I swear, this guy should have a permanent credit in every episode, just change his character name.
Lab Tech...patrol cop... Sgt... fingerprint examiner... you name it Don Ross played it on Dragnet!
There should be a law against using the same actors every single week in different roles!
[deleted]
The reason Webb used Ross, and all the others over and over and over is two (2) fold;
1) Webb, as you stated, LIKED these actors, as they were good character actors;
2) The BIG reason-They worked for scale pay.
So even though Ross, Culver, Virginia Gregg and all the others were all good actors not one of them made any BIG $$$ off Dragnet, and the worst part is they do not receive residuals either, which would have made them rich if they did. Dragnet has probably been in syndication since it went off the air in 1970, and probably will continue to do so.
Heck these episodes are 45, 50 years old now and I am STILL watching them.
[deleted]
I didn't blame anyone for the pay scale, especially the actors, I was merely stating one reason why they were used so much, they were paid scale wages.
As for residuals, it would have provided a steady cash flow, no mater how slight, because Dragnet as been on the air pretty much non-stop since it ended.....
[deleted]