Alan Hewitt

Alan Hewitt (January 21, 1915 – November 7, 1986) was an American actor whose career spanned stage, film, and television over several decades. Born and raised in New York City, he entered Dartmouth College at the age of 15 and graduated in 1934. His first experience performing came at age 10, in a school production.

Hewitt joined Actors' Equity Association in 1934, the same year he completed his studies at Dartmouth, and gained a seat on the organization's council in 1940. He served on that council through 1951 and participated in several of its committees during that period. He contributed to establishing an employment survey for performers working in the American theater and wrote letters and articles addressing actors' rights as professionals.

His Broadway career ran from 1935 to 1955, beginning with The Taming of the Shrew, which starred Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne. Hewitt subsequently toured with Lunt and Fontanne in that production and appeared alongside them again in 1936–37 in Amphitryon 38 and The Sea Gull. His New York Times obituary identified his performances in William Saroyan's Love's Old Sweet Song and John Steinbeck's The Moon Is Down as his biggest Broadway successes. Additional stage credits included The Walrus and the Carpenter and The American Way.

During World War II, Hewitt served in the United States Army's Armed Forces Radio Service from 1943 to 1946. His film work included appearances in A Private's Affair, Days of Wine and Roses, That Touch of Mink, Follow That Dream, How to Murder Your Wife, Sweet Charity, and The Barefoot Executive.

On television, Hewitt was a recurring presence across numerous well-known programs, among them Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Maverick, 77 Sunset Strip, Leave It to Beaver, The Donna Reed Show, Dr. Kildare, Lost in Space, Bewitched, I Dream of Jeannie, Hazel, The Lucy Show, F Troop, The Wild Wild West, Ironside, The Bob Newhart Show, Dennis the Menace, Daktari, The Cara Williams Show, and The Phil Silvers Show. He made four guest appearances on Perry Mason, playing different roles across episodes that aired in 1959, 1961, and 1965. Among his most prominent television roles were Detective Brennan on My Favorite Martian and the district attorney in How to Murder Your Wife.

Hewitt died of cancer on November 7, 1986, at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City. He is interred at Union Field Cemetery in Ridgewood, New York. He was survived by his mother, Hortense B. Hewitt, and a brother, Robert W. Hewitt. His papers, covering the years 1936 to 1985, were donated to Dartmouth College by his estate and are housed in 22 boxes at the Dartmouth College Library. Additional materials are held by the Billy Rose Theatre Division of the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts.