Robert Butler (director)

Robert Butler
Born(1927-11-16)November 16, 1927
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
DiedNovember 3, 2023(2023-11-03) (aged 95)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Occupation(s)Film and television director

Robert Stanton Butler (November 16, 1927 – November 3, 2023)[1] was an American film[2] and Emmy Award-winning television director. He is best known for his work in television, where he directed the pilots for a number of series including Star Trek, Hogan's Heroes, Batman and Hill Street Blues.[3]

Career

Butler graduated from University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he majored in English. He was first in an army band, before his career as a stage manager and an assistant before launching his directing career with an episode of Hennesey (starring Jackie Cooper and including a young Ron Howard)[3] and then went on to direct such shows as The Untouchables, Dr. Kildare, The Dick Van Dyke Show, Batman, The Fugitive and The Twilight Zone.

Butler shot pilots for many TV series including the original Star Trek, Shane, Hogan's Heroes, Batman, The Blue Knight, Hill Street Blues, Remington Steele (a show which he also co-created), Moonlighting, Sisters, and Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman.

Butler also directed episodes for many other shows, including Bonanza, I Spy, Blue Light, The Invaders, Gunsmoke, The Outcasts, Mission: Impossible, Kung Fu, Hawaii Five-O, Columbo: Publish or Perish, Columbo: Double Shock, and Midnight Caller.

Butler directed actor Kurt Russell in four Walt Disney movies, including Guns in the Heather, The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes and The Barefoot Executive.

Butler won two Emmy Awards for outstanding directing, the first in 1973 for The Blue Knight pilot, and the second in 1981 for his Hill Street Blues premiere.

In 2014, Butler's work was the subject of a career retrospective at the UCLA Film and Television Archive.[3]

Butler was honored by the Directors Guild of America (DGA) with a Lifetime Achievement Award for Distinguished Achievement in Television Direction in February 2015.[4]

Robert Butler died in Los Angeles on November 3, 2023, at the age of 95.[5]

Filmography

Film

Television

Year Title Director Producer Notes
1959–1960 Hennesey Yes No 3 Episodes
1960 Happy Yes No 1 Episode
The Many Loves of Dobie Gillis Yes No 1 Episode
1960–1961 The DuPont Show with June Allyson Yes No 5 Episodes
1961 Bonanza Yes No 1 Episode
The Dick Van Dyke Show Yes No 2 Episodes
The Dick Powell Theater Yes No 1 Episode
The Gertrude Berg Show Yes No 2 Episodes
Have Gun – Will Travel Yes No 1 Episode
Michael Shayne Yes No 1 Episode
Peter loves Mary Yes No 2 Episodes
1961–1962 The Detectives Yes No 5 Episodes
1962 Follow The Sun Yes No 3 Episodes
The Rifleman Yes No 1 Episode
1962–1963 Dr. Kildare Yes No 2 Episodes
Stoney Burke Yes No 2 Episodes
The Untouchables Yes No 7 Episodes
1963 Ben Casey Yes No 3 Episodes
The Greatest Show On Earth Yes No 2 Episodes
The Richard Boone Show Yes No 1 Episode
1963–1964 The Lieutenant Yes No 2 Episodes
1963–1965 The Defenders Yes No 2 Episodes
1964 Arrest and Trial Yes No 1 Episode
The Twilight Zone Yes No 2 Episodes
1964–1966 The Fugitive Yes No 6 Episodes
1965 Mister Roberts Yes No 5 Episodes
Run For Your Life Yes No 1 Episode
The Virginian Yes No 1 Episode
1965–1966 Hogan's Heroes Yes No 5 Episodes
1965–1975 The Magical World Of Disney Yes No 12 Episodes
1966 Blue Light Yes No 1 Episode
Shane Yes No 1 Episode
I Spy Yes No 4 Episodes
Batman Yes No 6 Episodes
Star Trek Yes No 2 Episodes
1967 Bob Hope Presents the Chrysler Theatre Yes No 1 Episode
The Invaders Yes No 3 Episodes
Judd, for the Defense Yes No 2 Episodes
N.Y.P.D. Yes No 2 Episodes
1967–1972 Gunsmoke Yes No 3 Episodes
1967–1981 Insight Yes Yes 4 Episodes
1968 Cimarron Strip Yes No 2 Episodes
Ironside Yes No 1 Episode
1969 Mission: Impossible Yes No 1 Episode
The Outcasts Yes No 1 Episode
CBS Playhouse Yes No 1 Episode
1969–1970 Lancer Yes No 4 Episodes
1970 Then Came Bronson Yes No 1 Episode
1972 Nichols Yes No 1 Episode
1972–1973 The Waltons Yes No 3 Episodes
1973 Doc Elliot Yes No 1 Episode
Hawaii Five-O Yes No 1 Episode
Kung Fu Yes No 4 Episodes
Roll Out Yes No 1 Episode
1973–1974 Columbo Yes No 2 Episodes
1975 The Blue Knight Yes No 1 Episode
1981 Hill Street Blues Yes No 6 Episodes
1982–1987 Remington Steele Yes Yes Also creator and executive consultant
1985 Moonlighting Yes No 1 Episode
Our Family Honor Yes No 1 Episode
1987 Out on a Limb Yes No 2 Episodes
1988–1991 Midnight Caller Yes Executive Also executive consultant
1991–1996 Sisters Yes No
1993 Sirens Yes No 2 Episodes
1993–1994 Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman Yes Executive Also executive consultant
1999 St. Michael's Crossing Yes Executive
2001 The Division Yes No 1 Episode

TV movies

Year Title Director Producer Writer
1971 Death Takes a Holiday Yes No No
1973 The Blue Knight Yes No No
1974 McMasters of Sweetwater Yes No No
1975 Strange New World Yes No No
1976 Dark Victory Yes No No
James Dean Yes No No
Mayday at 40,000 Feet! Yes No No
1977 In the Glitter Palace Yes No No
1978 Lacy and the Mississippi Queen Yes No No
A Question of Guilt Yes No No
1984 Concrete Beat Yes No No
1986 Long Time Gone Yes No No
1987 On the Edge Yes Yes Yes
1988 Out of Time Yes Executive No
1991 The Brotherhood Yes No No
1994 White Mile Yes No No
1998 Glory, Glory Yes Executive No

Associate director

References

  1. ^ Tinoco, Armando (2023-11-11). "Robert Butler Dies: TV Director For 'Batman,' 'Star Trek,' 'Hill Street Blues' & 'Moonlighting' Pilots Was 95". Deadline. Retrieved 2023-11-18.
  2. ^ "Robert Butler". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2013-07-28.
  3. ^ a b c Susan King, "Director Robert Butler put stamp on 'Batman,' other landmark series", Los Angeles Times, February 15, 2014.
  4. ^ Variety, February 5, 2015
  5. ^ "Robert Butler, Director on Pilots for 'Batman,' 'Star Trek' and 'Hill Street Blues,' Dies at 95". The Hollywood Reporter. November 11, 2023. Retrieved November 11, 2023.