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Joe Friday is a fictional character created and portrayed by
Jack Webb John Randolph Webb (April 2, 1920 – December 23, 1982) was an American actor, television producer, Television director, director, and screenwriter, who is most famous for his role as Joe Friday, Sgt. Joe Friday in the Dragnet (franchise) ...
as the lead for his series '' Dragnet''. Friday is a
detective A detective is an investigator, usually a member of a law enforcement agency. They often collect information to solve crimes by talking to witnesses and informants, collecting physical evidence, or searching records in databases. This leads th ...
in the
Los Angeles Police Department The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), officially known as the City of Los Angeles Police Department, is the municipal police department of Los Angeles, California. With 9,974 police officers and 3,000 civilian staff, it is the third-large ...
. The character first appeared on June 3, 1949 in the premiere of the
NBC The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an Television in the United States, American English-language Commercial broadcasting, commercial television network, broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Enterta ...
radio drama Radio drama (or audio drama, audio play, radio play, radio theatre, or audio theatre) is a dramatized, purely acoustic performance. With no visual component, radio drama depends on dialogue, music and sound effects to help the listener imagine ...
that launched the series. Webb played the character on radio and later television from 1949–1959 and again from 1967–1970, also appearing as Friday in a 1954 theatrical release and a 1966 made-for-TV film.


Original series

Friday had joined the police shortly before
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
; Ben Romero was his first partner. After Friday was discharged from the U.S. Army, he returned to the police and the pair eventually reunited in the Detective Division, prior to the events of the series. Over the earlier run of the series, Friday was partnered with Sgt. Ben Romero (
Barton Yarborough William Barton Yarborough (October 2, 1900 – December 19, 1951) was an American actor who worked extensively in radio drama, primarily on the NBC Radio Network. He is famous for his roles in the Carlton E. Morse productions '' I Love a My ...
), Sgt. Ed Jacobs (
Barney Phillips Bernard Philip Ofner (October 20, 1913 – August 17, 1982), better known by his stage name Barney Phillips, was an American film, television, and radio actor. His most prominent roles include that of Sgt. Ed Jacobs on the 1950s '' Dragnet' ...
), Romero's nephew, Officer Bill Lockwood (
Martin Milner Martin Sam Milner (December 28, 1931 – September 6, 2015) was an American actor and radio host. He is best known for his performances on two television series: ''Route 66'', which aired on CBS from 1960 to 1964, and ''Adam-12'', which ai ...
), and then (for the rest of the radio run as well as the 1954 film and the 1951 television series) Officer Frank Smith (first Herbert Ellis, then Ben Alexander). For the 1960s revival, Friday's partner was Officer Bill Gannon (
Harry Morgan Harry Morgan (born Harry Bratsberg; April 10, 1915 – December 7, 2011) was an American actor and director whose television and film career spanned six decades. Morgan's major roles included Pete Porter in both ''December Bride'' (1954–1959 ...
). During the 1958–59 season, Friday was promoted to
Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...
, but when the show was revived in 1967, he was again a Sergeant without any on-screen explanation; Webb later explained that in the real LAPD, the
Lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...
rank is a supervisory position and involved less investigatory time in the field, which would change the structure of the show. Friday narrated every story, providing details in voiceover of what happened and where. He had several bits of consistent dialogue that remained throughout the series. The opening narration in the original 1951–59 TV series remained brief and straightforward:
''"This is the city, Los Angeles, California... I work here... I'm a cop."''
What followed was the introduction of the story's plot:
"''It was'' ay of the week and date ''it was''
eather conditions Eather may refer to: * Alice Eather (1988/89–2017), Australian poet *Edgar Eather (1886–1968), Justice of the Supreme Court of Nevada *Kenneth Eather (1901–1993), Australian Army officer who served during the Second World War *Michael Eather ...
''in Los Angeles; we were working the''
night Night (also described as night time, unconventionally spelled as "nite") is the period of ambient darkness from sunset to sunrise during each 24-hour day, when the Sun is below the horizon. The exact time when night begins and ends depends o ...
''watch out of'' olice division ''My partner is''
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''The boss is''
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''My name's Friday.''" In many openings from episodes of the 1967–70 revival series Friday would add assorted details about Los Angeles ranging from its geography and history to its landmarks and population, the latter of which would often lead to observations about how most of the people are good while some go bad, leading to the phrase:
"''...That's when I go to work; I carry a badge''".
Just the facts, ma'am Just or JUST may refer to: __NOTOC__ People * Just (surname) * Just (given name) Arts and entertainment * ''Just'', a 1998 album by Dave Lindholm * "Just" (song), a song by Radiohead * "Just", a song from the album ''Lost and Found'' by Mudvayne ...
" is a common
catchphrase A catchphrase (alternatively spelled catch phrase) is a phrase or expression recognized by its repeated utterance. Such phrases often originate in popular culture and in the arts, and typically spread through word of mouth and a variety of mass ...
often attributed to Friday, or less often, to
Stan Freberg Stan Freberg (born Stanley Friberg; August 7, 1926 – April 7, 2015) was an American actor, author, comedian, musician, radio personality, puppeteer and advertising creative director. His best-known works include " St. George and the Dragonet ...
's works parodying ''Dragnet''. But neither used the exact phrase. While Friday typically used the phrase "All we want are the facts, ma'am" when questioning women in the course of police investigations, Freberg's spoof changed the line slightly to "I just want to get the facts, ma'am". Friday carried a regulation .38 snub-nose
Smith & Wesson Model 10 The Smith & Wesson Model 10, previously known as the Smith & Wesson .38 Hand Ejector Model of 1899, the Smith & Wesson Military & Police or the Smith & Wesson Victory Model, is a K-frame revolver of worldwide popularity. In production since 1899 ...
revolver while Gannon had a four-inch .38
Smith & Wesson Model 15 The Smith & Wesson K-38 Combat Masterpiece, Revolver Model 15 is a six-shot double-action revolver, with adjustable open sights, built on the medium-size "K" frame. It is chambered for the .38 Special cartridge and is fitted with a barrel, thoug ...
revolver. In the Dragnet 1968 episode 2/2 "The Shooting Board", Joe Friday states that in his 15-year career as a police officer he had only had to unholster his service gun three times, and had to "drop the hammer on a man" twice (his first time being in the 1953 episode "The Big Thief", broadcast December 18, 1953, when he was forced to draw on, shoot and kill a fleeing robber who was firing at him), including in that episode; he had stopped off at an all-night laundromat to purchase a pack of cigarettes when he caught someone attempting to slip-wire a change machine and exchanged gunfire with him, killing him (and falling under investigation as there were no other witnesses in the laundromat to corroborate his story that he had been fired upon and returned fire). However, this contradicts the original TV series, and the radio series, several episodes of which depicted Friday getting involved in shootouts, including at least one, "The Big Break," first broadcast on March 19, 1953, which took place over the course of a year, and included two shootouts in the same episode.


