Eddie Dew

Eddie Dew (January 29, 1909 – April 6, 1972) was an American actor and director whose career spanned the golden age of B‑movie westerns and the early days of television. Born in Sumner, Washington, Dew first stepped onto the Hollywood scene in the mid‑1930s, taking modest bit parts that allowed him to learn the mechanics of studio production. His first substantial screen appearance came in 1940 as Captain Kendall in Military Academy, followed by a memorable turn as Henchman French in Dude Cowboy the next year. In 1942 Dew earned his first starring credit as Scott Yager in Red River Robin Hood, a role that launched him into a series of leading parts for Republic Pictures, including Beyond the Last Frontier and Raiders of Sunset Pass in 1943. Throughout the remainder of the 1940s he became a reliable supporting player for Universal Pictures, frequently sharing the screen with rugged star Rod Cameron in titles such as Trigger Trail and Renegades of the Rio Grande. Although his on‑screen visibility began to wane in the early 1950s, Dew seamlessly transitioned to directing, applying his frontier‑savvy sensibility to both feature films and the burgeoning medium of television. He helmed religious epics like The Living Bible (1952) and The Old Testament Scriptures (1958), as well as adventure pictures such as Naked Gun (1956) and Wings of Chance (1961). Dew’s most enduring television legacy is his work on Sergeant Preston of the Yukon, for which he directed forty episodes and helped define the show’s rugged visual style. Even after reducing his directing duties, he occasionally appeared in series such as Annie Oakley, Buffalo Bill, Jr. and Hawaii Five‑O before retiring in 1969. Dew died in Burbank, California, in 1972 at the age of 63 after a battle with a brain tumor, leaving behind a body of work that illustrates the seamless shift from classic western hero to behind‑the‑camera storyteller.