Joe Gillis's friend who works at Paramount. Joe visits him early in the story and later pretends to be content with his gigolo lifestyle to encourage Betty Schaefer to pursue a relationship with Artie instead.
A forensics specialist for the police force. He plays a crucial role in linking the crimes by matching the ejector marks on a recovered bullet casing to those from the initial murder and the subsequent wounding of Detective Jones.
One of the two gang members who murder Harry Gruber. He remains paranoid about Sister Augustine, warns Boettiger, and attempts to kidnap her. During the final robbery, he fails to complete his duties, leading to the gang's exposure and his death in the shootout.
A war correspondent and one of the few survivors of the cave patrol. He plays a pivotal role by reading Doc's final note to Anderson, which inspires the lieutenant to destroy his painkillers and lead the final assault.
The PC-1168's engineering officer, Barbo has no training, education, or experience in engineering despite being assigned to the position. When Wascylewski breaks his ribs during a sea trial, Barbo takes his place in the base boxing championship and unexpectedly wins, helping lift the crew's spirits.
Augie is one of Danny Haley's gambling associates and participates in the poker game that cheats Arthur Winant. After Arthur's suicide, Augie helps Danny search for Sidney Winant and denies any connection to Arthur's death when questioned. Sidney later kills Augie, whose body is found hanging in Danny's motel room.
Sam Gatlin is the Examiner's managing editor, leading the staff as they prepare the early edition during a busy night in Los Angeles. He and his wife Peggy disagree about adopting a child: Sam is hesitant because his young son from his first marriage was killed years earlier by a drunk driver. He also writes a provocative headline about a child feared drowned in the sewers.
Pete Kelly is a jazz cornetist and leader of the Big Seven, whose band performs at the 17 Club during Prohibition. He resists Fran McCarg's demands, loses Joey Firestone to violence, and struggles between submission and resistance. His relationships with Ivy Conrad, Al Gannaway, and the band drive the central conflict.
The narrator introduces the film's warning by describing locations behind the Iron Curtain where Soviet espionage and sabotage forces are trained before infiltrating America. His narration frames the story of Jerry Donovan's imagined life under a Soviet takeover and presents the nightmare as a cautionary scenario.
Jack Webb has 61 screen credits in a career dating back to 1932. Signature works include Dragnet, Sunset Boulevard, Dragnet. Explore the interactive character relationship maps on each title page to trace how their roles connect across franchises.
