| Ralph Lamb | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Ralph Lamb | |
| Series: | Vegas |
| Gender: | Male |
| Notability: | Main character |
| Occupation: | Sheriff |
| Location: | Las Vegas, Nevada |
| Relatives: | Jack Lamb (brother); Dixon Lamb (son) |
| Status: | Alive |
| First: | "Pilot" |
| Actor: | Dennis Quaid |
Ralph Lamb is a character featured in the CBS television drama series Vegas. Played by actor Dennis Quaid, he is one of two main characters on the program and was introduced in the pilot episode of the series.
Overview
Ralph Lamb was a rancher from Las Vegas, Nevada who lived with his brother Jack and his son, Dixon. When the town's sheriff went missing, Mayor Ted Bennett asked Ralph to take his place as an interim deputy. He allowed Ralph the chance to deputize Jack and Dixon as well. Soon after, Sheriff Clyde turned up dead and Bennett made Ralph the new sheriff. Sheriff Lamb's tough, uncompromising values brought him into frequent clashes with Vegas mobster Vincent Savino.
Biography
Ralph Lamb was a rancher who owned a patch of land outside of Las Vegas, Nevada. His younger brother, Jack, lived and worked the ranch with him, as did his son Dixon. The Lamb ranch was located next to a recently built airfield and the constant passing of aircraft always spooked the cattle, sending Ralph into a fit of anger.
In 1960, Mayor Ted Bennett approached Ralph and told him that the town's sheriff, a man named Clyde, had gone missing. He insinuated that the sheriff was a corrupt man with ties to casino manager Anthony "Red" Cervelli, who was the right-hand man of Chicago crime boss Vincent Savino. Bennett wanted Lamb to act as a interim sheriff until Clyde could be found. Lamb agreed, but in exchange he wanted the Mayor to do what he could to keep the airplanes from passing over his ranch. Bennett also gave Ralph the ability to deputize his brother, Jack and son, Dixon.
Ralph's first case was to investigate the murder of a woman named Samantha Meade, who was a credit accountant at the Savoy Casino. She was also the daughter of the governor, which immediately brought in the attention of assistant district attorney Katherine O'Connell. Samantha's body was found in the middle of the desert with motorcyle tracks marking the area. Ralph probed the murder from two angles, he looked into the presence of the Hells Angels motorcycle gang, who had been traveling through the area, but he also involved himself in the affairs of Vincent Savino. Savino played the gentleman host at first, but when Ralph's investigation implicated one of Vincent's financial managers, Bob Perrin, the two became bitter enemies.
Ralph, Jack and Dixon found Perrin, who immediately fled the scene and tried to escape Vegas by driving to the airfield. Ralph intercepted Bob's Cadillac, shooting out the tires and subsequently arrested him.
During this incident, the body of Sheriff Clyde had been found in the desert with a gunshot wound to the chest. Mayor Bennett officially made Ralph Lamb the new sheriff of Clark County. [1]
Notes & Trivia
- The character of Ralph Lamb was created by Greg Walker and Nicholas Pileggi.
- The character of Ralph Lamb is based on the life of the real-life sheriff, Ralph Lamb.
- Actor Dennis Quaid is primarily a film actor, however he has done some small television roles. His first television appearance was playing a character named Scott Martin in "The Sky Is Falling" episode of the 1975-1978 crime drama series Baretta.
- Ralph Lamb and Mayor Ted Bennett served together during World War II. Ted once recounted an incident where Ralph ferreted out a serial killer within the unit. It was because of this that Ted knew that Ralph was the right man to become the new sheriff. [2]
Key episodes
- Vegas: Pilot (1st appearance)