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David Butler

Highest Rated: 100% Seventh Heaven (1927)

Lowest Rated: 20% They Got Me Covered (1943)

Birthday: Dec 17, 1894

Birthplace: San Francisco, California, USA

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.

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Highest rated movies

100% 85% Seventh Heaven
Watchlist
89% 72% The Littlest Rebel
Watchlist
86% 76% Captain January
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83% 75% Bright Eyes
Watchlist
79% 77% Road to Morocco
Watchlist
73% 87% Calamity Jane
Watchlist
20% 80% They Got Me Covered
Watchlist
78% Lullaby of Broadway
Watchlist
The Sky Pilot
Watchlist
Down to Earth
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Filmography

Movies

Credit
No Score Yet 59% 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 15% 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
No Score Yet 17% The Command Director - 1954
No Score Yet 18% King Richard and the Crusaders Director - 1954
73% 87% Calamity Jane Director - 1953
No Score Yet 81% By the Light of the Silvery Moon Director - 1953
No Score Yet 46% April in Paris Director - 1952
No Score Yet No Score Yet Where's Charley? Director - 1952
No Score Yet 50% Painting the Clouds With Sunshine Director - 1951
No Score Yet 78% Lullaby of Broadway Director - 1951
No Score Yet 47% The Daughter of Rosie O'Grady Director - 1950
No Score Yet 59% Tea for Two Director - 1950
No Score Yet 31% It's a Great Feeling Self,
Director
- 1949
No Score Yet 30% Look for the Silver Lining Director - 1949
No Score Yet 44% John Loves Mary Director - 1949
No Score Yet 49% The Story of Seabiscuit Director - 1949
No Score Yet No Score Yet Two Guys From Texas Director - 1948
No Score Yet 38% 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
No Score Yet 66% San Antonio Director - 1945
No Score Yet 83% The Princess and the Pirate Director - 1944
No Score Yet 38% Shine On, Harvest Moon Director - 1944
No Score Yet 54% Thank Your Lucky Stars Director - 1943
20% 80% They Got Me Covered Director - 1943
79% 77% Road to Morocco Director - 1942
No Score Yet 75% Caught in the Draft Director - 1941
No Score Yet No Score Yet Playmates Director,
Producer
- 1941
No Score Yet 45% If I Had My Way Director,
Writer,
Producer
- 1940
No Score Yet 50% You'll Find Out Director,
Producer
- 1940
No Score Yet 70% 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
No Score Yet 35% 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 41% Pigskin Parade Director - 1936
86% 76% Captain January Director - 1936
No Score Yet 20% Doubting Thomas Director - 1935
No Score Yet 80% The Little Colonel Director - 1935
89% 72% The Littlest Rebel Director - 1935
83% 75% 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
No Score Yet 40% 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
No Score Yet 14% Delicious Director - 1931
No Score Yet 29% A Connecticut Yankee Director - 1931
No Score Yet 41% Just Imagine Director,
Screenwriter
- 1930
No Score Yet No Score Yet Salute Navy Coach (Character) - 1929
No Score Yet 56% Sunny Side Up Director - 1929
No Score Yet No Score Yet Prep and Pep Director - 1928
100% 85% Seventh Heaven Gobin (Character) - 1927
No Score Yet No Score Yet The Blue Eagle Nick "Drizzy" Galvani (Character) - 1926
No Score Yet 25% 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
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