Trivia

A survivor of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, which happened when he was 11 years old. He said the quake shook the city so violently and for so long that he remembered his father saying, "I think this is the end. Get down and pray". He and his family escaped uninjured.

The son of a stage director, Butler was educated at Lowell High school, then attended Hitchcock Military Academy and Stanford University. He began in the film business as an actor in 1910, appearing in films by top directors like D.W. Griffith, Frank Borzage and John Ford. He helmed his first picture in 1927, and, over the next three decades acquired a reputation as a solid, dependable studio director, displaying a particular penchant for turning out light comedies and musicals. Butler spent the first phase of his career (1927-38) at Fox, where he handled popular family fare with stars like Will Rogers and Shirley Temple. The second phase took place at Warner Brothers (1943-44; 1946-56), where he enjoyed his biggest successes directing Bob Hopecomedies (En route pour le Maroc (1942), La princesse et le pirate (1944)) and Doris Day musicals (No, No, Nanette (1950), Escale à Broadway (1951), La blonde du Far-West (1953)).

Directed 2 actors to Oscar nominations: Stuart Erwin (Best Supporting Actor, Parade du football (1936)) and Walter Brennan (Best Supporting Actor, Kentucky (1938)). Brennan won an Oscar for his performance in Butler's film.

Son of players Adele Belgrade and Fred J. Butler.

Became manager of the Morosco Theatre in Los Angeles in 1923.

Butler has the distinction of having directed multiple movies starring two of the three "Biggest Box Office Blondes" of the 20th century: Shirley Temple in the 1930s and Doris Day in the 1950s. The third blonde was Betty Grable, whose popularity peaked in the 1940s, but she never worked with Butler.