Peggy Webber, the prolific radio actress who portrayed the mother of Jack Webb’s Joe Friday on the original version of Dragnet, has passed away at the age of 100.
A Legacy of Radio and Film
Peggy Webber died Saturday of natural causes at an independent living facility in Napa, California, her son, Rob Sinskey, told The Hollywood Reporter. Born on September 15, 1925, in Laredo, Texas, Webber began her career in radio at the age of 11, working in San Antonio and later in Hollywood, where she met a page boy who helped her sign up for an audition at CBS.
She was hired on the spot, and her first gigs included The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and stepping in as the voice of Ingrid Bergman on commercials. With a talent for impressions, Webber created a sitcom about a teacher, Oh, Miss Tubbs, for the experimental TV station W6XAO in Los Angeles.
A Versatile Career Spanning Radio and Film
Webber worked on thousands of episodes of radio shows, including The Story of Dr. Kildare, starring Lionel Barrymore and Lew Ayres, and Escape, starring William Conrad. She also appeared in several films, including Her Adventurous Night (1946), John Farrow’s Submarine Command (1952), and The Space Children (1958).
In addition to her work in radio and film, Webber was a talented writer and producer. She created a sitcom about a teacher, Oh, Miss Tubbs, and wrote and produced Treasure of Literature, bringing classic literary works to life for the L.A. station KFI-TV. Her work earned her a nomination at the inaugural Emmy Awards in 1949.
Collaborations with Notable Directors
Webber had the opportunity to work with some of the most notable directors of her time, including Orson Welles and Alfred Hitchcock. In 1948, Welles approached her about playing Lady Macduff in his film adaptation of Macbeth. She recalled that Welles told her to do a glamorous kind of young person, with a Scottish accent.
Webber also appeared in Hitchcock's The Wrong Man (1956), setting the story in motion as Miss Dennerly, an insurance clerk who mistakenly identifies musician Manny Balestrero (Henry Fonda) as a man who had robbed her office. The movie is the only Hitchcock film based on real events.
A Life of Performance and Entrepreneurship
Webber's life was marked by her love of performance and entrepreneurship. She and her husband, Ted Cassidy, owned The New Hope Inn, a restaurant and performance space in Santa Monica. She also ran a theater company with members including Gilligan's Island star Bob Denver.
In the late 1970s, Webber began working on productions for Sears Radio Theatre. In 1984, she founded the California Artists Radio Theater, a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving and promoting the art of radio.
A Legacy That Continues to Inspire
Peggy Webber's legacy continues to inspire new generations of actors, writers, and producers. Her talent, versatility, and dedication to her craft have left an indelible mark on the entertainment industry. As we say goodbye to this remarkable woman, we remember her contributions to the world of radio and film, and the countless lives she touched along the way.
Source: Hollywood Reporter