David Butler
Beginning his career as an actor onscreen and onstage, David Butler spent the majority of his four-decade career as a director, working in both television and film, most notably on the classic family comedy series "Leave It to Beaver." Butler often produced and wrote the scripts for his films and was considered a hard-working, blue collar-type director. While working under contract for Fox, Butler was prolific, directing over 30 films in a nine-year span, including the 1934 dramedy "Bright Eyes." Butler collaborated numerous times with actor Bing Crosby, including on the adventure film "Road to Morocco" and the musical "If I Had My Way." Late in his career Butler primarily worked directing television episodes, mainly for the classic family show "Leave It to Beaver" and the Western series "The Deputy." Through the 1920s Butler acted frequently, alternating between the stage and screen, appearing in two of legendary director D.W. Griffith's World War I dramas--"The Greatest Thing in Life" and "The Girl Who Stayed at Home"--as well as the Academy Award-winning romance "7th Heaven" in 1927. Butler died of heart failure at the age of 84.
Photos
David Butler
Filmography
Movies
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A Prince for Christmas | Set Decoration | - | 2015 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | C'mon Let's Live a Little | Director | - | 1967 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Right Approach | Director | - | 1961 |
No Score Yet |
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The Girl He Left Behind | Director | - | 1956 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Glory |
Director, Producer |
- | 1956 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Jump Into Hell | Director | - | 1955 |
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The Command | Director | - | 1954 |
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King Richard and the Crusaders | Director | - | 1954 |
73% |
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Calamity Jane | Director | - | 1953 |
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By the Light of the Silvery Moon | Director | - | 1953 |
No Score Yet |
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April in Paris | Director | - | 1952 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Where's Charley? | Director | - | 1952 |
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Painting the Clouds With Sunshine | Director | - | 1951 |
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Lullaby of Broadway | Director | - | 1951 |
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The Daughter of Rosie O'Grady | Director | - | 1950 |
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Tea for Two | Director | - | 1950 |
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It's a Great Feeling |
Self, Director |
- | 1949 |
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Look for the Silver Lining | Director | - | 1949 |
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John Loves Mary | Director | - | 1949 |
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The Story of Seabiscuit | Director | - | 1949 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Two Guys From Texas | Director | - | 1948 |
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My Wild Irish Rose | Director | - | 1947 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Time, the Place and the Girl | Director | - | 1946 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Two Guys From Milwaukee | Director | - | 1946 |
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San Antonio | Director | - | 1945 |
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The Princess and the Pirate | Director | - | 1944 |
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Shine On, Harvest Moon | Director | - | 1944 |
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Thank Your Lucky Stars | Director | - | 1943 |
20% |
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They Got Me Covered | Director | - | 1943 |
79% |
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Road to Morocco | Director | - | 1942 |
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Caught in the Draft | Director | - | 1941 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Playmates |
Director, Producer |
- | 1941 |
No Score Yet |
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If I Had My Way |
Director, Writer, Producer |
- | 1940 |
No Score Yet |
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You'll Find Out |
Director, Producer |
- | 1940 |
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East Side of Heaven |
Director, Writer, Producer |
- | 1939 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | That's Right -- You're Wrong | Director | - | 1939 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Kentucky Moonshine | Director | - | 1938 |
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Kentucky | Director | - | 1938 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Straight, Place and Show | Director | - | 1938 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Ali Baba Goes to Town | Director | - | 1937 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | You're a Sweetheart | Director | - | 1937 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | White Fang | Director | - | 1936 |
No Score Yet |
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Pigskin Parade | Director | - | 1936 |
86% |
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Captain January | Director | - | 1936 |
No Score Yet |
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Doubting Thomas | Director | - | 1935 |
No Score Yet |
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The Little Colonel | Director | - | 1935 |
89% |
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The Littlest Rebel | Director | - | 1935 |
83% |
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Bright Eyes | Director | - | 1934 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Have a Heart | Director | - | 1934 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Bottoms Up |
Director, Screenwriter |
- | 1934 |
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Hold Me Tight | Director | - | 1933 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | My Weakness |
Director, Writer |
- | 1933 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Down to Earth | Director | - | 1932 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Business and Pleasure | Director | - | 1932 |
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Delicious | Director | - | 1931 |
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A Connecticut Yankee | Director | - | 1931 |
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Just Imagine |
Director, Screenwriter |
- | 1930 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Salute | Navy Coach (Character) | - | 1929 |
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Sunny Side Up | Director | - | 1929 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Prep and Pep | Director | - | 1928 |
100% |
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Seventh Heaven | Gobin (Character) | - | 1927 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Blue Eagle | Nick "Drizzy" Galvani (Character) | - | 1926 |
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The Plastic Age | Coach Henley (Character) | - | 1926 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Tracked in the Snow Country | Terry Moulton (Character) | - | 1925 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Wages for Wives | Chester Logan (Character) | - | 1925 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Sky Pilot | Bill Hendricks (Character) | - | 1921 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The County Fair | Joel Bartlett (Character) | - | 1920 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Triflers | Cassidy (Character) | - | 1920 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Greatest Thing in Life | Unknown (Character) | - | 1918 |
TV
Credit | ||||
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No Score Yet | 83% | Law & Order | Unknown (Guest Star) | 2002 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Gentle Ben | Unknown (Guest Star) | 1968 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Leave It to Beaver | Director | 1959-1963 |
92% | 96% | The Twilight Zone | Director | 1963 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Wagon Train | Director | 1958-1959 1961 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | The Deputy | Director | 1959-1960 |
No Score Yet | No Score Yet | Screen Directors Playhouse | Director | 1956 |