Personal life

In his private life, Friday mostly kept to himself and maintained a low social profile. Like Webb, Friday was an Army veteran and a chain smoker, but in contrast Friday was a confirmed bachelor, which often did not go unnoticed by his partners who regularly but futilely advised Friday to marry and settle down. He casually keeps company with Policewoman Dorothy Rivers in the early 1950s, and does not object to his mother's occasional attempts to match him with daughters of her friends. In the original series, Friday lived with his widowed mother in the house in which she reared him, at 1456 Collis Avenue, but later lived alone in a small apartment (in the 1951 TV series, Joe tells Frank that he has received a letter from his mother who had moved East to an undisclosed city where her sister lives and bought a house down the street from her sister's). In contrast, two of his most prominent partners, Frank Smith and Bill Gannon, were married with children. In August 1951, Friday gives his age as 34, making him approximately three years older than Webb. Friday's birth date was given as April 2 (the same as Webb's) in the 1969 episode "Community Relations", but this is in conflict with that given in the 1954 radio episode "Big Shock", where his partner attempts to give Joe a birthday present of fleece-lined slippers, when Friday informs him that his birthday is August 30, not March 30. Like Webb, Friday grew up in Los Angeles and was graduated from Belmont High School.


Badge 714

When the original ''Dragnet'' went into syndication, the show was renamed "Badge 714", so named for Joe Friday's police badge. A recurring myth was that
Jack Webb John Randolph Webb (April 2, 1920 – December 23, 1982) was an American actor, television producer, Television director, director, and screenwriter, who is most famous for his role as Joe Friday, Sgt. Joe Friday in the Dragnet (franchise) ...
chose the number 714 because he was a fan of
Babe Ruth George Herman "Babe" Ruth Jr. (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Su ...
, who slugged 714
home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...
s during his career, but it was later asserted in TV commentator Michael J. Hayde's book ''My Name's Friday'' that Webb originally wanted the badge number to be "777", tripling the lucky number 7, but decided instead to add the last two digits together to get "14", thus making the badge number "714". The badge that Friday carried as a lieutenant during the final season of the 1951–59 series was ultimately used in real life by LAPD officer Dan Cooke. As a sergeant, Cooke had been assigned to be the LAPD's liaison with Webb during the production of the 1967–70 series. Just before filming started on the
TV-movie A television film, alternatively known as a television movie, made-for-TV film/movie or TV film/movie, is a feature-length film that is produced and originally distributed by or to a television network, in contrast to theatrical films made for ...
that became the pilot for the revived series, Cooke found the badge that the LAPD had lent to Webb in 1958–59 season. However, Webb informed Cooke that he wanted Friday to be a sergeant in the revived series, and, consequently, would not need the lieutenant's badge from the original show. Cooke put the unused badge in a desk drawer and forgot about it. Years later, after being promoted to lieutenant himself, Cooke found the badge and asked for permission to use it. When Jack Webb died in 1982, LAPD Chief
Daryl Gates Daryl Gates (born Darrel Francis Gates; August 30, 1926 – April 16, 2010) was the Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) from 1978 to 1992. His length of tenure in this position was second only to that of William H. Parker. As Chief ...
officially retired Badge 714; Webb was also buried with full police honors, a rarity for a non-policeman. ''Dragnet'' and spinoff ''
Adam-12 ''Adam-12'' is an American television police procedural crime drama television series created by Robert A. Cinader and Jack Webb. The series follows Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers Pete Malloy and Jim Reed as they patrol the stre ...
'' were the only television shows to use actual LAPD badges. In the show's heyday, people would regularly visit the LAPD asking to speak to Sgt. Friday. The official response given by the front desk was, "Sorry, it's Joe's day off." In the FX show ''
The Shield ''The Shield'' is an American crime drama television series starring Michael Chiklis that premiered on March 12, 2002, on FX in the United States, and concluded on November 25, 2008, after seven seasons. Known for its portrayal of corrupt poli ...
'', about an LAPD anti-gang unit, one of the officers, Shane, lost his badge in season 2 and it was revealed to be badge number 714.


1955 Three Stooges parody

The Three Stooges, (
Moe Howard Moses Harry Horwitz (June 19, 1897 – May 4, 1975), known professionally as Moe Howard, was an American actor and comedian. He is best known as the leader of The Three Stooges, the farce comedy team who starred in motion pictures and television ...
,
Larry Fine Louis Feinberg (October 5, 1902 – January 24, 1975), known professionally as Larry Fine, was an American actor, comedian, and musician. He is best known as a member of the comedy act the Three Stooges. Early life Fine was born to a Russian Je ...
, and
Shemp Howard Samuel Horwitz (March 11, 1895 – November 22, 1955), known professionally as Shemp Howard, was an American actor and comedian. He was called "Shemp" because "Sam" came out that way in his mother's thick Lithuanian Yiddish, Litvak accent. He is ...
) performed an 18 minute parody of ''Dragnet'' entitled the "
Blunder Boys ''Blunder Boys'' is a 1955 short film, short subject directed by Jules White starring American slapstick comedy team The Three Stooges (Moe Howard, Larry Fine and Shemp Howard). It is the 166th entry in the series released by Columbia Pictures sta ...
". After graduating with the lowest honors at criminology school, the stooges join the police force, and they track down a wanted criminal known as the Eel.


1987 film

Dan Aykroyd Daniel Edward Aykroyd ( ; born July 1, 1952) is a Canadian actor, comedian, producer, musician and writer. He was an original member of the "Not Ready for Prime Time Players" on ''Saturday Night Live'' (1975–1979). During his tenure on ''SNL'' ...
starred as Joe Friday, namesake and nephew of the original, in the 1987 comedy adaptation film '' Dragnet''.
Harry Morgan Harry Morgan (born Harry Bratsberg; April 10, 1915 – December 7, 2011) was an American actor and director whose television and film career spanned six decades. Morgan's major roles included Pete Porter in both ''December Bride'' (1954–1959 ...
reprised his television role as Bill Gannon, now Captain, and
Tom Hanks Thomas Jeffrey Hanks (born July 9, 1956) is an American actor and filmmaker. Known for both his comedic and dramatic roles, he is one of the most popular and recognizable film stars worldwide, and is regarded as an American cultural icon. Ha ...
appeared as Friday's partner Pep Streebek.


