Herb Ellis (actor)

Herbert Ellis (born Herbert Siegel; January 17, 1921 – December 26, 2018) was an American character actor and writer. He was best known for his collaborations with Jack Webb, and he frequently portrayed law enforcement officers in film and television.[1]

Born in Cleveland, Ohio,[2] Ellis began his career in Hollywood in the late 1940s. Ellis and Webb together devised the name and concept for Dragnet[3] after collaborating on an unsuccessful project titled Joe Friday, Room Five.[4] He played Officer Frank Smith in eight episodes of the original Dragnet series. He played Frank La Valle in 23 episodes of The D.A.'s Man, and he played Beat bistro owner, painter and sculptor Wilbur in five episodes of Peter Gunn. Ellis and Webb later worked together on Dragnet 1966 and Dragnet 1967.

From 1959 to 1962, Ellis was cast as Dr. Dan Wagner in seven episodes of the CBS military sitcom/drama series, Hennesey, starring Jackie Cooper as a United States Navy physician, with Abby Dalton as nurse Martha Hale.

Ellis was married to Sylvia Siegel, and they had two children. He died on December 26, 2018, at his home in San Gabriel, California. He was 97.[5][6]

Filmography
Year Title Role Notes
1953A Blueprint for MurderFirst Detective at DeskUncredited
1954DragnetBooking SergeantUncredited
1954Rogue CopBartenderUncredited
1954Naked AlibiCommunications OfficerUncredited
1955Pete Kelly's BluesBedido
1956The Killing2nd American Airlines Clerk
1957Paths of GlorySmall RoleUncredited
1958Too Much, Too SoonAssistantUncredited
1964My Favourite MartianNews ReporterSeries 2, Episode 10
1966What Did You Do in the War, Daddy?Lumpe
1966The Fortune CookieTV Director
1966DragnetRico 'Ricky' MarkellTV movie
1968The PartyDirector
1968Hang 'Em HighSwedeUncredited
1970DragnetJohn SawyerEpisode: "Robbery: The Harassing Wife"

References
  1. Beck, Ken (March 16, 2003). Sgt. Friday had six sidekicks in 'Dragnet' web. The Tennessean
  2. Aaker, Everett (2011). Encyclopedia of Early Television Crime Fighters: All Regular Cast Members in American Crime and Mystery Series, 1948-1959. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Co. p. 211. ISBN 978-0-7864-6409-8.
  3. Nachman, Gerald (2000). Raised on Radio. University of California Press. p. 307. ISBN 9780520223035. Retrieved 13 May 2017.
  4. Buntin, John (2009). L.A. noir: the struggle for the soul of America's most seductive city. Random House, Inc., ISBN 978-0-307-35207-1
  5. "Herb Ellis, Actor and Jack Webb Collaborator on 'Dragnet,' Dies at 97". The Hollywood Reporter.
  6. "RIP OTR writer/actor/director Herb Ellis, aged 96". 28 December 2018.


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