That was the only time Jack Webb made fun of his "Joe Friday" character. He was offered the role of Dean Wormer in Animal House but turned it down because he thought it would degrade his character.
Webb was not the tight laced "Joe Friday" he became type cast as. He started out his career as the comic relief, and was very good at it. He wore long hair until his leading role in "The D.I." when his crew cut became his signature. Unfortunately, his big break directing and starring in "The Last Time I Saw Charlie" with Robert Mitchum flopped, his Network Programming job was yanked and his marrage to Julie London ended. It was right about then he was given a one time TV movie shot for an updated version of his old radio show Dragnet. He parlayed that into a string of reality TV classics.
He is the only civilian buried with full LAPD honors. Joe Friday's LAPD badge number 714 has been retired.
Just the facts.