2003 series

Ed O'Neill Edward Leonard O'Neill (born April 12, 1946) is an American actor and comedian. His roles include Al Bundy on the Fox Network sitcom '' Married... with Children'', for which he was nominated for two Golden Globes, and Jay Pritchett on the awar ...
starred as Joe Friday in
Wolf Films Wolf Entertainment is an American television production company founded in 1988 by producer Dick Wolf, known for its television franchises ''Law & Order (franchise), Law & Order'', ''Chicago (franchise), Chicago'', and ''FBI (TV series), FBI'' ...
' 2003 revival of '' Dragnet''. Since LAPD had discontinued the rank of
Detective Sergeant Sergeant (abbreviated to Sgt. and capitalized when used as a named person's title) is a rank in many uniformed organizations, principally military and policing forces. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and other uni ...
, replacing it with the rank of Detective Three, or D-3, the rank banner on Friday's badge now said "Detective" instead of "Sergeant," and Friday was referred to as "Detective Friday" instead of "Sergeant Friday." During the first season of the series, Friday's partner was named "Frank Smith," but unlike the character played by Alexander and Ellis on the original series, this Frank Smith, as played by
Ethan Embry Ethan Embry (born June 13, 1978) is an American film and television actor. He is known for his role as Mark in ''Empire Records'', Preston in ''Can't Hardly Wait'', The Bass Player in ''That Thing You Do!'', and as Bobby Ray in ''Sweet Home Ala ...
, was not an experienced, veteran officer, but a young detective being mentored by Friday. On one episode of this show, Friday actually spoke the phrase, "Just the facts."


Friday's partners

Sgt. Ben Romero (
Barton Yarborough William Barton Yarborough (October 2, 1900 – December 19, 1951) was an American actor who worked extensively in radio drama, primarily on the NBC Radio Network. He is famous for his roles in the Carlton E. Morse productions '' I Love a My ...
) (Radio & Television)
Sgt. Ed Jacobs (
Barney Phillips Bernard Philip Ofner (October 20, 1913 – August 17, 1982), better known by his stage name Barney Phillips, was an American film, television, and radio actor. His most prominent roles include that of Sgt. Ed Jacobs on the 1950s '' Dragnet' ...
) (Radio & Television)
Off. Bill Lockwood (
Martin Milner Martin Sam Milner (December 28, 1931 – September 6, 2015) was an American actor and radio host. He is best known for his performances on two television series: ''Route 66'', which aired on CBS from 1960 to 1964, and ''Adam-12'', which ai ...
/Ken Peters) (Radio)
Off. Frank Smith ( Ben Alexander,
Ethan Embry Ethan Embry (born June 13, 1978) is an American film and television actor. He is known for his role as Mark in ''Empire Records'', Preston in ''Can't Hardly Wait'', The Bass Player in ''That Thing You Do!'', and as Bobby Ray in ''Sweet Home Ala ...
,
Harry Bartell Harry Alfred Bartell (November 29, 1913 – February 26, 2004)Aaker, Everett (2006). ''Encyclopedia of Early Television Crime Fighters''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . p. 34. was an American actor and announcer in radio, television and film. Wit ...
, Herb Ellis,
Vic Perrin Victor Herbert Perrin (April 26, 1916 – July 4, 1989)Cox, Jim (2007). ''Radio Speakers: Narrators, News Junkies, Sports Jockeys, Tattletales, Tipsters, Toastmasters and Coffee Klatch Couples Who Verbalized the Jargon of the Aural Ether fr ...
) (Radio, Television & Film)
Off. Bill Gannon (
Harry Morgan Harry Morgan (born Harry Bratsberg; April 10, 1915 – December 7, 2011) was an American actor and director whose television and film career spanned six decades. Morgan's major roles included Pete Porter in both ''December Bride'' (1954–1959 ...
) (Television & Film)


Reception

In 2006,
TV Land TV Land is an American pay television channel owned by Paramount Global through its networks division. Originally a spinoff of Nick at Nite consisting exclusively of classic television shows, the channel now airs a combination of recent and cla ...
included the line "This is the city..." on its "The 100 Greatest TV Quotes and Catch Phrases" special.The Star Ledger. December 11, 2006.


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Friday, Joe American male characters in television Dragnet (franchise) Drama television characters Fictional characters from Los Angeles Fictional Los Angeles Police Department detectives Fictional police lieutenants Fictional police sergeants Male characters in radio Radio characters introduced in 1949