police departments), collections of miniature models of animals (part of the research that went into “Noah’s Ark”), collections of guns, etc. You can see how close his personal life and his business life are. They’re intertwined, and it explains why he prefers to live on the lot so he can work when he wants to.

He gets a lot of invitations to parties that he cannot accept. He hasn’t the time. He is completely fascinated with his work. And, being young, strong and alert, he enjoys working hard. You’ll never hear Jack talk about retirement!

Hating to be diverted from his work, he doesn’t go out much, but he does go to Ray Heindorf’s house, and they’ll listen to a lot of music. Ray was musical director of Jack’s “Pete Kelly’s Blues” movie, and he and Jack are good friends.

And let’s not forget that Jack is a great producer. He knows how to produce fine stories that make money. His feature movie, “Dragnet,” is the nation’s 17th biggest grosser of all time, and it cost only a half million dollars to make. Obviously, it’s made a load of profit.

Jack has inherent good taste. He never has trouble with censors, and never will. He knows the rules, and he can achieve dramatic effects without offending anyone. Everything he’s ever done has been for a family audience. Our “Dragnet” show usually starts after the crime has been committed, so we have no violence. There might be a bit of physical encounter when the criminal is caught, but that’s all.

Around the set, Jack is quiet. He’s not the practical joker kind, although he enjoys a good story and can tell one, too. But he has no time for time-wasting horsing around. We know we’re there for business, and we have a film to make, so we concentrate. There are no long delays, for the simple reason that Jack is the boss and everything is laid out efficiently for us. He’s patient, when need be, but he makes quick decisions. Only once in over 200 pictures do I remember him sending an actor home and replacing him.

He is a perfectionist, and will take a scene over and over again if he is not getting what he wants.

He is really a genius, for he has turned out a tremendous amount of film on a sound financial basis. You’ve got to be a superb businessman to be able to do that.

Much has been written and said about Jack’s supposedly being coldblooded with his associates. Let me cite a few examples. Start with me, Ben Alexander. Playing Officer Smith on “Dragnet” has been a great thing for me—financially, emotionally, and in many other ways. But I can’t take credit for whatever success I’ve had with the role. The role was created by Jack, and the script gives me the lines, and I say them.

Look at Victor Rodman. He had been disabled in an accident, and one of Jack’s joys about creating “Noah’s Ark” was the chance it gave him to employ Victor in a role that didn’t require walking around. Jack was thrilled with “Noah’s Ark” because it gave Victor a chance to prove what a fine actor he is. And a big reason Jack is eager to revive the show is that Victor will be working again.

Our second assistant director was a San Francisco actor who was not doing too well and had been forced to take a job in May’s department store. Jack put him to work for six months, so he could apply for his card in the Directors’ Guild.

Eddie Coleman, our cameraman, is now a member of the American Society of Cinematographers because Jack liked him, and got him into the union.

Herm Saunders was a pianist at the Bantam Cock Restaurant when Jack walked in one night and told him, “You like people and you’ll make a good casting director.” And Jack gave him the job.

And let me tell you something about Jack and me. About three years ago, I went to Jack and told him that my doctors had advised me to lose 40 pounds, but I was worried what that would do to my characterization of Officer Smith, who had been established in the series as a fat guy.

I explained that losing weight, the doctor had told me, might enable my wife and me to have children. It had something to do with metabolism and the chemistry of my body.

Jack said if it was that important, of course I should go ahead and lose weight. And he said he’d write my dieting right into the script. That’s what he did, and as a result, Lesley and I now have two lovely children: Lesley Beth and Webb.

Yes, that’s Jack Webb. A man of many facets, many talents, much compassion. A man much misunderstood and much maligned.

I don’t say he’s perfect. Nobody is. But he is a man in every fine sense of the word.

He’s got a job to do, and he does it the best way he knows. His brain has created jobs for hundreds of people, entertained millions of folks, and made some people rich … and certainly nobody poorer.

He fought his way up from poverty. And, in enriching himself, he has enriched many others, too—including moviegoers and TV fans.

He may not be an ordinary guy, but he’s certainly a swell guy.

And those are the facts, ma’am.Similar Posts:

• Jack Webb on “What is a cop”
• Dragnet on Radio: The Big Drive
• Jack Webb’s Dragnet Tells It Like It Is
• Jack Webb Answers “What Do They Pay You?”
• “Try A Little Tenderness” by Jack Webb
• The Tonight Show: The Copper Clapper Caper

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Way back in 1968, Mr. Jack Webb had brought Dragnet back to prime time television, in my personal favorite incarnation of the series. Though his character, Joe Friday, was a no-nonsense police sergeant, Mr. Webb was open to poking fun at himself, and he did just that in this celebrated skit from The Tonight Show.

I don’t know if this was done in one take or not, but it’s masterful and a fan favorite, and it consistently made it on Tonight Show prime time specials and home video compilations.

I really miss Johnny, and the special touch he brought to The Tonight Show. In any event, enjoy this classic TV comedy moment!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4RIBhQIkII

Similar Posts:

• Jack Webb on “What is a cop”
• “Try A Little Tenderness” by Jack Webb
• The Story of Old Glory, by Mr. Jack Webb
• Sgt Friday clips the wings of some liberal punks!
• Jack Webb’s PSA About Medicare
• Jack Webb on “A Quirk in the Law”

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Here at the world headquarters for The Silver State Chronicles, things are always happening! I decided to dedicate the remaining Fridays of 2007 to one of my great heroes, Joe Friday and the series Dragnet!

We’ll start this week off with a Dragnet Doubleheader! While Jack Webb and Dragnet are often identified with great television, a lot of folks don’t know that Dragnet originated as a very successful, long running radio drama.

So how about a little dose of old time radio? Sit back and enjoy the August 14, 1952 episode of radio’s Dragnet, “The Big Drive.”

• Jack Webb on “What is a cop”
• The Perils of Blue Boy
• The Tonight Show: The Copper Clapper Caper
• Dragnet (1966) TV Movie Opening
• Jack Webb’s Dragnet Tells It Like It Is
• The Lone Ranger: Gambler Draws A Blank

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It’s no secret that I am a big fan of Jack Webb, having mentioned his classic album ‘You’re My Girl: Romantic Reflections by Jack Webb’ in an earlier post. Well, lots of folks just loved the Nichelle Nichols song a couple of days ago, so I decided to follow up with a memorable tune by Jack Webb.

One of the most memorable tracks on this classic album is Mr. Webb’s rendition of ‘Try A Little Tenderness.’ Well, I’ve surrendered to popular demand and am sharing this wonderful track with you all! Enjoy!

• Jack Webb on “What is a cop”
• Jack Webb Homage: Mr Bookman on Seinfeld
• The Perils of Blue Boy
• The Tonight Show: The Copper Clapper Caper
• Jack Webb Seat Belt PSA
• The Story of Old Glory, by Mr. Jack Webb

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I found this great clip of Sgt Joe Friday from an episode of the 1960s-70s Dragnet and had to share it! In Webb we trust!!

This also gives me a great excuse to use this image of Mr Webb’s album below – I really dig the concept of ‘Romantic Reflections by Jack Webb!’

Enjoy!

• “Try A Little Tenderness” by Jack Webb
• Jack Webb Homage: Mr Bookman on Seinfeld
• Dragnet on Radio: The Big Drive
• The Story of Old Glory, by Mr. Jack Webb
• The Perils of Blue Boy
• The Tonight Show: The Copper Clapper Caper

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