My Name's Friday : The Unauthorized but True Story of Dragnet and the Films of Jack Webb (Paperback)

~ (Author) "On Sunday, December 16, 1951, television viewers tuned to a program they had been studiously avoiding since the start of the season: Chesterfield Sound-off Time..." (more)
Key Phrases: air date, teenage gang war, copper clappers, John Robinson, Jack Webb, New York (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...if you remember the show fondly, as millions of boomers do, you will find this book irresistible." -- Baby Boomer Headquarters (BBHQ.com) Book of the Month, April 2002

"The full story of the show and its creator, impeccably researched and exceedingly well told." -- Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, May 2002

Edgar Award nominee, Best Critical/Biographical Work of 2001. -- Mystery Writers of America, February 2, 2002

The Webb that emerges from the pages of Hayde's book is a man who believed in what he was doing. -- Scott Eyman, Cox News Service, September 16, 2001

This (book) about Jack Webb - creator and star of "Dragnet" - is, in effect, a monument to him. -- John Goodspeed, The Star Democrat, August 10, 2001

Product Description

The complete story of "Dragnet" and the theatrical feature films of producer/director/actor Jack Webb.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 317 pages
• Publisher: Cumberland House Publishing; illustrated edition edition (June 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1581821905
• ISBN-13: 978-1581821901
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.5 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #398,175 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars As Solid As Joe Friday's .38 Special, September 6, 2002

By	"mister-uhf" (Virginia, USA) - See all my reviews

The subtitle succinctly describes this book: a biography of Jack Webb with the emphasis on "Dragnet" in its various forms and on his long neglected feature films. Most readers, like myself, will probably get the book for its coverage of "Dragnet" in its successive permutations: radio series (1949-55), the original TV series (1951-59), theatrical film (1954), TV movie (1966), and the second TV series (1967-70). Hayde shows that in all three media, Webb was an innovator, using new and existing technologies to enhance realism and impact and speed up production. He was a stickler for realism in everything from doorknobs to nomenclature. When "Dragnet" moved to TV, Webb kept the radio series' actors, despite the network's fears that they weren't glamorous enough for TV; besides being famously loyal, Webb wanted actors who looked like real people, not movie stars. Hayde also shows that "Dragnet" was more than just reenactment, but showed the human side of police work and the effects of crime.

Some years ago, Leonard Malton wrote that Webb's theatrical films demanded reappraisal. Hayde does here, perhaps giving them their first detailed examinations since their premieres. Webb had seen radio and TV as stepping stones to film, but his features are often considered less successful than his TV shows. If so, this book shows that any shortcomings were due to writing, not acting or technique.

Hayde describes the success Webb enjoyed. The "Dragnet" dum-de-dum-dum theme is one of the most recognized in the world. The two "Dragnet" TV series were huge hits in both prime time and syndication and Webb also enjoyed success with "Adam-12" and "Emergency." He realized about $2.5 million from the sale of the syndication rights to the first "Dragnet" TV series, a huge sum for the day. But as Hayde shows, Webb paid a high price, too. Three of his four marriages ended in divorce, casaulties of his workaholism. His daily regimen of 18 hours of work, three packs of cigarettes, and up to three hard drinks ruined his health and lead to an early and fatal heart attack at age 62 in December 1982.

A huge amount of research obviously went into this book, including interviews with surviving associates of Webb. The writing is excellent. The book is profusely illustrated, with an especially evocative cover shot. It also contains some fascinating and useful appendices, including episode guides.

But this book is more than just a history of Webb's productions. Hayde provides some very incisive analyses, giving praise and criticism when due. He does an excellent job in placing "Dragnet" in context. It may seem too cut and dry today, but "Dragnet" was a breath of fresh air at a time when most crime dramas were wildly inaccurate and consisted of screams, gunshots, sirens, and wisecracks. Hayde points out that the huge success of the original TV series in syndication showed the lucrative possibilities of that market and thus doomed live TV. Hayde also points out that the second series' drug episodes, now considered campy, reflected the horror and bewilderment that broke out when drugs hit the middle class in the 1960's.

In summary, this is one of the best non-fiction books I've read. I recommend it highly, not only to Webb fans, but to any serious student of radio, TV, or film.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Jack Webb story: fine book, hard to put down, October 30, 2001

By	Scott MacGillivray (Massachusetts, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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"My Name's Friday" tells the story of producer-director-actor-writer Jack Webb. Fans of "Dragnet" will be surprised by the sheer volume of Webb's work in radio, television, and motion pictures. The scope of Michael Hayde's engrossing book goes beyond "Dragnet" and discusses all things Webb, with plenty of color and numerous "exhibits": first-person recollections by those involved in production, radio and TV episode guides, dozens of photos, transcripts of Webb's most memorable on-air speeches, even samples of "Dragnet" merchandise from the 1950s. The author takes pains to show the various facets of Webb's personality: intense workaholic, perceptive critic, enthusiastic jazz aficionado, loyal friend. Best of all for curious readers, the author has done a terrific research job, admirably placing the "Dragnet" phenomenon in its proper historical context. A fine book: Sgt. Friday would salute this one.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Solid, January 9, 2002

By	David C. Hill "*** Dave" (Centennial, CO USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Greatly superior in organization and analysis to _Just the Facts, Ma'am_, this book does well both discussing Jack Webb and Dragnet, and the love-hate relationship they had with each other. With lots of examples from the various scripts Webb wrote or oversaw, the book provides a solid guide to the man and his works, and is a must-read for anyone who is interested in either.